A Century of Discovery: Corcoran Hall Marks 100 Years of Science Milestones
Corcoran Hall, a historic science hub, marks its centennial. Home to the Big Bang theory and modern breakthroughs, it also primarily houses the Physics Department.
Research
In the Physics Department, students gain hands-on research experience with department faculty, innovative equipment and scientists from some of the world's top institutions. For more than a century, the department has spearheaded important discoveries in our labs and fostered generations of researchers, systems engineers, environmental scientists and biomedical engineers. Outside the department, our faculty hold leadership roles with partner institutes around the world, offering students unparalleled research and employment opportunities.
With lab groups across many interest areas, undergraduate and graduate students can build their research experience and present, publish and win awards for their work. Research is ongoing in experimental and theoretical nuclear physics, experimental and theoretical biophysics, and high-energy astrophysics.
“[The university] combines the academic environment and also the research environment because GW is located in a hub of educational institutions and research centers. … The people that exist at and near the university are such fantastic scientists and personalities.”
Chryssa Kouveliotou
Professor of Astrophysics
Faculty by Research Area
Research Facilities
The Physics Department operates out of historic Corcoran Hall and the state-of-the-art Science and Engineering Hall (SEH). Labs are outfitted with cutting-edge equipment. The department also partners with researchers from other sciences at SEH, and faculty collaborate with many of the country's top research institutions located in the Washington, D.C., area.
GW Centers and Institutes
Physics Computing Cluster (Gamow)
Completed in the basement of Corcoran Hall in September 2024, the cluster is envisioned as infrastructure to support the teaching and research mission of the Physics Department.
Physics Making Headlines
Ready to Launch: A GW Student’s NASA Mission
PhD student Nick Kirschner’s research journey took him from NASA labs to the New Mexico desert—part of an agreement that is propelling GW astrophysics to new heights.
GW Hailed as a Top Fulbright Producer for 2023–24
GW has been recognized as a top producer of Fulbright scholars and students for 2023–24, including Physics Professor Gerald Feldman (Norway).
Malicious AI Activity Likely to Escalate into Daily Occurrence in 2024
Physics professor Neil Johnson's groundbreaking analysis exposes AI misuse by bad actors as over 50 nations, including the U.S., prepare for elections.