Category: Henes Center

The Elizabeth and Richard Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena

Hasnaa Hossam Abo Shosha Receives WiP Graduate Scholarship

Hasnaa Hossam Abo Shosha
PhD Candidate Hasnaa Hossam Abo Shosha

We are excited to share that Hasnaa Hossam Abo Shosha, a Ph.D. student in Atmospheric Sciences, has been awarded the 2025 Women in Physics (WiP) Graduate Scholarship, funded by the Elizabeth and Richard Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena.

This recognition highlights Hasnaa’s exceptional academic achievements, dedication to research, and commitment to fostering a supportive scientific community.

Beginning last academic year, WiP launched two scholarship categories — one for graduate students and one for undergraduates in the physics department. The $2,000 award is designed to financially support students while recognizing their efforts to promote well-being and success in the academic community. This initiative underscores WiP’s dedication to building a campus culture that values opportunity, community and leadership.

Hasnaa joined Michigan Tech in August 2024 as a Ph.D. student in Atmospheric Sciences under the mentorship of Professor Claudio Mazzoleni. She is originally from Giza, Cairo, Egypt, and holds a bachelor’s degree in space science from Helwan University. She also completed graduate-level coursework in astrophysics. Prior to coming to Michigan Tech, Hasnaa worked as a physics teaching assistant at the American University in Cairo, Canadian International College, Helwan University. Her earlier research in Egypt focused on the morphology of ionospheric irregularities, particularly plasma bubbles that can affect satellite communications.

Hasnaa’s application for the WiP Scholarship was selected through a rigorous two-round review process. A team of four independent reviewers evaluated all submissions anonymously using a detailed rubric. Applicants were required to submit an essay addressing their scientific aspirations, challenges within their academic communities, strategies for promoting collaboration, and the specific skills they hoped to gain through the scholarship. When the final review resulted in a tie, the reviewers were asked to vote, and Hasnaa received the most votes.

“The applicant presents a clear and well-organized vision that ties their academic goals to outreach, mentorship, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Their statement is thoughtful and demonstrates how the scholarship would directly support their growth and contributions to the Michigan Tech community,” one reviewer commented.

This scholarship marks a significant milestone in Hasnaa’s academic journey and reflects WiP’s broader mission to empower students and cultivate a more collaborative scientific environment at Michigan Tech.

Women in Physics is a registered student organization at Michigan Tech dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for all individuals. Membership is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of major or background. Through workshops, mentorship, outreach and community-building events, WiP supports students across campus in their academic and professional journeys. WiP has organized numerous events, and one of its most notable accomplishments was successfully hosting the APS Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics (CUWiP) in January 2025.

WiP’s current executive includes Fathima Farheen Nambipunnilath Siddique, president; Hasnaa Abo Shosha, vice president; Emma Boston, secretary; Grace Nelson, treasurer; Alyssa Horne, scholarship secretary; Krishna Teja Vedula, colloquium secretary; and Nayana Suresh Palaparambil, social media coordinator.


About the Physics Department

Physicists at Michigan Technological University help students apply academic concepts to real-world issues. Our physicists take on the big questions to discover how the universe works—from the smallest particles to the largest galaxies. The Physics Department offers three undergraduate degrees and three graduate degrees. Supercharge your physics skills to meet the demands of a technology-driven society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math. Graduate with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to solve real-world problems and succeed in academia, research, and tomorrow’s high-tech business landscape.

Questions? Contact us at physics@mtu.edu. Follow us on FacebookTwitter, and YouTube for the latest happenings. Or read more at the Physics Newsblog.

Physics Seniors’ Swiss Journey

Students pose at entry to CERN
L-R: Josh Rolfe, Estyn LaMotte, Rita Wilson, Grant Schlaff, Daniel Barr, Josiah Jahncke, Rose Harvey, Lucas Hetrick, Nico Cifani, Cooper Chiarino

Ten senior undergraduates spent the beginning of May in Switzerland exploring scientific and cultural sites. Notably, the trip focused on a tour of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). CERN houses the largest high energy particle collider in the world, and performs cutting edge particle physics research. In fact, some of the students were so taken by the tour they returned to take it twice!

Students at a playground with mountain peaks in background
A classic static friction problem in the Alps.

Their trip continued in Interlaken, where they engaged in outdoor activities in the Swiss Alps. They visited Albert
Einstein’s former residence in Bern, and had a day excursion to Lyon, France.

With the help of the Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena, we’re proud to provide our students the opportunity to find their place in the global community of physics.

Faculty Position

Image of Michigan Tech campus from above
Michigan Technological University
Est. 1885

This position is no longer accepting applications. Thank you for your interest.

MTU is Michigan’s flagship technological university and will be a Carnegie-classified R1 institution in 2025. The university provides its graduates with an extremely high return on investment through its academic rigor and focus on experiential learning. Located near the shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s scenic Upper Peninsula, the university provides a high standard of living. The community offers a small-town environment with outstanding four-season recreational opportunities.

MTU is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. 


About the Physics Department

Physicists at Michigan Technological University help students apply academic concepts to real-world issues. Our physicists take on the big questions to discover how the universe works—from the smallest particles to the largest galaxies. The Physics Department offers three undergraduate degrees and three graduate degrees. Supercharge your physics skills to meet the demands of a technology-driven society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math. Graduate with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to solve real-world problems and succeed in academia, research, and tomorrow’s high-tech business landscape.

Questions? Contact us at physics@mtu.edu. Follow us on FacebookTwitter, and YouTube for the latest happenings. Or read more at the Physics Newsblog.

Physics Students Expanding Horizons

Students on the steps of the the Curie Pavilion of the Paris Radium Institute
On the steps of Musée Curie. L-R, Back Row: Wyatt Reller, Trevor Kieft, Marc Fritts, Dalton Knight, Riley Dickert. Front Row: Sarah Huffman, Kaz Zeiter, Bethany Hellman, Casey Aldrich, Daniel Koshar.
Marie Curie’s laboratory space
A 12 hour layover in Chicago allowed for time in the city. Here, students contemplate the unique optics of Cloud Gate (better known as “The Bean”)

This spring, senior physics majors had the opportunity to visit Paris, France, a center of sciences, arts, technology and culture for centuries.

The focus of the trip was a tour of the Laboratory for Optics and Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique. Thanks to Director François Hache for his warm welcome. LOB scientists showed how their advanced microscopy techniques are used to study molecular and cellular biology, including the imaging of living tissues.

With Ecole Polytechnique demonstrating the future of microscopy, touring the Musée Curie (Curie Museum) presented an important tie to the past. Housed in the Curie Pavilion of the Institut du Radium, the museum presents the lab in which Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie performed her research between 1914 and her death in 1934.

Students also broadened their cultural understanding with visits to the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles.

In a field with as rich a history as physics, it is important to find opportunities to understand how we fit into that history and our global community of science. Collaboration and communication with scientists worldwide is how our discipline will continue to grow.

Special thanks to the Elizabeth and Richard Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena, who’s support made this trip possible.

Jacek Borysow Interviewed on Department Improvements

Jacek Borysow Department Improvements
Jacek Borysow

Local students will soon see big improvements in the physics department

Elizabeth and Richard Henes see great potential in Michigan Tech’s physics department. Five years ago, a Tech professor impressed them by using a mouse trap to demonstrate quantum mechanics.

“There are only certain states, like energy [or] velocity which are allowed for the molecule. A mouse trap has only 2 states. One when the spring is loose and one when it is, how do you call it, set. Mr. Henes said thank you for the lecture and handed us a check for seven hundred thousand dollars,” said Jacek Borysow, a Physics Professor at the University.

Read more and watch the video at ABC 10 UP, by Amanda L’Esperence.