The Physics Wildcast

Luke Meier
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Physics
  • Updated Biweekly

Listen to the Physics Wildcast to learn more about the journeys of physics faculty and researchers at the University of Arizona. The podcast was created by former U of A undergraduate physics student Penny Duran with the intention of covering a wide array of physics disciplines, and is now hosted by current U of A undergraduate physics and astronomy student Luke Meier.

Episodes

  1. May 2

    S1E10: Dr. Shufang Su

    In the tenth episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. Shufang Su, Department Head and Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, delves into her theoretical particle physics research as well as her journey with navigating educational environments within China and the US. In particular, Shufang's research focuses on Higgs physics and dark matter to develop a better understanding of the fundamental components of our universe. She is also very passionate about building a sense of community within physics. Host: Penny Duran

    1 hr

  2. Apr 29

    S1E9: Dr. Srin Manne

    In the ninth episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. Srin Manne*, an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, talks about his background condensed matter research as well as his heavy involvement in teaching and outreach. His research revolves around studying intermolecular forces to study van der Waals and screened electrostatic forces. He is also very passionate about communicating physics as demonstrated by his outreach and teaching efforts. Host: Penny Duran *Note that Srin is the faculty mentor for this project and that "The Physics Wildcast" would not have been possible without him.

    22 min

  3. Apr 9

    S1E8: Dr. Charles Wolgemuth

    In the eighth episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. Charles Wolgemuth, a Professor of Physics as well as Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona, talks about his biophysics research. Using a mix of theoretical, computational and experimental methods, he primarily studies processes at the cellular level. His work spans across a wide range of topics including Lyme disease, wound healing and cancer metastasis. Host: Penny Duran

    36 min

  4. Mar 9

    S1E7: Dr. Fulvio Melia

    In the seventh episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. Fulvio Melia, a Professor of Physics, Applied Mathematics and Astronomy at the University of Arizona delves into his research journey spanning across multiple countries, particularly Australia and the United States. His work focuses on theoretical cosmology and investigating fundamental questions about the universe. As a prolific author of books about physics topics, he is also passionate about communicating science. Host: Penny Duran

    59 min

  5. Feb 8

    S1E6: Dr. Sean Fleming

    In the sixth episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. Sean Fleming, a Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, delves into his nuclear physics research. His work develops theoretical models that are meant to advance our understanding of the interactions that hold atomic nuclei together. He is currently also contributing to preparations for the Electron-Ion Collider, the only major collider project planned worldwide for construction in the coming decades. Host: Penny Duran

    49 min

  6. Jan 6

    S1E5: Dr. John Schaibley

    In the fifth episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. John Schaibley, an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, talks about his research journey. His work sits at the intersection of condensed matter physics, material science, engineering and optics. In particular, he discusses the industry and technology applications of solid state systems. Host: Penny Duran

    49 min

  7. 12/01/2025

    S1E4: Dr. Mohammed Hassan

    In the fourth episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. Mohammed Hassan, an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, talks about his journey in physics spanning from his time as an international student at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics to working with his idol at Caltech. In particular, he touches on his work to study the motion of the electron. Host: Penny Duran

    53 min

  8. 11/19/2025

    S1E3: Dr. Sam Gralla

    In the third episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. Sam Gralla, a Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, talks about his broad research interests spanning from gravitational physics to plasma physics to astrophysics. In particular, he touches on his black hole research and his physics outreach work, such as the YouTube video series "Armchair Physics". Host: Penny Duran

    34 min

  9. 10/13/2025

    S1E2: Dr. Rachel Hyneman

    In the second episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. Rachel Hyneman, an Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, talks about her high energy physics research. Working on the ATLAS Experiment based at CERN in Switzerland, Dr. Hyneman primarily focuses on understanding the nature of the Higgs Boson, the most recently-discovered fundamental particle. Host: Penny Duran

    59 min

  10. 09/17/2025

    S1E1: Dr. Koen Visscher

    In the first episode of "The Physics Wildcast", Dr. Koen Visscher, an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, delves into his background in biophysics. With a career spanning across decades, Dr. Visscher shares his perspectives on practical applications of biophysics research (e.g. cancer treatment), teaching physics and his time at a start-up company. Host: Penny Duran.

    42 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

Listen to the Physics Wildcast to learn more about the journeys of physics faculty and researchers at the University of Arizona. The podcast was created by former U of A undergraduate physics student Penny Duran with the intention of covering a wide array of physics disciplines, and is now hosted by current U of A undergraduate physics and astronomy student Luke Meier.

Information