Master’s Program in Quantum Science and Engineering at Boston University
We are excited to announce the launch of a cross-college Master’s Program in Quantum Science and Engineering at Boston University! The program emphasizes interdisciplinary training — with specialization tracks in physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science, materials science, and electrical engineering — alongside hands-on lab experience, and industrial and research internships, preparing students for cutting-edge careers […]
Tribute to Professor Bill Klein
Bill Klein, Professor of Physics and a member of the Center for Computational Science at Boston University, was a leading figure in statistical mechanics whose work shaped our understanding of percolation, nucleation, and complex systems. Bill passed away on November 18, 2025, at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife Susan, his […]
We are pleased to welcome our newest hires of our Quantum Science and Engineering Collaborative, Dries Sels and Nikola Maksimovic!
We are pleased to welcome our newest hires of our Quantum Science and Engineering Collaborative, Dries Sels and Nikola Maksimovic! Dries Sels received degrees in electrical engineering from KU Leuven and in nanoscience from TU Delft in 2010, where he worked on quantum transport in nanowire transistors. He earned his PhD at the University of Antwerp, […]
BU Physics Department annual Pumpkin Drop!
The Boston University Physics department hosted its annual Pumpkin Drop on October 31st 2025. This BU tradition includes throwing over 40 pumpkins stuffed with various fillings such as baked beans, ketchup, relish, peas and even sautéed mushrooms off of the roof of the Metcalf Science Center. This was the messiest year to date, with bits […]
BU Physicists Celebrate 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
The 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics has been awarded to the scientists of the Large Hadron Collider experiments — ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb — recognizing their groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of fundamental particles and forces. The citation honors their achievements: “For detailed measurements of Higgs boson properties confirming the symmetry-breaking mechanism of mass generation, […]
Congratulations to Dr. Alp Akpinar for Receiving the Springer Theses Award!
We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Alp Akpinar, advised by Prof. Zeynep Demiragli, has been awarded the Springer Theses award for his outstanding PhD research in the field of dark matter at the colliders. Dr. Akpinar’s thesis, conducted within the CMS experiment at CERN, explored interactions between the Higgs boson and dark matter. His […]
BU-Made Mirror Installed at the South Pole Telescope
Incoming assistant professor Kirit Karkare is co-PI of the South Pole Telescope Summertime Line Intensity Mapper (SPT-SLIM), an experiment at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station that uses new superconducting detector technology to detect galaxies from early in the universe’s history. BU was responsible for fabricating the mirror that directs light collected by the SPT primary mirror to […]
Dillon Brout’s Breakthrough in Dark Energy Featured as a Major Achievement in Physics
We are proud to share that the work of our own Dillon Brout on Dark Energy has been recognized as one of 2024’s most significant breakthroughs in physics by Quanta Magazine. This remarkable achievement has garnered attention from across the scientific community, and several friends and relatives have kindly forwarded me a compelling interview with […]
Congratulations Professor Brout for leading a Top Cited Paper!
Congratulations Professor Brout (Astronomy and Physics) for being recognized as having authored one of the top cited papers in all of astronomy and astrophysics in the last 4 years! This paper has helped us better understand the nature of dark energy, dark matter, and the expansion of the universe. Award: https://ioppublishing.org/north-america-top-cited-paper-award/ Paper: https://inspirehep.net/literature/2030314
Launching the BU-TU Dortmund Research Network
Boston University Physics was happy to host a Planning Workshop and Reception on Oct 11, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President of Research Thomas Bifano. Dr Sonja Kreibich, Consul-General of Germany to the New England States, was the guest of honor. Photograph caption (Left to right): Senior Vice President Ken Olliff (BU), Professor […]