Department of Physics
Fall 2023
Dear Members of the Villanova Physics Family,

As we welcome another new class of Villanovans to campus this fall, I’m excited to reach out to reflect on some of the great things happening in the Physics Department over the last six months. This past summer, we hosted a large cohort of undergraduate researchers. These bright students came from Villanova and a number of other schools through our NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program. At the end of the summer, the students had the opportunity to present their research and network with researchers throughout the area at the AstroPhilly workshop, hosted right here on campus.

This fall, we have some exciting things on the calendar. In addition to an exciting seminar series, we are hosting a one-day data reduction workshop to educate scientists on the use of data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. I would also like to warmly extend an invitation to visit the department on Friday, Oct. 20 for a workshop to connect alums and friends of Villanova to our current students. Details for this event will be forthcoming, so stay tuned!

As a department, our community continues to grow and learn. Please enjoy the highlights detailed in this newsletter. As always, feel free to reach out to me if you have questions, ideas or just want to reconnect with Villanova!

Best Wishes,
David Chuss, PhD, ’95 CLAS
Chair, Physics Department
Department News
Physics Colloquium Series
Please join us on select Friday afternoons this fall for our colloquia. Anyone is welcome to attend! We have invited the following speakers who will present on a variety of topics:
  • Sept. 15 – Dhanesh Krishnarao, PhD, assistant professor at Colorado College
  • Sept. 29 – Liang Feng, PhD, professor at the University of Pennsylvania
  • Dec. 8 – Maria Iavarone, PhD, professor at Temple University

We’ll be updating our calendar a couple of weeks prior to each talk, so please check back for details. We can provide a Zoom link if you are unable to attend in person. Let us know if you’d like to be on our colloquia email list!  
ALMA Data Reduction Workshop
The Physics Department will be hosting a one-day ALMA Data Reduction workshop on Monday, Oct. 16. This event will provide an introduction to radio astronomy basics and practice reducing sample ALMA data. All skill levels are welcome to register, from seasoned ALMA users to those without radio background! For more information, email Dylan Paré, PhD.
Meet the Newest Members of Our Department!
Jeffrey Inara Iuliano, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher who joined the department in April 2023. Dr. Iuliano, an expert in the cosmic microwave background, is working with David Chuss, PhD, ’95 CLAS on the development of data reduction techniques for polarimetric imaging. He received his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 2020 and previously worked in the Observational Cosmology group at the University of Pennsylvania. Welcome to Villanova, Dr. Iuliano!
Our newest assistant teaching professor and former Fulbright Scholar, Jason Bennett, has studied atomic physics, AdS/CFT, gauge theory, condensed matter theory, and now biophysics. Mr. Bennett received his master’s from Stony Brook University in 2022 and is currently researching coral in his PhD program at Bryn Mawr College. He comes to Villanova after teaching at the Claremont Colleges in California. Mr. Bennett’s love for teaching will be an asset to our department, and we look forward to welcoming him this year!
A Fond Farewell...
Arash Akbari-Sharbaf, PhD, worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Scott Dietrich, PhD, since 2021, studying quantum phases in 2D electronic materials using microwave radiation. He departed the University in the spring to apply his brilliant mind to the challenges of quantitative finance at CIBC in Toronto. His presence in the department is missed!
Faculty and Research Highlights
The Galactic Center Workshop
The center of our Milky Way Galaxy is a region where conditions are extreme. Temperatures and densities are higher than elsewhere in the galaxy, and there is evidence that magnetic fields play a major role in the dynamics of the region. Villanova is leading a project called the FIREPLACE (Far-infrared Polarimetric Large Area CMZ Exploration) Survey, which is the largest high-resolution survey of the magnetic fields that thread the cool dust component of the Galactic Center.

During April 24-28, 2023, world experts gathered in Granada, Spain to share and discuss recent progress in understanding this unique astronomical region. The opening talk was given by Nobel laureate Reinhard Genzel, PhD. Five former and current Villanovans engaged with this event. Department Chair David Chuss, PhD, ’95 CLAS gave a review of the magnetic field in the Galactic Center. Natalie Butterfield, PhD (former Villanova postdoctoral researcher, now scientist at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory), introduced the first results from FIREPLACE. Postdoctoral researcher Dylan Paré, PhD, presented a poster on the data reduction from the full FIREPLACE Survey, and Physics major Kaitlyn Karpovich ’24 CLAS presented her work on the calibration of FIREPLACE. Villanova alum and current Northwestern University PhD student Joe Michail ’19 CLAS presented new observations of the region immediately surrounding the black hole at the center of the galaxy.
Sixma Xi Poster Session
Daniella Palladino ’23 CLAS, a research student who worked with Jeremy Carlo, PhD, last year, presented a poster entitled “Systematic Structural Determination of Frustrated Double Perovskites Ba2XMoO6” at the Villanova Sigma Xi Poster Symposium in April 2023. Geometric magnetic frustration occurs when a material’s crystal structure inhibits the development of magnetic order, leading to exotic magnetic behavior. Daniella’s research project also fulfilled her Comprehensive Science senior capstone project, and she graduated (a year early) in May 2023. Congratulations, Daniella!
Faculty Feature
Assistant Professor of Physics

“I chose to make Villanova my academic home for its unique commitment to the teacher-scholar model. In my 10 years of teaching experience at Penn State and Louisiana State University, I’ve never been able to bring undergraduates into my research like I can here. I’ve been supported in bringing freshman into my group during the school year, working with students through the summer, and developing the NSF REU program to bring undergraduates from other universities into the department’s research. My students have been authors on 42 papers and every one of them has moved into excellent jobs in government labs, industry or continued their education to earn graduate degrees!”
Student News
Sigma Pi Sigma Induction 2023
On Feb. 24, 2023, the Physics Department was proud to host its 32nd induction for Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honor society. Nine Physics and Astronomy students from Villanova’s Class of 2023 were honored: Boran Gorur, Hayley Nofi, Michael Davis, Dominic Holcomb, Jonathan Lane, Justin Karach, Stephen Sloane, Mackenzie Baird, and Claire Finley. The invited keynote speaker was David Nice, PhD, of Lafayette College, who spoke about high precision millisecond pulsars and gravitational waves.
Summer Internship
Matthew Brenner ’24 CLAS interned at aerospace and defense contractor Northrop Grumman’s site in Redondo Beach, California. He was a member of the IR/Vis/acoustics team within the survivability aeronautics sector of the company, with primary roles in software development and data processing. Matt appreciated the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the private sector in the aerospace industry. On weekends, he explored Southern California for the first time with other interns in the area.
Alumni News
Alumni Spotlight
James R. Merikangas, MD, ’60 CLAS attended Villanova on an NROTC scholarship. After graduating with a degree in physics, he went to the U.S. Navy Guided Missile School. Dr. Merikangas witnessed the last above ground hydrogen bomb explosion tested 100 miles above Johnson Island in the Pacific in 1962. After the Navy, he went to medical school at Johns Hopkins University and trained in neurology and psychiatry at Yale. In 1988, he co-founded the American Neuropsychiatric Association while on the faculty of Yale Medical School. Dr. Merikangas is currently a clinical professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine. He is very grateful to the Physics Department for nurturing his career.
Class of 1968 Reunion
The Class of 1968 celebrated their 55th reunion in June 2023. Physics majors in attendance were, as photographed, Fred Petito; Marty Plante and his wife, Aggie Plante ’68 FCN; Bonnie Brooks, PhD, and her husband, Bob Brooks; Ed Klimchak; Jim Weeks, MD; and Ed Blazejewski, PhD. Gary Bonas was also in attendance. It was wonderful to have so many members of the Physics Department Class of ’68 on campus, and we hope they return soon!
Save the Date
We are planning a mini-symposium on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023 that will provide a chance for students, faculty, staff and alums to share ideas and network. If you haven’t visited in a while (or even if you have), it will be a great chance to stop by to see the department and catch up with some friends. Stay tuned for details!
Career Management Services
The Villanova University Alumni Association and the Villanova University Career Center have partnered to offer sophisticated, flexible career management for alumni of all ages and at all stages of their careers.

Services and resources include support for resume writing and interviewing, job opportunities targeted to alumni, individual career coaching, virtual events on a variety of topics, cohort-based programs, and our Villanova-exclusive social and professional network.

You can find more information on the Alumni Career Management page on the Villanova website!
Alumni of the Physics Department are invited to share their news and accomplishments for inclusion in a future edition of the newsletter.
Make an Impact

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