Michael Niemack, professor of physics and astronomy, works with grad student Alicia Middleton, center, and REU summer undergraduate researcher Isla Steinman in Niemack’s lab in the Physical Sciences Building.
World class physics education and training

The Department of Physics

Uniquely versatile undergraduate and graduate programs, an unrivaled breadth of  research training, and Nobel Prize-winning work in world class facilities, defines the Department of Physics at Cornell University as a national and global leader in physics training and education. The department has more than 40 active professors,  approximately 180 graduate students and 65 undergraduate majors, and offers a full range of university-level work in physics, from general education courses for nonscientists to doctoral-level independent research.

Physics News

an abstract sculpture in the foreground with a grassy college quadrangle in the distance, bordered by low buildings

Faculty excellence in teaching and advising honored with 2026 awards

Cornell’s College of Arts & Sciences honors the winners of its 2026 teaching and advising awards. Faculty members Nicole Giannella, Karola Mészáros and Landon Schnabel stand out this year, earning major awards for excellence; many instructors and teaching assistants received recognition, as well.

Sky filled with stars

New instrument will map the formation of early galaxies

Researchers in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences report on the first observations with the Tomographic Ionized-carbon Mapping Experiment (TIME). The instrument uses a technique called line-intensity mapping to explore the early universe.

The telescope, a large white structure with the logo on the front, rises three stories in the air.

Next-generation telescope science highlighted at April workshop

Cornell University's Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST) was formally inaugurated on April 9 in Chile's Atacama Desert, marking a new era in submillimeter astronomy. The CCAT Observatory partnership telescope, led by Cornell, will map galaxy formation, cosmic microwave background radiation, and the epoch of reionization in the submillimeter range faster than any previous instrument.

Daniel Ralph

Ralph, Schlom elected to National Academy of Sciences

Physicist Dan Ralph, Ph.D. ’93, F.R. Newman Professor of Physics in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, is one of two faculty members elected to the National Academy of Sciences. April 28, the academy announced 120 members and 25 international members elected this year.

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Physics Links

Graduate Program Undergraduate Program Faculty Profiles Research Areas
Steven Santos illustration

Steven Santos ’12 

BA Physics and Math
Financial Analyst, Soccer Fan, Physicist!

Steven (he/him) turned his physics analysis skills to the field of finance. His path has led him through several different companies in various roles managing data and using complex forecasting models to inform financial decisions like product pricing, budgeting and strategic planning. In his free time, Steven enjoys reading non-fiction, soccer, and running his own stock portfolio.

The analytical and problem-solving skills from physics have been of much use to him in the corporate world

Victoria Gao illustration

Victoria Gao ’12

BA Physics and Art History
Art Historian, Photographer, Physicist!

Victoria (she/her) followed her physics degree with a PhD in visual and cultural studies from the University of Rochester. She then became Director of the Bannister Gallery and Adjunct Professor of Art History at Rhode Island College. Through her career, Victoria has been able to turn her passions into her work. In her free time, she enjoys baking.

The critical thinking skills she developed as a physicist have always helped her along the way.

David Hackett

David Hackett ‘12 

BA Physics and Economics
Lawyer, Boston Sports Fan, Physicist!

David (he/him) went from Cornell physics to Boston College where he earned degrees in law and business administration. He held several positions in both marketing and law and then became a lawyer for a biological engineering lab at Harvard. In his free time, he enjoys working on his house.

Physics has been his most valuable degree, developing his problem-solving and creative thinking skills.

PhD student Prateek Sehgal works with shear thickening fluid in their Clark Hall lab.
PhD student Prateek Sehgal works with shear thickening fluid in their Clark Hall lab.

Research Spotlight

Research in the department is organized in two laboratories, the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics (LASSP) and the Laboratory for Elementary Particle Physics (LEPP). Explore the links below to learn more about the major research areas of the department and the facilities available to researchers.

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