Cardinal Selected for Physics Research Program at University of Rochester

Rising junior Degraj Suberi will have the opportunity to perform research as part of a particle physics research group this summer at the University of Rochester. Suberi will work alongside Dr. Nicholas Bigelow, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester, as well as members of the Neutrino Group.

Rochester’s Neutrino Group is involved in a number of multinational experiments in the field of particle physics. Partnered with Fermilab, which is the United States’ particle physics and accelerator laboratory, the Neutrino Group takes part in the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), as well the SBN experiments and Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) experiments located in Japan. The DUNE, SBN, and T2K experiments are at the forefront of particle physics research, where researchers hope to discover more of the behavior of the most abundant particles in the universe.

Suberi, who is a TRIO-SSS Scholar at Fisher, was presented with this opportunity through the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at UR. His passion for physics was rewarded by being selected as one of 20 undergraduate students selected to participate in this year’s program, which will run for 10 weeks, from May through July. The REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Participating undergraduate researchers are provided with a stipend to help support their efforts during the 10-week research period.

As a Rochester native, the location at the University of Rochester helped Suberi to make the decision to apply for this research opportunity. While being close to home, he will have the chance to further pursue his professional goals. Suberi hopes the experience will help him pursue his professional goals. “I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Physics with the goal of becoming a researcher in the field of particle physics, so having the specific research experience will greatly benefit me in my application to a graduate program,” Suberi said. “I will also gain real world research experience, and I will be using various data analysis tools and techniques that will allow me to understand the theory in my classes here at Fisher better.”

Besides helping to further his education and passion for the material, Suberi feels that the program will be an excellent way to network with professionals in the field. Additionally, the chance to work at the University of Rochester brings him one step closer to his perfect graduate school. “One of my main goals is to get myself connected with the local professionals in the field. This will be beneficial because not only will I get the opportunity to learn from them, I will be able to get myself familiar with the graduate school application process,” he explained. “This is especially relevant to me because UR stands as one of my top picks for graduate studies.”

This article was written by Tyler Cole ’23, a cybersecurity major and PR Writing Intern in the Office of Marketing and Communications.