Regan O’Neill has always dreamed of helping humanity reach Mars, and now she’s one step closer. The Clemson University junior and mechanical engineering major was awarded the prestigious Brooke Owens Fellowship, a highly competitive program that connects top students with aerospace industry leaders. As the first Clemson student to receive the honor, O’Neill will spend the summer as an engineering intern on the special projects team at Analytical Mechanics Associates, where she plans to focus mainly on nuclear propulsion research.
O’Neill has been fascinated by space since she was in middle school in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, when she had the chance to speak with astronaut and biochemist Peggy Whitson. That early spark led her to take on leadership roles in NASA-recognized high school projects, including designing a radiation-blocking helmet and a blood-capture system for Blue Origin.
At Clemson, she’s continued chasing her spaceflight ambitions. She worked with a research team led by professor Steve Kaeppler to develop mechanical systems for a probe gathering data in the ionosphere that launched aboard a sounding rocket in August 2024. In November, she’ll head to Norway for another rocket launch, this time to study the northern lights, which if she’s lucky, will take lift-off right on her 21st birthday.
Several teams of Clemson University students competed in the first-ever SC Quantathon, a 24-hour quantum computing hackathon held in Columbia in October, winning in all categories, including the grand prize: a trip to Abu Dhabi in April for an international hackathon. Clemson sent four teams with 18 students from diverse disciplines, including computer science, physics, and engineering, under the mentorship of Professor Rong Ge.
Quantum computing leverages quantum mechanics, the behavior of subatomic particles, to solve complex problems exponentially faster than classical computers. Tasks that could take traditional computers thousands of years can be completed in minutes using quantum technology.
The competition tested students in three areas: quantum random number generation, quantum machine learning, and quantum chemistry. Teams worked around the clock, applying their problem-solving skills and quantum computing expertise. Participants valued the interdisciplinary nature of the event, with physics students gaining coding experience and engineers tackling physics-related challenges.
Winners also earned potential internships with sponsoring companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Accelerise, and DoraHacks. Some undergraduates were part of Clemson’s Hands-on Quantum Computing Creative Inquiry project, which provides hands-on experience with quantum computing platforms and software. Creative Inquiry, Clemson’s award-winning undergraduate research program, has engaged over 72,000 students in project-based research since 2005.
The event was supported by Clemson’s Watt Family Innovation Center, which fosters collaboration between students, faculty, and industry leaders. Clemson’s success at the Quantathon highlights its growing role in quantum computing research and offers students valuable career opportunities and international exposure.
Every galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its center. But according to astrophysicists, they sometimes they feature a binary system, or two supermassive back holes orbiting each other. Black holes act as cosmic vacuum cleaners, with a mass a million times that of our Sun, formed when the core of a massive star collapses on itself. They are regions in space where gravity is so strong that not even light can escape, and scientists use them to help study how gravity works and how galaxies form. By studying the frequency of binary supermassive black holes, researchers can better understand what happens to galaxies when they merge.
Binary black holes emit gravitational waves, ripples in space-time that travel at light speed, stretching and squeezing space as they pass. Pulsar timing arrays, which analyze the radio signals from rapidly spinning pulsars, detect anomalies caused by these waves. While these arrays can pick up the combined signal from binary black holes over the past 9 billion years, they are not yet sensitive enough to detect individual systems within a single galaxy. Since even the most powerful telescopes cannot directly image these binaries, astronomers rely on indirect methods to determine their presence in galactic centers.
Astronomers use indirect methods to identify binary black holes, including searching for periodic signals from active galactic nuclei: high-energy galaxy centers. These nuclei emit intense radiation due to accretion, where the black hole pulls in surrounding gas, causing it to heat up and glow in optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray light. Some active galactic nuclei also launch jets of particles moving near light speed, appearing exceptionally bright when aligned with Earth. A periodic brightening and fading of light from these nuclei could indicate the presence of two supermassive black holes orbiting each other, signaling a potential binary system.
A new study by Marco Ajello, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Clemson University, and Jonathan Zrake, Assistant Professor of Physics at Clemson University, analyzed over a century of astronomical data to investigate whether the active galactic nucleus PG 1553+153 harbors a binary supermassive black hole. The galaxy’s light brightens and dims every 2.2 years, suggesting a binary system, but other explanations like wobbly jets had to be ruled out. Simulations showed that if a binary existed, dense gas clumps should orbit the black holes every 10 to 20 years. Using the DASCH database, which digitized photographic plates dating back to 1900, the team identified a 20-year pattern, supporting the binary black hole theory. Their findings also indicated that the two black holes have a 2.5:1 mass ratio and a nearly circular orbit. However, final confirmation may require future gravitational wave detections from pulsar timing arrays.
Aviation runs in Abigail Poropatich’s family. Her parents worked as commercial airline pilots and she began taking flying lessons when she was 17 and is now pursuing her private pilot license. Poropatich will follow them into the aviation field. However, Poropatich looks to set a different course for her journey.
The Clemson University senior who is double majoring in physics and computer science hopes to use her diverse skill set in aviation, physics, and computer science, to pursue a career at the intersection of flight and science and serve in an administrative government role, where she would be able to influence scientific policies. Inspired by the Schrodinger’s cat thought experiment in high school AP physics, Poropatich developed a passion for physics and fell in love with the idea that physics is everywhere and the basis of all sciences and life.
As encouraged by faculty at Clemson, Poropatich decided to join a biophysics lab with Associate Professor Hugo Sanabria and Adjunct Professor Joshua Alper, assuming she would later attend medical school. Poropatich studied neural cell behavior and spectroscopy, presenting research at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as a part of the ACCelerate Smithsonian Festival. Poropatich decided to double major in computer science after noticing the deep connection between physics and computing. She began working on laser acquisition for data transmission using Python and slowly combining both her passions as she worked through both degrees.
Looking for internships that combined her passion for flying and airplanes with her computer science and physics skills, Poropatich began a software engineering internship for Textron Aviation last summer. The company builds everything from private jets and military/corporate helicopters, to the type of small single engine aircrafts Poropatich flies. She worked on aircraft systems engineering testing to create a control panel under a U.S. Navy contract for aircraft simulators, which is used by instructors to launch an airplane during simulation training. Poropatich has accepted an offer to work as a technology analyst for Deloitte Government and Public Services after her graduation in December. She also plans to fly on the side while working towards her commercial aircraft license.
Laura Finzi, a molecular biophysicist who pioneered techniques to study how single molecules act in complex biological processes, has been appointed the inaugural Dr. Waenard L. Miller, Jr. ’69 and Sheila M. Miller Endowed Chair in Medical Biophysics at Clemson University. Finzi joined Clemson on July 1 and holds joint appointments in the Departments of Physics and Astronomy and Bioengineering. She aims to advance medical biophysics research and education by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Finzi brings extensive experience in interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and student mentorship, previously serving as a professor at Emory University and contributing to graduate programs in chemistry, biomedical engineering, and cancer biology. Her research on DNA transcription mechanics aims to advance understanding of gene regulation and precision medicine, tailoring treatments to individual genetic and environmental factors. Finzi is committed to building programs and fostering collaboration to drive innovation in medical biophysics.
The endowed chair position, one of the highest honors at Clemson University, was established with a $2 million donation from cardiologist Waenard L. Miller ’69 and his wife, Sheila M. Miller, to support medical biophysics research and education. Dr. Miller, a Clemson physics alumnus and co-founder of the Legacy Heart Center in Texas, has an extensive background in medicine, including degrees in nuclear physics, biology, and medical management. Reflecting on his 34-year career, Miller emphasized the transformative impact of scientific and medical advancements and expressed pride in supporting Clemson’s growth in this evolving field, welcoming Dr. Laura Finzi to lead impactful research and innovation.
Laura Finzi describes her journey into medical biophysics as a “progressive evolution.” Initially studying industrial chemistry at the University of Bologna, she was inspired to pursue biophysics after meeting National Academy of Sciences member Carlos Bustamante, who recruited her for graduate studies at the University of New Mexico. After earning her Ph.D. in chemistry, Finzi continued her training as a postdoctoral fellow under Bustamante, eventually joining his lab at the Institute of Molecular Biology at the University of Oregon, where she thrived in an interdisciplinary environment that brought together biologists, chemists, and physicists. Laura Finzi played a key role in developing the first generation of magnetic tweezers, a tool used to study the mechanical properties of molecules like DNA and proteins in single-molecule experiments. Unlike traditional methods that assume identical behavior among molecules, single-molecule techniques reveal heterogeneities that can underpin diseases. As an American Physical Society fellow, Finzi investigates transcriptional regulation mechanisms using advanced techniques like magnetic tweezers, optical tweezers, and atomic force microscopy, as well as studying DNA supercoiling, a critical regulator of genomic function. Her work highlights the integration of biophysics with emerging technologies, such as machine learning, to explore new avenues in medical research.
Clemson University Ph.D. students Som Dixit and Shinto Francis were awarded $25,000 fellowships by Hitachi High-Tech America Inc. to support their doctoral research in additive manufacturing and quantum computing, respectively. This marks the first time two fellowships have been awarded in the program’s 10-year history.
Dixit, an automotive engineering student, focuses on developing advanced materials like metal-ceramic composites and high-entropy alloys for applications in sectors such as military and energy. His research leverages electron microscopy to analyze microstructures and defects in additively manufactured components, advancing material innovation. He is mentored by Shunyu Liu, assistant professor of automotive engineering.
Francis, a physics and astronomy student, is working on quantum computing, with the aim of reducing interference in qubits by creating nitrogen vacancy centers using focused-ion beam microscopy. His work could enhance quantum computing systems’ stability. Francis is mentored by Ramakrishna Podila, associate professor of physics and astronomy and fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Both researchers use the Clemson University Electron Microscopy Facility, which Hitachi has supported since the 1990s. The facility houses some of Hitachi’s most advanced microscopes and plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation, student training, and industry collaboration. The partnership aligns with Clemson’s goals of advancing research and student experiences.
This artist’s impression of a planet-forming disk surrounding a young star shows a swirling “pancake” of hot gas and dust from which planets form. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, a team of researchers obtained detailed images showing the layered, conical structure of disk winds – streams of gas blowing out into space. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers such as Clemson University’s Sean Brittain captured the most detailed images yet of protoplanetary disk winds—streams of gas that shape the disks where planets form. These winds may solve the mystery of how disks lose angular momentum, enabling gas to accrete onto young stars much faster than previously thought. The study, published in Nature Astronomy, observed four protoplanetary disk systems: a complex, three-dimensional structure of winds originating from different regions of the disk, which resembles a layered onion.
The findings provide the first tangible evidence supporting the theory that magnetic field-driven winds play a key role in star growth and disk evolution. Thermal winds and X-winds also contribute. By tuning JWST’s detectors to specific molecules, the team traced the layers of these winds and discovered a central hole in the cone-shaped structures, formed by molecular winds. These insights could refine our understanding of planet formation and stellar evolution. The researchers now plan to expand their observations to more disks to deepen their knowledge.
Clemson University researchers, led by Laura Finzi, have uncovered the role of mechanical forces in gene transcription, specifically in RNA polymerase (RNAP) activity during termination. While the traditional view holds that RNAP dissociates from DNA after releasing mRNA, the team demonstrated that force can cause RNAP to slide forward or backward on the DNA template. This force-directed recycling allows genes to be transcribed multiple times or only once, affecting gene expression.
Using magnetic tweezers, the researchers found that RNAP’s ability to switch to oppositely oriented promoters relies on the C-terminal domains of its alpha subunits. Deleting these subunits prevents RNAP from flipping to oppositely oriented promoters. Published in Nature Communications, these findings could inform strategies for regulating transcription and suppressing harmful proteins. Finzi envisions a future where a map of forces on the genome helps predict transcription levels across genes and cells. The study was supported by NIH grants.
Above: a YouTube video related to Dr. Lehmacher’s NASA VortEx rocket launched on 23 March 2023 from Andøya Space Center, Norway.
The video shows a very detailed simulation of the winds and waves over northern Scandinavia based on the actual weather conditions and including the time when we launched two sounding rockets.
The high-resolution (1.2 km) weather simulation was made at the German Climate Computing Center (DKRZ) by a collaborator, Prof. Claudia Stephan, of Dr. Lehmacher at Clemson University from the Institute for Atmospheric Physics (IAP) at the University of Rostock and covers waves at heights up to 40 km. The waves are excited by winds blowing over the coastal mountains and propagate upward into the stratosphere. The goal of VortEx is the study of mixing effects from these waves at even greater heights, in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, 50 to 120 km. This intermittent mixing can extend even further, to the region where the space station orbits (400 km) and the surrounding ionosphere and become part of our “space weather”.
“Ramakrishna Podila, a materials physicist in the Clemson University Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
The Royal Society of Chemistry is a professional society based in the United Kingdom with over 50,000 members worldwide. The designation of Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) is given to those who have made significant contributions to the chemical sciences (including materials chemistry and physics). Fellows are nominated by other members.
Podila’s research is highly interdisciplinary and combines physics, chemistry, biology and materials science.”
Ramakrishna Podila
“His previous work focused on three broad areas: energy conversion and storage, nano-bio interfaces, and photonics and bioimaging. In addition to these areas, Podila’s group is currently pursuing new research directions in foundations of quantum mechanics and quantum biology.
His research has received support from the highest government agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, NASA and the U.S. Army, and many global companies.
Podila has authored more than 100 publications in scholarly journals, including multiple articles in Royal Society of Chemistry journals, that have been extensively cited. Web of Science, an online index that covers journal articles published in various sciences and the arts and humanities, listed one of his papers in materials chemistry in the top 1% of cited articles in the field. He also holds two U.S. patents.”
