Dennis Houlihan

Why FSU?

FSU's Department of Physics is highly ranked and has a lot of active research. In nuclear physics, for example, there is a lot of work and collaboration with scientists at the new Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State. We also have our own nuclear lab that is run predominantly by graduate assistants. In many labs, like FRIB, experiments are usually done by research staff and you do not get the hands-on experience that you do at FSU's John D. Fox Lab.

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

At around the second year of my undergrad, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in research. In order to do that in physics, a higher level degree is generally required. I also enjoy physics and learning more complicated topics, so graduate school seemed a natural choice.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

One of the biggest questions in science is the origin of elements. There are several processes that produce elements heavier than hydrogen, and the process my research is focused on is the photodissociation process (p-process). The p-process includes several different reactions involving a gamma ray hitting a nucleus and releasing particle(s) from said target nucleus, which then creates a new, lighter nucleus. What we try to do is perform experiments to probe these reactions and learn more about the various states we expect to see.

Career aspirations

I want to continue doing physics research. However, there are several ways to do research whether it is in industry, a national lab, or in academia. I am still unsure which direction I want to go.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

Graduate school is very stressful, so it's important to find hobbies, clubs, and activities that can help relieve that stress. Try to keep a life outside of school and work.

Accomplishments during graduate career

I passed the Physics proficiency exam in Fall 2022.