Physics Diverse alumni

Daniel Hill ('23) majored in Engineering Physics and minored in Mathematics at Westmont. He then transitioned into data analytics and attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to receive his MS in Business Analytics. He now works for his startup where he is seeking to help businesses use their data more effectively. Daniel's favorite part of his Westmont experience was constantly improving problem-solving skills. He found that working hard at physics lays the groundwork for a deep understanding of math, which has opened doors for Daniel in engineering, data science, and even computer science. Daniel recommends the Physics & Engineering departments for anyone looking to become a robust technical problem solver and have faculty who pour into you regularly to help you learn and grow into the field you are passionate about, inside or outside of the world of Physics.

Lexy Gillette (’22) is currently working in the Clarke Research Group at the University of Oxford, researching layered magnetic materials and crystallography in solid state inorganic chemistry while pursuing her DPhil in Inorganic Chemistry.

“It’s been pretty great so far, and I get to use SQUID MPMS, XRPD, neutron diffraction and more to learn more about these materials (and make some new ones!)”

Chisondi Warioba ('21) originally from Tanzania, moved to California when he was seven years old where he lived with his father and adoptive mother. Fueled by a passion for medicine, Chisondi initially chose Westmont to pursue a degree that would lead to medical school. By the time he graduated, Chisondi was one of only four students in his class who completed a triple major (Chemistry, Biology, and Physics).

Not only did he excel at academics and research while at Westmont, he also assumed a leadership role in advancing racial justice and reconciliation, leading the Black Student Union his junior year and organizing discussion panels for Residence Life events centered around these and other social issues. At the 2021 Commencement exercises, Chisondi received the Dave Dolan Award in recognition of his leadership in responding to the social and spiritual needs of the college. Chisondi is currently pursuing a PhD in Medical Physics at the University of Chicago.

On getting the Credential and my Degree in Physics in five years: “I didn’t know that I would be doing the credential program until the end of my senior year, but I had contemplated it a couple of times and I had been very impressed with the education faculty. I took a few education classes during my undergraduate degree: Cultural Diversity [ED105] and Health for the Classroom Teacher [KNS156] - which helped me both to get some prerequisites done and to see if I wanted to go down the education path. If I had known earlier I would have taken a few more classes, but as it was, I ended up taking two other classes during May Term after graduating, which really helped make both my undergrad and the credential year much more manageable.”

On choosing Westmont’s Credential Program: “The program is smaller than other programs in the area and the individual support and resources I received were irreplaceable and invaluable. I also found great value in hearing perspectives from people in other subjects as well as students in the primary program. Westmont gave me a very well-rounded perspective that has been extremely helpful and formative in my teaching.Another thing: as far as I can tell, Westmont is very highly regarded in town. There are great connections through Westmont.”

On the joy of teaching: “I really love building connections with kids from all different backgrounds and experiences, and also working with other teachers, paraeducators and administrators who provide such excellent and unique resources and perspectives. I also have really enjoyed the constant learning. I am always reading new articles, discovering new phenomena, and figuring out ways to teach and process these things.”

Daniel Staples ('21) came to Westmont as an avid lover of art, science, and the outdoors. While at the college Daniel pursued his passion for the former two fields by double-majoring in Art and Physics. His contribution to the Westmont Graduate Exhibition, The Dark Ages, connected imagery from plague doctors of the past to the current feelings of frustration and confusion felt during the current COVID-19 pandemic. He was also actively involved in a research project in nuclear physics during his senior year under the direction of professor Robert Haring-Kaye, presenting a poster of his work at the 2021 Westmont College Student Research Symposium. His results are expected to contribute to a peer-reviewed publication in an internationally-recognized journal. Daniel currently enjoys hunting and working at an IT company with his father near his home in Montana.

Sarah Reed ('19) interned at Northrop Grumman Space Systems in old town Goleta in her final semester at Westmont College.  She was then hired on as a full time Electronics Engineer immediately upon graduating from Westmont.  She works with a group of eight engineers in the Antenna Lab Department.  She designs, builds and tests antennas for air and space crafts.  She recently won a company award for developing a Spherical Near-Field Antenna Range at Northrop Grumman's site in Goleta!

Louise ('19) is a Physics and Biology Medicine PhD student at UCLA. She works in the Department of Radiation Oncology and her research centers around lung CT imaging and breathing motion modeling for applications in cancer, pulmonology, and surgery.

Aria Duncan ('16) is a Ph.D. candidate in Earth System Science at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Her current research is focused on managing irrigation water to protect rice production from the coupled threats of climate change and widespread soil arsenic contamination. She uses physics techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence mapping and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, to characterize soil samples and make element maps of rice roots and soil. After she graduated from Westmont, she spent a year conducting water management research in the Netherlands as a Fulbright Fellow.

Matthew Bennett '14 majored in Engineering Physics and minored in English and went on to teach high school physics at Bishop Diego High School. After earning his California teaching credential and certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Matthew began pursuing his PhD in Science Education at UCSB. While at UCSB, Matthew has worked on a variety of projects ranging from studying implementation of NGSS in preservice teacher classrooms, to curriculum development for QIS concepts in K-12 environments, to preparing preservice teachers for teaching for deeper learning, which is the focus of his dissertation work.

Jesse Cozean (’07) majored in physics at Westmont and works for medical device companies his mother, Colette Day Cozean ’80, has started. He is vice president of research and development at Innovative BioDefense Inc. and Abela Pharmaceuticals, and he spends much of his time in the lab. At Westmont, he learned to think through problems and persist until he solved them, which helps in developing new products. He has also written a book “My Grandfather’s War: A Young Man’s Lessons from the Greatest Generation,” which documents Robert Cozean’s ordeal in a German camp.