Department Beautification

Over the past several years, we have been working slowly and steadily to make the department a nicer, cheerier place to work and learn. The Space Beautification committee led by Professor Joey Paulsen, with Professor Mitch Soderberg, recently retired Experimental Machinist Phil Arnold, Operations Specialist Yudaisy Salomon Sargenton, and myself, with the help of undergraduate physics major Corinne Motl, has made big changes in the department.

Research Wall Decals

Last year, we designed, printed, and posted new wall stickers for each research group that are hung in areas of the building close to their research. This artwork was originally conceived in a faculty retreat in spring of 2021. Corinne Motl used her artistic skills to create the logos in a variety of color palettes. These mock-ups were sent to research groups for decisions on colors. Once finalized, the physics department paid a local printing company to make the logos and hang them on the walls.

Pictures of the research area wall decals designed by Corinne Motl and printed and hung on the walls around the department near the research group spaces. Top row, left to right: Gravitational waves, Neutrinos, LHCb. Bottom row, left to right: Soft and Biological Physics, Quantum Information and Theoretical Particle Physics, and an example of the space where the stickers are hanging on the 3rd floor.

10x10 Art Competition

For the second year, we ran the 10x10 Scientific Art Competition where we ask students and faculty to send in science and physics-related images for an image competition. We called it “10x10 Art Competition”, because the winning images are printed on a 10-inch by 10-inch canvas board and posted on the 2nd floor by the stairs and elevator. (The printouts were actually 11x11 inches squared.) After selecting the top-scoring images, we revealed the winners and hung the new pictures at the beginning of the fall semester in the main hall. The winners from the prior year were distributed in other locations in the building – specifically on the 3rd floor where there was no art previously. We plan to do this every year – adding to the beautiful kaleidoscope of images that represent our work in Syracuse Physics. Of course, the inclusion banner is also hanging in the same area – a community-built monument to our striving to become a more inclusive community in the Physics department.

Fall 2022 Winners of the 10x10 Art Competition. This art is hanging on the second floor across from the printoutselevators.

The Art of Physics

Over the past several years, Eric Coughlin teamed up with Fayetteville-Manlius High School art teacher, Kathryn Gabriel, to work together on creating art based around Eric’s work on black holes and tidal disruption forces. Kathryn is an artist in her own right and had a recent exhibit that was inspired by Eric’s research. The department and Eric decided to purchase one of Katheryn’s pieces to display in the department on the 2nd floor.

Original art by Kathryn Gabriel inspired by the research of Eric Coughlin hanging on the 2nd floor of the Physics Building.

In addition to this artwork, Kathryn had one of her FMHS art classes learn about blackholes and other astrophysical phenomena to inspire their artwork. On Wednesday, May 10, 2023, we had an art exhibit where the students came and used room 202/204 as a gallery to display their art. Many students and staff came to the art show.

Physics Research Space

Over the past year, the Physics Department has had some major renovations (and headaches) in order to get more and improved lab spaces.

3rd floor upgrades

To accommodate Nidhi Pashine, a new faculty member starting in January 2024, the neutrino group moved down the hall, which required updating space for the LHCb and neutrino groups. The space is bigger and better for neutrinos, which needs the ability to ventilate and now has windows.