Astrophysicist Jason Nordhaus of the Rochester Institute of Technology has secured a $313,000 National Science Foundation grant to boost underrepresented groups in physics research.
His initiative connects promising deaf, hard-of-hearing, and Hispanic students with top experts across specialties, bridging RIT's expertise in theoretical modeling with the observational prowess at Texas Tech University, a Hispanic-serving institution.
- The grant funds a series of summer research exchanges between the two universities for five promising undergraduates to study alongside experts and PhD candidates in astrophysics
“This experience is designed to take teams of people from different universities that would naturally benefit from working with each other and bring them together. At RIT, we have theorists and computational experts in the field of neutron stars, and Texas Tech has amazing scientists who are experts in data analysis and observations. Let’s get together and see what we can discover.” —Jason Nordhaus, PhD, Rochester Institute of Technology
Why it matters
Serious breakthroughs require scientific exactness and open-mindedness to unconventional ideas. This initiative combines both, creating future science leaders.
"With a dream team composed of the world’s experts on neutron stars, we are pursuing research avenues that will drive new scientific discoveries.”
Program recruits will gain experience no single institution could alone provide, working on issues like:
- What gives neutron stars unimaginable density?
- How fast do they spin?
- Are they magnetized?
- What exactly transpires when neutron stars merge and forge metals?
Notable: RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf supports over 900 deaf and hard-of-hearing students, providing a unique social and educational experience.
