Colloquium
Junior and senior physics majors attend our biweekly colloquium series, held on Tuesday afternoons at 4:30 pm in Shanahan B460. The talks are open to all students and to the public, and are frequently attended by scientists from the other Claremont Colleges, Cal Poly Pomona, and others. The series features speakers from a broad range of institutions and fields of physics.

April 5, 2022 | Paula Liliana Giraldo Gallo, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia High Magnetic Fields: a “magnifying glass” to spy on what electrons do! |
High magnetic fields are a powerful tool for revealing the secrets of quantum materials. These allow exploring the origin and nature of charge-carrier interactions, resolving molecular structures, unveiling the environments in which atoms and molecules are embedded into, or even discovering new states of matter that can be used in novel technological applications. In this colloquium I will present general … |
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March 29, 2022 | Janet Y. Sheung, WM Keck Science Center Active Matter: The Cell From a Physics Perspective |
The cells inside our bodies are inherently non-equilibrium materials, able to dynamically change their mechanical properties in response to environmental demands. Scientists have hoped to better understand this kind of active matter for a long time, not simply for the potential advances to medical treatments but also to open the door to the design of futuristic biomimetic materials. In this … |
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March 1, 2022 | Rudro Biswas, Purdue University Crossover appeal of quantum mechanics on curved surfaces |
What physics does one hope to learn by closing looking at exotic quantum states of matter, esoteric to begin with, but even more so on curved surfaces?! In this colloquium, I will first introduce, quantum hall states, which are paradigmatic of such states, and discuss their signature property: the quantization of Hall conductance, which is independent of sample-specific details, to … |
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Feb. 15, 2022 | Zia Mian, Princeton University Dismantling the Nuclear Doomsday Machine: Scientists, the Bomb, and the Challenges of Nuclear Disarmament |
Eighty years ago physicists first worked out what it would take to build a simple nuclear weapon and the immediate effects of its use. Five years later, theory and experiment became devastating facts as the United States built, tested, and then used the first nuclear weapons to destroy cities. Today, there are nine nuclear armed states and over 13,000 nuclear … |
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Nov. 30, 2021 | Mariesa Teo, Jackson Castro, and Emma Cooper, Harvey Mudd College Senior Theses Talks #7 |
Please join us on Tuesday (11/30/21 at 4:30pm) for our last round of senior theses talks. Mariesa Teo: “Mapping the Disparate Effects of Prop. 13” Jackson Castro: “Motiv Power Systems: A Stationary Energy Storage System Made from Recycled Electric Vehicle Batteries” Emma Cooper: "Investigating the Dielectric Properties of Functionalized Barium Titanate within a Polymer Nanocomposite" …
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Nov. 16, 2021 | Yilin Li, Lingyuan Lyu, and Cathy Chang, Harvey Mudd College Senior Theses Talks #6 |
Please join us on Tuesday (11/16/21 at 4:30pm) for our sixth round of senior theses talks. Yilin Li: “Testing One-way EPR Steering and Other Entanglement Witnesses” Lingyuan Lyu: “Modeling the Rotational Evolution of T Tauri Stars -- the effects of radius and magnetic field” Cathy Chang: “Autonomous Drone System for Diverting Mammalian Pests” | |
Nov. 9, 2021 | Luis Hidalgo, Benjamin Khoury, and Kate Lord, Harvey Mudd College Senior Theses Talks #5 |
Please join us on Tuesday (11/9/21 at 4:30pm) for our fifth round of senior theses talks.
Luis Hidalgo: “Closing gaps in dark matter searches in LHC experiments” Benjamin Khoury: “Dark Matter Interactions Through ALPs” Kate Lord: “Violating Bell's Inequality Using a Sagnac Source” |
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Nov. 2, 2021 | Natalia Hernandez, Andrew Chen, and Avalon Feiler, Harvey Mudd College Senior Theses Talks #4 |
Please join us on Tuesday (11/2/21 at 4:30pm) for our fourth round of senior theses talks.
Natalia Hernandez: “Comparing Iridates via X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy” Andrew Chen: “Simulating Viscoelastic Wave Propagation in Uniaxial Recoil” Avalon Feiler: “Latch dynamics of the larval mantis shrimp raptorial strike” |
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Oct. 26, 2021 | Savanah Diaz, Anna Soper, and Victoria Lloyd, Harvey Mudd College Senior Theses Talks #3 |
Please join us on Tuesday, 10/26/21 at 4:30pm as three HMC physics majors talk about their senior theses. Savanah Diaz: "An electronic analysis of aluminum's effects on high entropy, ferritic stainless steel substitutes" | |
Oct. 12, 2021 | Kaveh Pezeshki, Rebecca Chan, and Noah Haig and Harry Sanchez (MIT/Lincoln Labs Clinic), Harvey Mudd College Senior Theses Talks #2 |
Please join us on Tuesday, 10/12/21 at 4:30pm as three HMC physics majors talk about their senior theses. Kaveh Pezeshki: "Charge Density Waves in GdTe3 Thin Films" |
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Oct. 5, 2021 | Georgia Newman, Chloe Taylor, and Rafael Porto, Harvey Mudd College Senior Theses Talks |
Please join us on Tuesday, 10/5/21 at 4:30pm as three HMC physics majors talk about their senior theses. Georgia Newman: “Anisotropic Magnetoresistance of Single Crystal FeRh Thin Films” Chloe Taylor: “Large Interlayer Exchange Coupling and Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy in Ir-based Synthetic Antiferromagnets” Rafael Porto: “Dark Matter and Freeze-in Leptogenesis” |
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Sept. 28, 2021 | Prof. Brian Shuve, Harvey Mudd College How (Not) to Give a Talk |
Join us as Prof. Shuve leads our discussion on how to give effective talks and what to avoid to prevent 'losing' your audience. This meeting will be virtual, so please use the zoom link below.
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Sept. 21, 2021 | Wylie Rosenthal '12, Carla Becker '18, Colin Adams '19, and Rachel Barcklay '20, Harvey Mudd College Alumni Career Session |
Four HMC alumni will discuss their career paths after leaving HMC. This is your chance to pick their brains and ask them questions about getting a job and what life after college is like. This meeting will be virtual, so please use the zoom link below. https://hmc-edu.zoom.us/j/91887995671?pwd=b0hMTEkxWk5oTTUwVUlXWnA2cDFsQT09 |
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Sept. 14, 2021 | Various HMC Physics Faculty, Harvey Mudd College Fellowships and Scholarships 101 |
This colloquium will be about fellowships and scholarships as they apply to graduate school and post-baccalaureate programs. We will also be presenting the Bell, Rojansky, Townsend, and Physics Community Awards. This meeting will be virtual, so please use the zoom link below. https://hmc-edu.zoom.us/j/
(image from flaticon.com) |
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Sept. 7, 2021 | Various HMC Physics Faculty, Harvey Mudd College Graduate School 101 |
This colloquium will be an informational meeting about graduate school, so bring your burning questions in! Various HMC Physics Faculty will talk about graduate programs and options. The application process will also be discussed. This will be virtual, so please use the zoom link below. |