Student Life
We have lots of ways for you to get involved in the department. Participating in student life gives you opportunities to meet friends, network with professionals, and have tons of fun.
Student Organizations
Astronomy Club
We are a student organization that meets twice a month to explore astronomy through presentations, stargazing, crafts, field trips, and a yearly rocket competition. Our goal is to spark interest and discussion about astronomy among students and the community.
Physics Club
A place for those passionate about physics to discuss, experiment, and share their love of the subject through demonstrations, outreach, and free tutoring. Members can also join the Society of Physics Students, a national organization that supports growth within the professional physics community.
Physics on the Road
Take your love of physics to the streets. This group puts on shows for schools and youth groups to promote scientific awareness.
For more information, contact Jay Ansher at jansher@IllinoisState.edu or (309) 438-5247.
Student Success
In recent years, our students have gone on to receive prestigious national scholarships, enroll in graduate programs in top institutions, as well as secured jobs and internships in reputed private companies after graduation. Here we highlight some of our students' most recent successes.
Scholarship and Awards
Robert Sevik
Named a 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholar. The award is one of the most prestigious national scholarships in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Two Illinois State University students win 2024 Goldwater Scholarships - News - Illinois State.
Amelia Korveziroska
Named a 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholar. The award is one of the most prestigious national scholarships in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Naomi Satoh and Colin Hobart
Won the 2023 Barbara Lotze Scholarship for Future Physics Teachers.
Quinn Mackenzie
Named a 2024 Bone Scolar. The Bone Scholarship, the highest university-wide honor given to undergraduate students, includes a monetary award from the Bone Scholarship endowment.
Naomi Satoh
Named a 2023-2024 Bone Scholar. The Bone Scholarship, the highest university-wide honor given to undergraduate students, includes a monetary award from the Bone Scholarship endowment.
Ian Freeman
Named a 2022-2023 Barry Goldwater Scholar. The award is one of the most prestigious national scholarships in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Read More
Hannah Alperstein
Named a 2021-2022 Bone Scholar. The Bone Scholarship, the highest university-wide honor given to undergraduate students, includes a monetary award from the Bone Scholarship endowment.
Experience and Internships
Amelia Korveziroska
Attending Harvard as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates(REU) Program in Summer 2022.
Bartels Kameron
Bartels Kameron did a summer internship at the US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in Champaign, IL.
Careem Hunter
Interned summer 2025 for Constellation Energy as a strategic engineer for quad cities clean energy station (nuclear plant).
CUWiP Conference 2023
ISU Physics students attend American Physical Society (APS) The Conference of Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) held at Argonne National Laboratory in January 2023.
Helen Parker
Helen Parker did Research Experiences for Undergraduates at University of Minnesota.
Ian Freeman
Attending Northwestern as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates(REU) Program in Summer 2022.
Josh Nepomuceno
Participating in a Summer 2022 internship at State Farm.
Levi Webb
Levi Webb (MS student) performed summer research at Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California.
Minani Alexis
Participating in a Summer 2022 internship at Fermilab
Graduate Schools
Robert Sevik
Attending Ph.D program in Physics at Emory University, Georgia starting Fall 2025.
Lylia Gomez
Attending Ph.D program in BioPhysics at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Illinois starting Fall 2025.
Dany Yaacoub
Pursuing Ph.D. in Physics at University of Toronto, Canada from Fall 2025.
Andy Santarelli
Pursuing Ph.D. in Astronomy at Yale University, Connecticut, from Fall 2025.
Prachi Sarwara
Pursuing Ph.D. in Chemistry at University of Nebraska, Lincoln, from Fall 2025.
Carter Herbert
Attending Master's program in Mechanical Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Illinois starting Fall 2024.
Amelia Korveziroska
Pursuing Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering as part of Physics-Engineering dual degree program at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Illinois starting Fall 2023.
Naomi Satoh
Graduate student in public policy at the University of Maryland and is a Nuclear Policy intern at the Arms Control Association.
John Miles
Attending Ph.D program in Physics at University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
Cal Forsman
Attending Ph.D program in University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
Alex Plumadore
Attending Ph.D program in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, Indiana starting Fall 2021.
Brighton Coe
Attending Ph.D program in Physics at University of Wisconsin - Madison starting Fall 2021.
Ian Freeman
Attending Michigan State University for Computational Math Science & Engineering (CMSE) and won an NSF GRFP in 2025
Harold Diaz
Attending Ph.D program in Physics at University of Mizzouri - Columbia starting Fall 2021.
Torrey Saxton
Attending Ph.D program in Physics at University of Notre Dame starting Fall 2019.
Jonathan Unger
Attending Ph.D program in Physics at Cornell University starting Fall 2019.
Career
Marcos Perez
Working as Water Laboratory Technician at Antunes starting June 2022.
Daniel Eggena
Working as Sr. Battery Test Technician at Rivian Automotive, Inc. starting November 2021.
Zachary Temple
Working as Software Development Engineer at Amazon in the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) organization.