Drew Hamilton '18, left, attended last month's Physics of Atomic Nuclei summer camp at Michigan State University
Drew Hamilton '18 Explores Future in Nuclear Science
Michigan State University camp only accepts 24 students per year
Getting into the Physics of Atomic Nuclei summer camp was half the battle for Drew Hamilton '18. Only 24 students are accepted every year to the week-long program at Michigan State University. There have been approximately 1,700 applications for PAN in the last five years.
Drew was not only one of the lucky few, but satisfied his curiosity for nuclear science July 23-28 in East Lansing, Michigan. "It was incredible," he said. "I got to talk to so many people: a computational astrophysicist, a couple nuclear physicists, a theoretical physicist, and a lot of students. Everyone I met was very intelligent. I've always been interested in nuclear science and astrophysics. This really opened up a lot of pathways, and made me more aware of what I want to do."
PAN is designed to be a hands-on introduction to the fields of astrophysics, cosmology, and nuclear science. Students get to perform their own experiments in the Michigan State rare-isotope laboratory, which is considered one of the finest in the world. Drew said he worked mostly with gamma radiation, and is planning to take everything he learned from PAN into his fifth year at Christ School. Outside the classroom, Drew will continue being involved with the Robotics team and expects to represent Christ School in a math modeling competition.
"It's really strange to be a senior. I still remember coming in as an eighth grader," he said. "I'm a little nervous, I'm applying to colleges and have a difficult schedule, even more so than my junior year. But I'm looking forward to it."
