Undergraduate Institute in Physics
The Department of Physics at Hampton University is a premier research institution that is actively engaged in international research projects, including:
- Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - supporting research and detector construction
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Electron-Ion Collider Collaboration
- Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute - supporting research, basic science, and equipment construction.
- CERN - participated in construction of ATLAS detector for LHC.
- Fermilab - participating in detector construction and simulation for MINERvA detector.
The Department of Physics at Hampton University has conducted the Undergraduate Institute in Physics (UnIPhy) since 1995. Since 1997, the program has been funded by the National Science Foundation as the Undergraduate Institute in Physics-Research Experiences for Undergraduates (UnIPhy-REU).
Research Opportunities
UnIPhy-REU offers research opportunities to undergraduate students in the following areas:
Nuclear/High-Energy Physics
Researchers and students in the Department of Physics have extensive experience constructing instrumentation and detectors and conducting experiments for Jefferson Lab, Fermilab, and CERN.
Medical Physics
The Center for Advanced Medical Instrumentation (CAMI) is a unique facility committed to the application of advanced and high-energy physics research to the field of medicine. CAMI has paved the way for the opening of the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute, which will be one of a handful of facilities worldwide using a proton accelerator to treat cancer.
Particle Physics
Hampton University is a member of the Center for the study of the Origin and Structure of Matter, which participates in experiments at Jefferson Lab and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.
Optical Physics
The Center for Laser Science and Spectroscopy provides a multi-disciplinary approach to research on florescent spectroscopy and laser crystal development.
In addition to opportunities to conduct hands-on research within the on-campus facilities, UnIPhy-REU students may also be placed with researchers at the nearby Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Since 2007, UnIPhy has also been proud to partner with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, allowing select students to conduct research on the Electron Ion Collider at MIT. More information on that program is available here.