Undergraduate Research

 

Biophysics major Nathalya Ramirez stands with her research poster.

Noyce Scholarship recipient and Biophysics major Nathalya Ramirez.

Physics is a practical science, and some of the most exciting aspects of the field happen outside the classroom. Research helps students indulge their intellectual curiosity, solve problems and contribute to the development of scientific knowledge and instruments. 

The Department of Physics encourages all undergraduate students to participate in research during their studies, whether through faculty projects, summer internships, special honors projects or research-intensive coursework. 

 

 

Sri Murthy


Sri Murthy

BS '16, Biophysics

"In the GW program in Mainz, Germany, I learned a tremendous amount. I cherished being able to work with physicists from all over the world, being directly involved in the research and contributing to the team’s work."

Joining Research Groups

Many faculty-led research groups include undergraduate students in their labs, from experimental nuclear physics to protein design. Contact the responsible faculty member through their bio page to learn more about specific opportunities.

 

Summer Research Internships

 

NASA logo

 

Every summer, our undergraduate physics students embark on research experiences all over the United States and around the world. We help students apply early for National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs at other universities, and we place students at many of the prestigious laboratories where our faculty collaborate. Browse a sampling of the government and educational institutions we have worked with that offer summer research programs for undergraduate students, or use GW’s internship search resources to find more.  

Internship Resources

 

Undergraduate Research in Action

Jack Hirschman

Student Project Leads to International Collaborations

Jack Hirschman was awarded a GW Distinguished Scholar award for his progress on field programmable gate arrays. Hirschman built a test detector, which led to international collaboration and work in Israel and Switzerland.