Name: Laura Bruce

Class Year: 2020

Hometown: New Orleans, LA

Major(s): Physics

Minors or Concentrations: Mathematics, Creative Writing

Project Summary: The Goldwater Scholarship was established to commemorate Senator Barry Goldwater and is awarded to undergraduates who intend to pursue higher education (PhD) in natural science, engineering, and mathematics.

How did W&L prepare you for this opportunity? The W&L Physics and Engineering Department is outstanding. I had the opportunity to participate in nanoscience research in winter 2018 and biophysics research from summer 2018 until now. I went to Switzerland and visited CERN during Spring term in PHYS 125, which was an incredible experience. These experiences, as well as rigorous classes and tutoring, have solidified my desire to pursue higher education in the natural sciences. I’ve also learned to be systematic, cooperative, and open-minded from areas of life outside of physics, such as English and Division III competitive swimming. I firmly believe these other activities have strengthened my potential as a scientific researcher.

Why did you apply for this opportunity? I knew I was interested in pursuing a PhD in physics, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to practice my scientific writing skills. More importantly, I was unsure of myself for a long time about pursuing a career in scientific research. I did not know much about physics as an incoming freshman, but I was always fascinated about the world around me. Receiving the Goldwater has definitely served as positive confirmation of my abilities as a prospective physicist.

Post-graduation Plans: I’m not 100% sure yet what specific area of physics I want to study in graduate school, but currently I enjoy signal processing and data analysis. I am interning at CERN this summer, which I’m absolutely thrilled about! So far, my plan is to pursue a PhD in experimental particle or nuclear physics.

How will this opportunity help you achieve your goals? The Goldwater Scholarship provides up to $7500 to support undergraduate research. I intend to continue biophysics research with Dr. Jon Erickson for my physics honors thesis. The Goldwater will also help me in my graduate school applications.

Extracurricular Involvement:

Division III swimming
Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship
Pi Beta Phi Sorority

Off-campus Experience:

PHYS 125: Particle Physics at CERN

Research Experience:

Nanoscience research with Dr. Dan Mazilu (Winter 2018), and biophysics research with Dr. Jon Erickson (Summer 2018-current)