Summer and Senior Research

Each summer, several students perform research with Xavier faculty, funded in part through the generosity of the John Hauck Foundation. Our summer research community fosters and promotes dialogue and exchange of ideas between all student and faculty members. Consequently, students are able to achieve the three main goals of our summer research program: to hone their research skills by learning topics not taught in the classroom, to enhance their ability to communicate complex ideas in a clear and concise manner, and to feed their enthusiasm for studying science.

The Physics Research (PHYS 395) and Physics Thesis (PHYS398) courses are capstone experiences designed to give students an opportunity of applying the scientific method toward an independent and creative exploration of a topic in physics that is of interest to them. This exploration can be a new endeavor, or the continuation of an ongoing project in which the student has been involved. Students are expected to complete the majority of their research during the fall semester, thereby allowing them sufficient time to focus on the presentation of their result during the spring semester.