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DEPARTMENT NEWS AND NOTICES
Latest Physics news
MacVicar Faculty Fellows Program call for nominations
Nominations are now open for the MacVicar Faculty Fellows Program, which celebrates MIT faculty who demonstrate exceptional commitment to undergraduate teaching, mentoring, and curricular innovation.
Submit nominations by Friday, November 21.
Application instructions are available on the Registrar's Office website.
UPCOMING COLLOQUIA & SEMINARS
Monday, November 3, 2025 at 12:00pm ET in Duboc Room (4-331)
"Path integrals and QFTs of monitored quantum systems"
Victor Gurarie, University of Colorado Boulder
Monday, November 3, 2025 at 2:00pm ET - Cosman Room (6C-442)
"High-energy evolution to three loops in QCD"
Mathieu Giroux, Columbia University and IAS
Monday, November 3, 2025 at 4:00pm ET - Kolker Room (26-414)
"A Window to New Physics with Collisions of W Bosons"
Dr. Aram Apyan, Brandeis University
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 12:00pm ET - Kolker Room (26-414)
"Realizing a Polarized 3He++ Ion Source at Brookhaven National Lab with Metastability Exchange Optical Pumping"
Noah Wuerfel
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 2:30pm ET at MIT
TBA
Aurora Ireland, Stanford
Monday, November 3, 2025 at 3:00pm ET at Marlar Lounge (37-252) and Zoom
MONDAY AFTERNOON SCIENCE TALKS
Scott Lucchini, Harvard CfA
Rebecca Surman, University of Notre Dame
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 4:00pm ET at Marlar Lounge (37-252) and Zoom
"Thermonuclear X-ray Bursts: Probing Neutron Stars and a Double-Photospheric-Radius-Expansion"
Sudip Bhattacharyya, Visiting Scientist at MKI, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 4:00pm ET - Harvard Ory Forum (301 A/B)
"Surprises in the weak-noise limit"
Sarang Gopalakrishnan, Princeton University
Ten Minute Talk: "Active and Passive Cooling of Neutral Atoms in an Optical Cavity" by David Spierings, MIT
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at 10:45am ET - Duboc Room (4-331)
TBA
Matthieu Wyart, John Hopkins University
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at 3:45pm to 5:15pm ET - Zoom
"Stringy algebras, stretched horizons, and quantum-connected wormholes"
Jonah Kudler-Flam, IAS
Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 12:00pm ET - CUA Room (26-214)
"Spectral properties of random codes"
Sarang Gopalakrishnan, Princeton University
Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 4:00pm ET - 10-250
TBA
Gregory Falkovich, Weizmann Institute of Science
Refreshments at 3:30pm in 4-349 (Pappalardo Community Room)*
*There cannot be any eating or drinking in 10-250, so please plan to finish your food/drink in 4-349
Friday, November 7, 2025 at 2:00pm ET - Kolker Room (26-414)
No seminar
Friday, November 7, 2025 at 2:00pm ET - NW17-218 or Zoom
"Magnetic Reconnection Driven by Pulsed Power"
Jack Hare, Cornell University
UPCOMING EVENTS
2025 Dresselhaus Lecture: Printing soft and living matter in three dimensions
Who: All Students
When: Monday, November 3, 2025, 4:00 - 5:00 PM ET
Where: 10-250
"Printing soft and living matter in three dimensions"
Jennifer Lewis
Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering
John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Wyss Institute, Harvard University
Event webpage | Registration link
Duke Medical Physics Info Session
Who: Undergraduate Students
When: Thursday November 6, 2025, 4:00 - 5:30 PM ET
Where: ONLINE
Save the Date!
We are offering a virtual networking event on Thursday November 6, 2025, 4:00 - 5:30 PM EST (UTC-5). More than an info session, this is your ticket to a new world where theoretical concepts meet practical applications. Learn more and register in advance here.
Embark on a Journey of Discovery!
Before the event, browse our website medicalphysics.duke.edu to see if Duke medical physics is the right choice for you. Witness our program come alive in a playlist of short films at vimeo.com/showcase/9267175 where you can glimpse our state-of-the-art facilities, groundbreaking research, distinguished alumni, and vibrant community that pulses with joy and camaraderie.
Humanity Needs Dreamers: An Evening with Marie Curie
Who: All Students
When: Friday, November 7, 2025 7:30pm to 9:00pm ET
Where: 34-101
As one of the world's most renowned scientists, two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Skłodowska Curie is best known for pioneering the field of radioactivity — including early experiments to treat cancer with radium therapy — but few understand the obstacles she faced just to enter the laboratory.
What if Marie Curie could tell her story?
The MIT Kavli Institute, MIT Department of Physics and STEM on Stage presents a digital theater showing of HUMANITY NEEDS DREAMERS: A VISIT WITH MARIE CURIE (42 mins) on Friday, November 7, 2025 from 7:30PM - 9:00PM.
HUMANITY NEEDS DREAMERS invites audiences to meet Marie Curie as she recollects her quest to isolate two elements — polonium and radium. From her childhood in Poland to groundbreaking research in France, Marie Curie shares the struggles, failures and triumphs behind her scientific discoveries and remarkable collaboration with companion scientist and husband Pierre Curie.
Masterfully portrayed by living history scholar Susan Marie Frontczak, HUMANITY NEEDS DREAMERS is the cinematic version of her acclaimed one-woman show. This unique format breaks the digital fourth wall between live theater and film, past and present.
Hosted by Dr. Anna Frebel, Professor of Physics at MIT, the screening will be followed by a Q & A with filmmaker Jen Myronuk and scholar/performer Susan Marie Frontczak (virtual). Recommended for adults and students 10 & older.
Free with RSVP!
Lise Meitner and the Universe of Atoms
Who: All Students
When: Saturday, November 8, 2025 7:30pm to 9:00pm ET
Where: 34-101
How does Austrian physicist Lise Meitner's pioneering discovery of nuclear fission almost a century ago continue to inspire astronomers to uncover the last "star stuff" secrets of the early universe?
The MIT Kavli Institute, MIT Department of Physics, and STEM on Stage present the digital theater showing of Lise Meitner: The Universe of Atoms (30 mins), featuring Anna Frebel, astronomer and Professor of Physics at MIT.
Through an immersive living history portrayal, Frebel brings Meitner's legacy to life, sharing her groundbreaking discoveries and scientific insights.
Take part in this debut cinematic performance followed by a live presentation featuring Frebel's research on ancient stars and the cosmic origins of heavy elements such as silver and gold. Light refreshments will be served.
Join us at MIT for an interactive evening of scientific discovery, storytelling, and exploration!
Event is FREE with RSVP (required) and is recommended for adults and students ages 12 & older.
Faculty Job Search Series (FJSS) : Interviewing
Who: Graduate Students
When: Wednesday, November 12, 2025 from 12:00pm to 1:30pm ET
Where: ONLINE
Faculty job interviews can take many forms—from phone and Zoom calls to multi-day campus visits. This workshop will help PhD students and postdocs understand what to expect and how to prepare for each stage of the interview process. We'll cover strategies for answering common interview questions, delivering an effective job talks, and engaging with search committees, faculty, and students. You'll also get tips for navigating informal conversations and campus dynamics. Whether you're on the job market now or planning ahead, this session will help you approach faculty interviews with greater confidence and clarity.
This CAPD event is open to MIT PhD & postdoctoral scholars. Registration is required for this event. Please register here.
Einstein's Dreams, Time, Consciousness & TeleAbsence: An Evening with Alan Lightman & D. Pilis
Who: All Students
When: Friday, November 14, 2025 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm ET
Where: MIT Museum
A reading of selections from Einstein's Dreams with audience participation and conversation between author, physicist Alan Lightman, and researcher and artist D. Pillis.
Join us for a special reading with author Alan Lightman from his seminal work, Einstein's Dreams, a fictional meditation on the nature of time. Lightman and Pillis will lead a public reading of some of the book's most beloved passages, inviting audience members to read aloud and share their own favorites. Attendees will also have the opportunity to imagine new worlds of time, you are encouraged to submit your ideas to the link below.
Following the reading, Lightman, Professor of the Practice of the Humanities at MIT; and Pillis, an MIT Media Lab alum and Assistant Professor of Virtual Production at Emerson College, will engage in a conversation about the book's enduring impact, emerging research on TeleAbsence, and deep connections between time, physics, memory, identity, and the universe.
A reception will follow the event.
Please submit your reading selections or original visions of time using this form.
$15 General Admission | $5 for MIT ID Holders
Daniel Whiteson presents "Do Aliens Speak Physics?: And Other Questions about Science and the Nature of Reality" at Harvard Book Store
Who: Graduate Students
When: Monday, November 17, 2025 at 7:00pm ET
Where: Harvard Book Store 1256 Massachusetts Ave
On November 17, Daniel Whiteson (UC Irvine) will present his new popular-physics book, "Do Aliens Speak Physics?" at the Harvard bookstore, in conversation with Matt Strassler.
This book asks: when aliens arrive, could we use physics as a way to communicate? Could we learn the secrets of the Universe from an advanced alien race? Fundamentally, the book is asking whether the core ideas of our physics are universal or colored by our humanity.
More info about the book: www.alienspeakphysics.com
And the event: https://www.harvard.com/event/daniel-whiteson
FELLOWSHIPS/GRANTS
HGSFP Doctoral Fellowships
Who: Graduate Students
Deadline: November 1, 2025
Posted: 9/12/2025
The HGSFP invites applications for Doctoral Fellowships In the fields of:
- Astronomy and Cosmic Physics
- Quantum Dynamics and Complex Quantum Systems
- Fundamental Interactions and Cosmology
- Mathematical Physics
- Environmental Physics
- Complex Classical Systems
Participating Schools: IMPRS HD | Astronomy and Cosmic Physics | @ Heidelberg University & MPIA IMPRS QD | Quantum Dynamics | @ Heidelberg University & MPIK IMPRS PTFS | Precision Tests of Fundamental Symmetries | @ Heidelberg University & MPIK
Application deadline: November 1, 2025
2026-2027 Tayebati Postdoctoral Fellows Program
Who: Graduate Students
Deadline: December 1, 2025
Posted: 9/5/2025
The MIT Schwarzman College of Computing is seeking outstanding candidates for the 2026-2027 cohort of Tayebati Fellows.
The interdisciplinary AI program, which launched last year, will support multiple postdocs across MIT whose work combines AI and one of the following six areas: Biology/Bioengineering, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Chemistry/Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Music, or Physics.
Fellows that are accepted into the program will be awarded a stipend starting at $75,000 annually, plus MIT benefits. Travel grants for academic conferences as well as computer access and support for various programmatic activities will also be provided.
Application details are at https://computing.mit.edu/tayebati. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2025.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Funded MSc-Internship positions in Physics at the University of Vienna
Who: Undergraduate Students
Deadline: Monday December 15, 2025
Posted: 10/31/2025
Are you eager to
- Work in a unique research environment, in teams of highly renowned physicists?
- Tackle challenges at the forefront of physics?
- Benefit from a broad international network?
- Hone your transferrable professional skills?
- Enjoy the City of Vienna, famous for leading the Quality of Living Ranks?
The Vienna Doctoral School in Physics (VDSP) at the University of Vienna is a vibrant community
- of more than 190 capable, creative and critical young researcher personalities,
- embedded in over 50 scientific teams,
- with innovative experimental, theoretical and computational capabilities.
We are offering Master-Internship positions in following fields:
- Computational Materials Physics (Cesare Franchini)
- Computational and Soft Matter Physics (Roberto Cerbino, Christos Likos, Andreas Zöttl)
- Electronic Properties of Materials (Thomas Pichler, Hidetsugu Shiozawa)
- Nanomagnetism & Magnonics (Luca Banszerus)
- Molecular Quantum Optics & Quantum Nanophysics (Markus Arndt)
- Particle Physics (Josef Pradler)
- Physics of Functional Materials (Claas Abert, Dieter Süss)
- Physics of Nanostructured Materials (Toma Susi)
- Quantum Optics and Microscopy (Thomas Juffmann)
For detailed information about projects, procedures and application, please see: https://vds-physics.univie.ac.at/open-calls/
Now accepting applications to the Applied Physics Graduate Program at Northwestern University
Who: Undergraduate Students
Deadline: Monday December 15, 2025
Posted: 10/3/2025
We are currently accepting applications to the Applied Physics Graduate Program at Northwestern University for Fall 2026 enrollment.
The following is some information from our website regarding what is unique about our program.
The Northwestern I Applied Physics Graduate Program:
- is a hub for collaboration between more than 10 departments, including Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering,
and Materials Science and Engineering.
- offers a wide range of PhD research opportunities for graduate students with a strong undergraduate background in Physics:
Applied Quantum Physics, Interface Science, Soft Condensed Matter, Magnetism, Structure and Self-Organization of Biological Molecules,
Mineral Physics and Photonics.
- provides students with a very competitive 12 month stipend, 5 years of minimum guaranteed funding, paid health, dental and vision insurance and a full tuition scholarship.
See 2025-26 PhD student stipend information here.
Please note that for applications submitted in 2025 for Fall 2026 enrollment:
- the deadline to submit is Monday Dec. 15, 2025
- GRE General and Physics tests are not required.
Now accepting applications to the Applied Physics Graduate Program at Northwestern University
Who: Undergraduate Students
Deadline: January 8, 2026
Posted: 10/17/2025
Wake Forest University offers MS and PhD degrees in Physics. Beginning Fall 2026, we will also offer an MS and a certificate in Quantum Information Sciences (QIS). Our program combines the resources of a research university with close faculty–student mentoring.
Research areas: computational and experimental biophysics; condensed matter (including organic electronics); quantum computing, quantum materials, and quantum optics; and astrophysics.
Key details
- Applications for Fall 2026 are open. Deadline: January 8, 2026. (GRE not required.)
- Faculty & students: 16 tenured/tenure-track faculty; 37 PhD students.
- Outcomes: alumni in academia, industry, finance, and national labs.
- Support: PhD students receive full tuition & fees scholarship plus a stipend (projected $31,236 for AY 2026–27) via RA/TA. MS students receive a 75% tuition waiver.
- Facilities: state-of-the-art experimental labs and the DEAC high-performance computing cluster.
- Interdisciplinary connections: Center for Nanotechnology & Quantum Technologies; Center for Molecular Signaling; Center for Functional Materials (Reynolda Campus); Center for Structural Biology; Comprehensive Cancer Center; Center for Redox Biology in Medicine (Health Sciences Campus).
Volunteer Opportunity: Young Physicists Tournament (YPT) 2026
Who: Graduate Students
Deadline: ASAP
Posted: 10/10/2025
Phillips Academy will host the Young Physicists Tournament on January 31–February 1, 2026, in Andover, MA (https://www.usaypt.org/). We're seeking jurors—faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and professionals in STEM—to evaluate and discuss high school students' year-long research projects in a debate-style setting.
This is a great outreach and mentoring opportunity. Jurors may participate for one or both days.
Contact Jose Zorrilla at jzorrillamatilla@andover.edu
Postdoc job opportunity in Clinical Medical Physics at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC
Who: Graduate Students
Deadline: ASAP
Posted: 10/10/2025
Apply now for a postdoctoral job opportunity at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. The program combines 2 years of postdoctoral research and 2 years of clinical residency training in medical physics. The candidate would have the opportunity to work on dose accumulation and volumetric reirradiation in the setting of clinical radiation oncology, under joint supervision of Drs. Lei Zhang and Jean Moran.
Link to job listing
This is a competitive and prestigious opportunity for an upcoming PhD graduate to pursue a future career in radiation oncology and medical physics—both Dr. Zhang and Dr. Dylan Hsu PhD '19 DABR have previously graduated from this program.
Application now open for the 2025 EKA Postdoctoral Program at Columbia University
Who: Graduate Students
Deadline: November 1, 2025
Posted: 9/26/2025
Columbia Physics Department invites applications for the 2026 EKA Postdoctoral program for outstanding young scientists with research interests in any area of physics pursued at Columbia. The positions are co-sponsored by the Ernest Kempton Adams fund and Columbia faculty members and come with travel and research funds. The appointment is for an initial term of one year, renewable for up to two additional years by mutual agreement and subject to the availability of funding.
Applications received by November 1, 2025 will receive full consideration. All application materials must be received via the Columbia Job Site- HERE.
Postdoctoral Research Positions at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Who: Graduate Students
Deadline: November 1, 2025
Posted: 9/19/2025
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is inviting applications for the Postdoctoral Research Program.
For more information, please visit the job posting.
Perimeter Institute offers a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment with maximum research freedom and opportunity to collaborate. We welcome all candidates to apply by November 1, 2025 but applications will be considered until all positions are filled.
Regeneron's Postdoctoral Program is Now Accepting Applications for 2026
Who: Graduate Students
Deadline: Friday, November 21, 2025
Posted: 10/10/2025
Regeneron is now accepting applications for our 2026 Postdoctoral Training Program!
- Up to four years of formal post doctoral training in a program co-directed by award-winning and published educators, both of whom are working scientists at Regeneron devoted to training post doctoral fellows
- Exposure to the biotechnology industry's most successful and innovative scientists
- Weekly post doctoral scientist meetings to foster scientific rigor, creative thinking, critical reasoning, and career advancement
- A prestigious, well resourced, and dynamic industry environment
- Encouragement of scholarly productivity, such as publications and conference presentations
- Opportunities to pursue your own cutting-edge research ideas in almost any area of biomedicine, including human genetics
- Learn more at https://www.regeneron.com/postdoctoral-training-program
https://careers.regeneron.com/en/jobs/r42170/postdoctoral-fellow/
Southern Methodist University Laboratory Lecturer in Physics
Who: Graduate Students
Deadline: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Posted: 10/24/2025
Position No. 50079. The Department of Physics at Southern Methodist University (SMU) invites applications for one (1) non- tenure-track full-time Laboratory Lecturer position. Applicants should present evidence of strong interest in teaching and interacting with undergraduate students. In addition, successful candidates should have strong communication and organizational skills. The start date for the position is expected to be August 1, 2026, with renewal contingent on funding and performance.
For more info and to apply: https://apply.interfolio.com/171434.
Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Experimental Quantum Science at Princeton
Who: Graduate Students
Deadline: December 1, 2025 (11:59pm EST)
Posted: 9/26/2025
The Princeton Quantum Initiative (PQI) and the Department of Physics at Princeton University invite applications for a tenure-track faculty position in experimental quantum science, with a preferred start date of September 1, 2026.
We welcome applicants across all areas of experimental quantum science, including (but not limited to):
- Quantum information processing and computing
- Quantum sensing and networks
- Novel experimental platforms for quantum technologies
Candidates should demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching and mentoring, as well as the ability to lead a high-impact, independent research program. Princeton is committed to fostering an inclusive academic environment, and we especially encourage applications from individuals who will contribute to diversity and excellence in our community. Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Application details:
- Review of applications begins November 2025
- Full consideration deadline: December 1, 2025 (11:59pm EST)
- Application portal: https://www.princeton.edu/acad-positions/position/39903
- Required materials: cover letter, CV, research and teaching statements, and three reference contacts
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