NEWS

The Louisiana Tech University Science Seminar series kicks off its 2019-20 series Thursday, Sept. 12, with a talk on how celestial objects like neutron stars can be studied in an experiment.

Doctoral student Devika Pathak, physics, will talk about her experiences performing such research as a fellow at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab), a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.

Pathak was one of nine students nationwide to earn a fellowship with the Jefferson Lab, where she continued her research in parity violating electron scattering experiments and worked to discover novel properties of particles and nuclear matter. In the talk, she will introduce the experiments and success that she had at Jefferson Lab.

Pathak’s Louisiana Tech faculty advisor Dr. Rakitha Beminiwattha, assistant professor of physics, points out that, although each talk covers a specialized topic, the seminars are geared toward a general audience with an interest in multiple fields of science. “The purpose of our seminars is multifaceted:  for our audience to stay current on scientific research underway both on Tech’s campus and elsewhere, to expose our students to various paths of study and career choices, to provide a forum for students to hone their presentation skills and to encourage collaboration between and among students and faculty.”

The Physics program hosts a talk in the Science Seminar series each Thursday of the Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters at 4 p.m. in Carson-Taylor Hall 322. Talks are open to the public and cover multiple fields, student experiences, scientific research and discovery, and career options. Join us at 3:30 to get a good seat and to enjoy refreshments and visiting with our students and other faculty.