Recent PhD Graduates
PhD Graduates 2026
Rayna Rampalli
Thesis: Tracing the Milky Way's Evolution Through its Star-Planet Systems
Advisor: Elisabeth Newton
Lucas Dyke
Thesis: Modeling Velocity Distributions of Interstellar Neutral Hydrogen in the Heliosphere
Advisor: Hans Mueller
Kelly Cantwell
Thesis: Electron Microburst Precipitation in Earth's Upper Atmosphere
Advisor: Robyn Millan
Aylin Garcia Soto
Thesis: Short-term Magnetic Fields Activity on M-type Cool Stars and Its Effect on Exoplanet Detection
Advisor: Elisabeth Newton
Weishi Wang
Thesis: Basis design for electronic structure and beyond
Advisor: James Whitfield
Stephanie Podjed
Thesis: Active Galactic Nuclei Across Scales: From Blazar Jets to Dark Matter Halos
Advisor: Ryan Hickox
Jackson Yant
Thesis: An operational Quantum Field Theoretic Model of Gravitationally induced Entanglement
Advisor: Miles Blencowe
Magdalina Moses
Thesis: In Situ Observations of Thermal Ions in Perturbed Ionospheres: Techniques and Results
Advisor: Kristina Lynch
Bradley Shapiro
Thesis: Enhanced Particle Interactions in Highly Curved Spacetime
Advisor: Devin Walker
Francisco Riberi
Thesis: Entanglement-Assisted Metrology Under Spatiotemporally Correlated Quantum Noise
Advisor: Lorenza Viola
Jiaqi "Martin" Ying
Thesis: Monte Carlo Stellar Evolution Models and Their Application on Globular Clusters
Advisor: Brian Chaboyer
Jules van Irsel
Thesis: Current Continuity in Auroral System Science
Advisor: Kristina Lynch
Shan-Chang Lin
Thesis: Magnetic Reconnection In Space: From Two-Dimensional Magetohydrodynamic (MHD) Simulations To three-Dimensional Particle-In-Cell (PIC) Simulations
Advisor: Yi-Hsin Liu
PhD Graduates 2025
Keighley Rockcliffe
Thesis: Young Atmospheres Spiriting Away
Advisor: Elisabeth Newton
Parth Sabharwal
Thesis: Thermal Phase Fluctuations in Narrow Superfluid Rings
Advisor: Kevin Wright
Linta Joseph
Thesis: Quantum Control and Simulation Using Hamiltonian Engineering in Solid-State NMR
Advisor: Sekhar Ramanathan
PhD Graduates 2024
Emily Boudreaux
Thesis: Models of Low Mass Stars as Physical Labratories
Advisor: Brian Chaboyer
Grayson Petter
Thesis: The Large-Scale Environments of Active Galactic Nuclei
Advisor: Ryan Hickox
Ethan Williams
Thesis: Probing Central Spin Decoherence Dynamics of Electronic Point Defects in Diamond and Silicon
Advisor: Chandrasekhar Ramanathan
PhD Graduates 2023
Daniel Allman
Thesis: Equilibrium and Quench-Dynamical Studies of Ultracold Fermions in Ring-Shaped Optical Traps
Advisor: Kevin Wright
Riley Chien
Thesis: Fermion Encodings and Algorithms for Quantum Simulation
Advisor: James Whitfield
Vincent Flynn
Thesis: Effective Non-Hermiticity and Topology in Markovian Quadratic Bosonic Dynamics
Advisor: Lorenza Viola
Vivian Sabla
Thesis: New Physics in the Age of Precision Cosmology
Advisor: Robert Caldwell
Avery Tishue
Thesis: Cosmological Vector Fields and Constraining the Neutrino Masses
Advisor: Robert Caldwell
Kelly Whalen
Thesis: The Extremes of Galaxy Formation & Evolution
Advisor: Ryan Hickox
Jun Yang
Thesis: Machine Learning for Electronic and Atomistic Simulations
Advisor: James Whitfield
PhD Graduates 2022
Sara Vannah
Thesis: Information Entropic Content of Astrophysical Spectra: Applications to Cosmology and Astrobiology
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
Sisira Kanhirathingal
Thesis: Approaching Quantum-Limited Electrometry in the Single-Photon Regime
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
Bhargava Thyagarajan
Thesis: The Cavity-Embedded Cooper Pair Transistor as a Charge Detector Operating in the Nonlinear Regime
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
Qidong Xu
Thesis: Aspects on the Quantum Dynamics of a System Coupled to a Bosonic Environment
Advisor: Miles Blencowe
PhD Graduates 2021
Benjamin Brock
Thesis: Ultrasensitive Electrometry at the SinglePhoton Level
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
Christopher Carroll
Thesis: Uncovering Hidden Monsters: Revealing the Full Population of Luminous Obscured Supermassive Black Holes
Advisor: Ryan Hickox
Chrystal Moser
Thesis: Plasma Wave Generation and Interactions in the Auroral Ionosphere
Advisor: James LaBelle
Wei Yan
Thesis: Obscuration of Active Galactic Nuclei and Connections to Host Galaxies
Advisor: Ryan Hickox
PhD Graduates 2020
Yanping Cai
Thesis: Modification and Testing of a Suborbital Retarding Potential Analyzer for Dayside Applications
Advisor: Kevin Wright
Max Krackow
Thesis: Lifetimes of Resonant Oscillons in Scalar Field Theories
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
William Braasch
Thesis: Quantum Dynamics in Continuous and Discrete Phase Space
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
McKinley Brumback
Thesis: A BroadBand Xray Study of Magnetic Accretion onto Neutron Star Xray Binaries
Advisor: Ryan Hickox
Christina Gilligan
Thesis: The Oldest Stars in the Gaia Era
Advisor: Brian Chaboyer
Murong Qin
Thesis: Investigating the Efficieny of EMIC Waves in Precipitating Relativistic Electrons
Advisor: Mary Hudson
Kanav Setia
Thesis: Fermionic Quantum Simulation
Advisor: James Whitfield
Hui Wang
Thesis: Using Superconducting Elements to Explore the Oscillatory Unruh Effect
Advisor: Miles Blencowe
Kathryn Weil
Thesis: HighVelocity Ejecta in CoreCollapse and Thermonuclear Supernovae
Advisor: Robert Fesen
PhD Graduates 2019
Robert Clayton
Thesis: Modeling and Reconstruction of In Situ Ionospheric Plasma Flow Data Near Auroral Arcs Using Auroral Imagery
Advisor: Kristina Lynch
Yipeng Shi
Thesis: Isolation of Effects that Influence the Spectroscopy of Magnetic Nanoparticles
Advisor: John Weaver
Michelle Stephens
Thesis: Applications of Information Theory in Field Theory and Cosmology
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
PhD Graduates 2018
Abhijeet Alase
Thesis: Boundary Physics and Bulk-Boundary Correspondence in Topological Phases of Matter
Advisor: Lorenza Viola
Brett Anderson
Thesis: Studying Radiation Belt Electron Precipitation with BARREL During a Quiet Solar Cycle
Advisor: Robyn Millan
Christine Black
Thesis: Investigating the Late-Time Spectra of Supernova
Advisor: Robert Fesen
Chirstopher Devulder
Thesis: Cosmological Implications of SU(2) Gauge Fields
Advisor: Robert Caldwell
Wondwossen Eshetu
Thesis: MHD-Test Particle Simulations of Plasmasheet Electron Injection Into the Inner Magnetosphere by Bursty Bulk Flows
Advisor: John Lyon
Mackenzie Jones
Thesis: Where Do AGN Hide? Uncovering the Full Population of Growing Black Holes and their Host Galaxies and Halos
Advisor: Ryan Hickox
Meridith Joyce
Thesis: On the Scope and Fidelity of 1-D Stellar Evolution Models
Advisor: Brian Chaboyer
Dhrubo Jyoti
Thesis: Topics in Theoretical Cosmology
Advisor: Robert Caldwell
Juliang Li
Thesis: Near Quantum Limited Charge Detector and Beyond
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
Maulik Patel
Thesis: Global MHD Simulation of Geomagnetic Storms and Variability of Radation Belt Electrons
Advisor: Mary Hudson
Manaure Francisquez Rodriguez
Thesis: Global Braginskii Modeling of Magnetically Confined Boundary Plasmas
Advisor: Barrett Rogers
Lihuang Zhu
Thesis: Electron Magnetic Resonance of Phosphorous Doped Silicon Under Optical Illumination
Advisor: Chandrasekhar Ramanathan
PhD Graduates 2017
Sam Cormack
Thesis: Fundamental and Emergent Scalar Fields in Cosmology
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
Seth Cohen
Thesis: Structures and star formation in galaxy clusters
Advisor: Ryan Hickox
Mallory Guy
Thesis: Towards DNP-NMR of Surfaces and Low-Dimensional Solids
Advisor: Chandrasekhar Ramanathan
Spencer Hatch
Thesis: Stormtime and Interplanetary Magnetic Field Drivers of Wave and Particle Acceleration Processes in the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Transition Region
Advisor: James LaBelle
Nan Jiang
Thesis: Stability of Physical Systems: A Configurational Entropic Approach
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
Erin O'Malley
Thesis: The Mystery of Globular Clusters: Uncovering the complexities of Their Evolution
Advisor: Brian Chaboyer
Sapna Shekhar
Thesis: Spatial Extent of Relativistic Electron Precipitation from the Radiation Belts
Advisor: Robyn Millan
Ben Zhu
Thesis: Global 3D Two-Fluid Simulations of Turbulent Transport at Tokamak Edge Region
Advisor: Barrett Rogers
PhD Graduates 2016
Peter Johnson
Thesis: Aspects of part vs whole relationships in quantum information processing
Advisor: Lorenza Viola
Damian Sowinski
Thesis: Complexity and Stability for Epistemic Agents: The Foundations and Phenomenology of Configurational Entropy
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
Miles Engel
Thesis: Test Particle Simulations of Inner Belt Protons During Geomagnetic Storm
Advisor: Mary Hudson
Lisa Fisher
Thesis: Overcoming and Utilizing Plasma Sheaths for Low Energy Plasma Analysis
Advisor: Kristina Lynch
Micah Dombrowski
Thesis: Sounding-Rocket Studies of Langmuir-Wave Microphysics in the Auroral Ionosphere
Advisor: James LaBelle
Yuxiang Liu
Thesis: The Numerical Solution of Frequency-Domain Acoustic and Electromagnetic Periodic Scattering Problems
Advisor: Alex Barnett
Erind Brahimi
Thesis: A Driven Resonator Coupled to a Josephson Junction: An Exploration of the Quantum and Classical Dynamics
Advisor: Miles Blencowe
PhD Graduates 2015
Evan Miller
Thesis: Magnetogenesis Through Relativistic Velocity Shear
Advisor: Barrett Rogers
Dustin Fisher
Thesis: 3D Two-Fluid Simulations of Turbulence in LAPD
Advisor: Barrett Rogers
Zhen Yang
Thesis: Superconducting Single Electron Transistor for Charge Sensing in Si/SiGe-Based Quantum Dots
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
Shou Wu
Thesis: Whistler Chorus Waves: Linear Theory and Nonlinear Simulations in Dipole Geometry
Advisor: Richard Denton
Philip Fernandes
Thesis: Measuring the Seeds of Thermal Ion Outflow
Advisor: Kristina Lynch
Zan Li
Thesis: Investigation of EMIC Wave Scattering as the Cause for Relativistic Electron Precipitation: A Quantitative Comparison of Simulation with Observations
Advisor: Robyn Millan
Chien-Ting Chen
Thesis: The Growth of Supermassive Black Holes and Connections to Star Formation in Galaxies
Advisor: Ryan Hickox
Jannis Bielefeld
Thesis: The Impact of Weakly Coupled Fields on the Accelerated Expansion and its Observables
Advisor: Robert Caldwell
Rongxaio Zhang
Thesis: Cherenkov Imaging and Biochemical Sensing in Vivo During Radiation Therapy
Advisor: Brian Pogue
Daniel Reeves
Thesis: Nonequilibrium Dynamics of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Biomedical Applications
Advisor: John Weaver
PhD Graduates 2014
Robert Holt
Thesis: Image Reconstruction Optimization and Quantification for Image-Guided Luminescence Tomography
Advisor: Brian Pogue
Zhao Li
Thesis: Modeling Geomagnetic Storms on Prompt and Diffusive Time Scales
Advisor: Mary Hudson
Julie N. Skinner
Thesis: Cataclysmic Variables and White Dwarf-M Dwarf Binaries From the Superblink Proper Motion Survey
Advisor: John Thorstensen
Matthew Broughton
Thesis: Ground and Space Observations of Medium Frequency Auroral Radio Emissions.
Advisor: James LaBelle
Latchezar Benatov
Thesis: The Quantum-to-Classical Transition in Strongly Interacting Nanoscale Systems
Advisor: Miles Blencowe
Jerod Parrent
Thesis: Spectroscopic Analyses of Type Ia Supernovae
Advisor: Robert Fesen
Thiago Brito
Thesis: Precipitation and Energization of Relativistic Radiation Belt Electrons Induced by ULF Oscillations in the Magnetosphere
Advisor: Mary Hudson
PhD Graduates 2013
Idan Ginsburg
Thesis: On the Nature of Hypervelocity Stars
Advisor: Gary Wegner
Dane Owen
Thesis: A Computational Study of Radio Relics in Galaxy Cluster Mergers
Advisor: Gary Wegner
Fei Chen
Thesis: The Cavity-Embedded-Cooper Pair Transistor
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
Gregory Feiden
Thesis: Dartmouth Magnetic Evolutionary Stellar Tracks and Relations
Advisor: Brian Chaboyer
Mingyun Yuan
Thesis: Silicon/Silicon –Germanium Quantum Dots with Single-Electron Transistor Charge Sensors
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
Joel Stettenheim
Thesis: Macroscopic Manifestations and Coherent Manipulations of Quantum Mesoscopic Systems
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
PhD Graduates 2012
Leslie Woodger
Thesis: Investigating EMIC Waves as a Precipitation Mechanism for Relativistic Electrons
Advisor: Robyn Millan
Leonardo Dias Da Motta
Thesis: Cosmological Magnetic Fields From Inflation
Advisor: Robert Caldwell
Meghan Mella
Thesis: In Situ Analysis of Measurements of Auroral Dynamics and Structure
Advisor: Kristina Lynch
Nikitas Stamatopoulos
Thesis: Nonlinear Emergent Complexity During Cosmological Symmetry Breaking
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
Lucas Thatcher
Thesis: Four Solar Cycle Ecliptic Solar Wind Data Set Generated From the OMNI Data Set
Advisor: Hans Mueller
PhD Graduates 2011
James Lundberg
Thesis: Observations and Analysis of High Photon Bursts From Lightning
Advisor: Robyn Millan
Shusa Deng
Thesis: Dynamical scaling behavior in non-equilibrium quantum phase transitions
Advisor: Lorenza Viola
Ryan Johnson
Thesis: The nature of core gas sloshing in galaxy clusters
Advisor: Gary Wegner
Dan Milisavljevic
Thesis: Kinematic and chemical properties of core-collapse supernova ejecta
Advisor: Robert Fesen
Laura Gilbert Remus
Thesis: Damping and decoherence of a nanomechanical resonator due to two-level systems
Advisor: Miles Blencowe
David Sicilia
Thesis: Analytical characterization of scalar-field oscillons in quartic potentials
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
PhD Graduates 2010
Winton Brown
Thesis: Random Quantum Dynamics: From Random Quantum Circuits to Quantum Chaos
Advisor: Lorenza Viola
Hwa Jung Kang
Thesis: Cosmic Velocity Flows in the Large Scale with SDSS DR7 Early Type Galaxies
Advisor: Gary Wegner
Nicholas Bunch
Thesis: Ground Based Studies of Auroral Medium Frequency Burst Radio Emissions
Advisor: James LaBelle
Yonggang Hu
Thesis: Hybrid Code Simulation of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclonic Waves in Curvilinear Coordinates
Advisor: Richard Denton
Sumire Kobayashi
Thesis: Gyrokinetic Simulations of Closed Field Line Systems
Advisor: Barrett Rogers
Paul Nation
Thesis: Quantum Dynamics of Nonlinear Cavity Systems
Advisor: Miles Blencowe
Sara Walker
Thesis: Theoretical Models for the Emergence of Biomolecular Homochirality
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
Qun Wei
Thesis: Macroscopic Quantum Vacuum Effects Due to Boundary Conditions
Advisor: Roberto Onofrio / Kristina Lynch
Weiwei Xue
Thesis: On-Chip Superconducting LC Matching Networks and Coplanar Waveguides for Radio-Frequency Single Electron Transistors
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
PhD Graduates 2009
Christopher Colpitts
Thesis: Examinations of Structured Dispersive Features of Auroral HF Waves Observed with Sounding Rockets
Advisor: James LaBelle
Scott Daniel
Thesis: Gravitational Slip as a Test of Alternative Gravity Theories
Advisor: Robert Caldwell
Andrea Kunder
Thesis: RR Lyrae Stars as Tracers of Stellar Populations in the Galactic Bulge and Satellite Galaxies
Advisor: Brian Chaboyer
Rebecca Lindstrom
Thesis: Detectability of the Late-Time Departure from Exponential Decay of Metastable Quantum Systems and Impacts of an Environment
Advisor: Jay Lawrence
Jeremy Ouellette
Thesis: Dayside Magnetic Reconnection in Global Simulations of Earth's Magnetosphere
Advisor: Barrett Rogers
Jia Wang
Thesis: Broadband Near-Infrared Tomography for Breast Cancer Imaging
Advisor: Brian Pogue
PhD Graduates 2008
Timothy Gilheart
Thesis: Developing Robust Fabrication of Si/SiGe Quantum Dots with Integrated RF-SET Charge Detectors
Advisor: Alex Rimberg
Christopher Peters
Thesis: Kinematics and Space Densities for the Local Cataclysmic Variable Population
Advisor: John Thorstensen
Brian Sullivan
Thesis: The Scaling of Forced Magnetic Reconnection in Two and Three Dimensions
Advisor: Barrett Rogers
Joel Thorarinson
Thesis: Emergent Coherent Structures in Non-Equilibrium Field Theory
Advisor: Marcelo Gleiser
PhD Graduates 2007
Aaron Dotter
Thesis: Self-Consistent Stellar Evolution Models with Applications to Milky Way Globular Clusters and Population Synthesis
Advisor: Brian Chaboyer
Robert Michell
Thesis: Examining Auroral Downward-Current Region Processes Using Ground-Based Data
Advisor: Kristina Lynch
Michael Brown-Hayes
Thesis: Development of an Apparatus for Simultaneous Trapping of Lithium-6 and Rubidium-87 Fermi-Bose Mixtures
Advisor: Roberto Onofrio
Woo-Joong Kim
Thesis: Towards the Experimental Verification of Macroscopic Phenomena in Quantum Electrodynamics
Advisor: Roberto Onofrio
Xin Wang
Thesis: Estimation of Effective Scatterer Size and Number Density in Near-Infrared Tomography
Advisor: Brian Pogue
Shengyi Ye
Thesis: Structure in Auroral Radio Emissions
Advisor: James LaBelle
Peng Peng Yu
Thesis: Studies of the Limiting Behavior of the Liu-Yau Quasi-Local Energy
Advisor: Robert Caldwell
PhD Graduates 2006
Kristin Frederick-Frost
Thesis: In SITU and Laboratory Measurements of Cold Plasmas
Advisor: Kristina Lynch
Kyoung-Joo Hwang
Thesis: Structure, Evolution, and Boundary Conditions for Auroral Downward Current Region Potential Drops
Advisor: Kristina Lynch
Nathaniel Paust
Thesis: Testing Stellar Evolution Models with Globular Clusters
Advisor: Brian Chaboyer
PhD Graduates 2005
Jenica Nelan
Thesis: Early-Type Galaxies in a Cluster Environment: Characteristics of the Stellar Populations and Sources of X-Ray Emission
Advisor: Gary Wegner
Dan Patnaude
Thesis: Modeling of Shocks in Young and Old Supernova Remnants
Advisor: Rob Fesen
Marilia Samara
Thesis: Sounding Rocket Investigations of Whistler, Upper Hybrid and Langmuir Waves in the Auroral Ionosphere
Advisor: James LaBelle
Yong Zhang
Thesis: Sensitivity of Single-electron Transistor-Based Displacement Detector and Fabrication of Single-Electron Transistor Using Au Nanoparticles
Advisor: Miles Blencowe
PhD Graduates 2004
Israel Owens
Thesis: Superradiant Cerenkov Source: Theory and Experiment
Advisor: James Brownell
Kara Perry
Thesis: Radial Diffusion of Radiation Belt Electrons in Three Dimensions
Advisor: Mary Hudson