Meet Mariah Goeks, a physics student from Lake Forest, Illinois. We asked Mariah a few questions about her NMU experience:
Why did you decide to come to NMU?
Mariah: I loved the physics department when I visited, I love the small, friendly campus, I enjoy being surrounded by so many nature parks and trails (I have been exploring several of these by bike), and NMU has great financial aid! Also, I loved the idea of jumping right into research with the Freshman Fellow program.
What do you like about your major at NMU?
Mariah: Physics is a smaller department, but mighty! I love being actively involved in solid-state research, and my peers are all wonderful people.
What’s an example of a cool, interesting or helpful thing that you have done as a part of your major?
Mariah: I love Spooky Science Night at the Children's Museum. The Physics Club takes some cool demos and gets to watch children take an active interest in what makes the world tick, and I think that's one of the best things to be able to see.
What are you involved with on campus?
Mariah: Solid-state physics research with Dr. Mengyan in the physics department; Physics Club (president); French Table.
Of your activities on- or off-campus, what has been the most rewarding and why?
Mariah: Another student and I have been doing solid-state physics research with Dr. Mengyan, which has been very enjoyable and a great opportunity. We study the role and effects of hydrogen on the electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of semiconducting materials with technological applications (e.g. for use in solar cells, sensors, batteries, electronic devices, etc.).
I began working with Dr. Mengyan through the Freshman Fellows program, which was a wonderful introduction to this research. I came in not knowing what solid-state physics was, and have been exposed to many interesting facets of this type of research for several different projects. I have been to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL; Didcot, UK) for several experiments, joining other members of our small international collaboration to participate in sample preparation, experimental setup and operation, and real-time analysis.
Being able to help conduct experiments at a national laboratory has been a wonderful opportunity, and has helped me connect the data analysis and modeling work with what might be physically happening in our samples to cause the spectra we see. I love being able to directly work with the hands-on aspects of the data collection because it really brings all the aspects of what we do together.
My plans for the future are to go to graduate school in solid-state physics, with a career goal of continuing with this sub-field of physics as a research scientist. My experience with solid-state physics research at Northern has helped me determine that this is something that I would like to pursue long-term.
What’s your favorite memory during your time as a student?
Mariah: Non-academically, my favorite memory is that one semester I had no classes on Tuesday mornings, so I could get up and bike down the lakeshore bike trail for a couple miles, then watch the sunrise. It was beautiful and a great way to start the day. Academically, I was able to present research at the biannual International Conference on Defects in Semiconductors this past summer (July 2019), which was an amazing opportunity to network and be introduced to members of the international scientific community working in my current field.
