Matthew Harrigan
Senior
Major: Physics
Matt Harrigan went looking for undergraduate research opportunities, and found a program that let him look for something even bigger — tidal streams of stars in the Milky Way.
Under Professor Heidi Newburg, Harrigan uses spectra of hot A-type stars in the Galactic spheroid from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to complete his research.
“I started research here so that I could get an idea of what to expect once I left college and moved on to bigger and better things,” he said. “With this in mind I started looking for research opportunities for undergraduates.”
He didn’t have to look far. The department of physics, applied physics, and astronomy offers a summer REU program. Harrigan’s advisor highly recommended it. So did his fellow students.
“I thought that it would be a great opportunity for me to be involved in research where I could apply what I have learned in class,” he said.
Research is quite different from what he initially expected. “I have much more freedom and independence than I thought I would.”
He says one of the most useful things he’s gained from the experience is a more in depth perspective of the college-research working environment. “People in different areas of research will have different experiences whilst working in their field. The astrophysics field as a whole tends to involve smaller working groups,” he said, citing that as one of the reasons for freedom and independence.
And of course, “I have a better idea of what I would like to do and accomplish after I graduate.”
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