News

Mar
30
2023
Our former undergraduate student received the 2022 F. Ray Wilson Award
We are pleased to announce that our former undergraduate student, Nolan Craft, received the 2022 F. Ray Wilson Award for Best Thesis in the Physical and Life Sciences in the Honors Program of Baylor University. Nolan graduated last May, and he is currently in the graduate program at Rice University. Big congratulations to Nolan and his supervisor at Baylor, Dr. Zhenrong Zhang.
Jan
31
2023
Interested in our graduate programs? Check out this video!
Interested in our graduate programs? Check out this 4-minutes video!
Jan
31
2023
Story of our particle physicist - Dr. Dittmann
A Baylor University physics professor, Dr. Dittmann, who was part of the team that confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson recently gave a lecture on the decade-old discovery. Check out history on Waco Tribune!
Jan
17
2023
Department of Physics mourns death of our senior, Stephen Stec
It is with a heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our senior Stephen Stec, who died in an automobile accident this past Saturday near Marshall, Texas. Stephen was a presidential scholar majoring in astrophysics.
Nov
30
2022
The list of schools to make U.S. News‘ top 25 for both undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research is a short (and impressive one): Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Duke, Elon, Michigan — and Baylor. In their latest rankings, U.S. News put Baylor at No. 16 nationally for undergraduate teaching and No. 21 for undergraduate research/creative projects. …
Oct
26
2022
Baylor is part of the international BINGO project!
Dr. Wang is excited to announce that Baylor is now accepted to participate in the international BINGO project. The BINGO Project aims at building a special purpose radio telescope to map redshifted neutral hydrogen emission between z = 0.13 and 0.45. BINGO stands for Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from Integrated Neutral Gas Observations.
Oct
18
2022
Baylor physics major, Amen Patel, awarded the 2022 TSAPS Robert S. Hyer Award
We had a good showing at the 2022 Texas Section American Physical Society (TSAPS) fall meeting hosted by Rice University. About ten students, a mix of graduate students and undergraduate students, presented their research works. And, among them, our undergraduate student, Amen Patel, was awarded the 2022 TSAPS Robert S. Hyer Award! Congratulations to Aman and his mentor, Prof. Zhenrong Zhang.
Sep
23
2022
Dr. Matthews highlighted on BaylorPround!
Meet Baylor’s expert on dusty plasma — also known as ‘cosmic dust bunnies’. Picture the dust bunnies that are probably hiding somewhere around your home. (It’s okay to admit it; we all have them.) Now imagine those dust bunnies, but on a cosmic level.
Sep
23
2022
How is physics research driven? A view of Dr. Zhang.
See this post about a short interview of Dr. Zhanng. "We teach students, and we need compassion to be able to educate them. You need to give them challenges so they can grow." At Baylor, research is driven by compassion, curiosity & courage.
Aug
30
2022
At sunrise Monday, a group of Baylor University astronomy students and professors gathered to watch the test flight of NASA’s first Moon rocket in 50 years: Artemis 1.

Even after the uncrewed launch was scrubbed at the last minute, enthusiasm remained high for a new chapter in crewed spaceflight that will see the first woman and first person of color walk on the Moon.
Apr
8
2022
Baylor’s Experimental High Energy Physics group among scientists with significant contributions to the successful maintenance and operation of the experiment measuring one of nature’s force-carrying particles
Apr
8
2022
Dr. Zhang is highlighted on BaylorProud!
Meet the Baylor professor whose invention makes tiny reactions visible! How big is a nanometer? To envision something so small, envision the width of a human hair. Now divide the tip of that hair by 100,000. Now, you’re in the ballpark.
Apr
8
2022
Two years from today, a total solar eclipse will take place -- and Waco will be an ideal viewing spot. On April 8, 2024, Baylor University, City of Waco, Lowell Observatory, and Discovery Channel will team for an on-site celebration and special programming viewable worldwide: https://bit.ly/3DSAyoM
Apr
6
2022
Dr. Olafsen receives the 2021 Elizabeth Vardaman Award for excellence in research leadership
Congratulations to Prof. Olafsen, 2021 recipient of the Elizabeth Vardaman Award for excellence in research leadership. This "Betsy" Award recognizes Dr. Olafsen's leadership of the successful Goldwater Scholarship program at Baylor.
Apr
4
2022
Physics undergrads receive awards at URSA scholars week
Congratulations to physics undergraduate students Aman Patel and Weston Hall, recipients of Outstanding Platform and Poster Presentations at URSA Scholars Week, and their research mentors, Dr. Zhenrong Zhang and Dr. Barbara Castanheira-Endl.
Mar
26
2022
Physics Habitat for Humanity workday
Great Physics Habitat for Humanity workday on Saturday, March 26, with physics grad students and SPS members. Thanks to Dustin Sanford, Baylor Physics alumni, who is the new Construction Supervisor for Waco Habitat.
Mar
25
2022
Senior physics major wins award at the Southwest Data Science Conference
Congrats to senior physics major Weston Hall for winning an undergraduate research paper award at the Southwest Data Science Conference held at Baylor on March 25, 2022.
Feb
25
2022
Dr. Barbara Castanheira-Endl promoted to Senior Lecturer
We are proud to announce Dr. Barbara Castanheira-Endl's well-deserved promotion to Senior Lecturer.
Feb
25
2022
Dr. Zhenrong Zhang's promoted to full professor
We are proud to announce Dr. Zhenrong Zhang's well-deserved promotion to Full Professor!
Dec
16
2021
I am overjoyed to share with you some wonderful news we learned this morning. We have received notification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education that Baylor University has achieved Research 1 status, joining the nation’s top research institutions as a doctoral university with very high research activity and as a preeminent Christian research university.
Nov
1
2021
Dr. Jay Dittmann's work at CERN highlighted in a recent A&S magazine
Baylor physicist Dr. Jay Dittmann was highlighted in a Baylor A&S magazine. In this Q&A, he discussed his role at CERN and Baylor’s participation in this important research project. Please check it out.
Sep
30
2021
Our recent graduate, Garrett Williams,won the AAAS 2021 Student Essay Competition
Mr. Garrett Williams, who graduated Baylor in Spring 2019, won the 2021 Student Essay Competition by the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition.
Sep
24
2021
A Nano-view For Advanced Solutions: Dr. Zhenrong Zhang
A nanometer is just 1/1000,000 the width of a human hair — but chemical reactions taking place at that level have significant implications in countless fields. That’s where Dr. Zhenrong Zhang, a Baylor physics professor, comes in.
Aug
28
2021
Baylor members and graduates made many contributions to SUSY 2021
Many current members and recent graduates made contributions to the 28th International Conference on Supersymmetry and Unification of Fundamental Interactions (SUSY 2021) held virtually over August 23-28, 2021.
Aug
1
2021
Dr. Lorin Matthews is named as a new Physics Department chair
Dr. Lorin Matthews, a long time department member, early on as a student and as a faculty member in recent years, will start leading the Physics Department as a new department chair as of August 2021.
Are you looking for more News?

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Baylor Sciences Building D.311
One Bear Place #97316
Waco, TX 76798-7316

(254) 710-2511