ROBERT K. GOULD PRIZE IN PHYSICS
Established in 1994 by friends and colleagues in honor of Robert K. Gould, professor of physics, 1968–1994. Awarded to the graduating senior whose senior work in physics best exemplifies the high standards for research set by Professor Gould. The 2021 Robert K. Gould Prize in Physics was awarded to Sydnie Hom for her outstanding laboratory work shaping and measuring ultrashort laser pulses for biomedical imaging, under the supervision of Assistant Professor of Physics Michael E. Durst. This sophisticated project required her to apply a wide range of knowledge in physics, including optics, quantum mechanics, and electricity and magnetism. She excelled in all aspects of this independent project, which included aligning laser beams, programming numerical simulations, calibrating new equipment, troubleshooting unexpected errors, and acquiring and processing the data. Sydnie started from a blank optical table, built the apparatus herself, and successfully matched her experimental data to her theoretical calculations.