Darin Ragozzine received a Young Scholar Award from the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Ragozzine has made significant contributions to exoplanet discovery efforts (KEPLER) and Kuiper belt object study, and has received Hubble telescope time grants. He has also secured $500k portion of grants to BYU since arriving in Fall 2016. Ragozzine has mentored 15 BYU undergraduate students since his arrival, and has published many notable papers. He has also developed his own textbook for the introductory astronomy course, as well as a new method for teaching Physics 230, including recorded video instructions.
August 2020
News and Events
A group of undergraduate students braved the heat and heights of the ESC roof to install a new weather station. The station is up and running, and will hopefully record data for years to come.
Nobel Laureate Kip Thorne Inspires BYU Students with the Future of Gravitational-Wave Science
Four Decades Under the Stars: Honoring Dr. Mike Joner and the Legacy of West Mountain Observatory.
Connecting Experience to Opportunity: External Advisory Council Supports Career Pathways and Job Success for BYU Physics and Astronomy Students.
From Trapped Ions to Quantum Frontiers: Dr. AJ Rasmusson Launches Experimental Quantum Physics at BYU.
Dr. Gus Hart received the 2024 Karl G. Maeser Research and Creative Arts Award for his work in computational material science and his continued innovation in computational methods.
This winter, ten students in BYU’s new “Advanced Planetary Astrophysics” taught by Darin Ragozzine course gained hands-on experience in planetary science research, mastering interdisciplinary skills to prepare for future careers in astronomy.
Starting Fall 2025, BYU will offer a new Applied Physics: Data Science major that combines rigorous physics training with data science skills to prepare students for the growing demand in data-driven careers.
BYU's new Biological Physics course introduces students to the physics behind biological processes, fostering interdisciplinary skills to tackle complex biological questions.
Dr. Kent Gee has been named the recipient of the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award
The BYU Physics & Astronomy department recently introduced the Applied Physics: Acoustics degree.
After 3 years of being offered as 513R, elementary particle physics is finally an official course and accepted for credit in the physics major!
BYU Physics and Astronomy Professors Dr. Davis and Dr. Vanfleet recently received the 2024 award for outstanding achievement in technology transfer from the BYU Technology Transfer Office.
Dr. Michael Ware hopes to help students develop the skills to navigate discussion of science and religion
The university's new electron microscopy facility opened in fall of 2025, offering atomic-level imaging and student-led research.