From left to right: Dr. Brie Anderson, Evelyn Bristol, Ally Friedman, Madeleine Bartin.

Three American University undergraduate physics students won first place for their research poster at the Optical Sciences Winter School and Workshop 2025 at the University of Arizona.  

Madeleine Bartin, Evelyn Bristol, and Ally Friedman traveled to Arizona with Physics Professor Brie Anderson, who was invited to give a talk at the university. In all, more than 50 undergraduates from across the country attended the workshop, from schools including Colgate University, Illinois Weslyn University, the Rochester Institute of Technology, among many others. 

While they were there, Bartin, Bristol, and Friedman attended faculty lectures at the University of Arizona’s Wyant College of Optical Sciences on the applications of optics in image science, optical physics, photonics, and optical engineering. They also learned about graduate programs, explored career paths in optics and photonics, and had an opportunity to visit the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab under the Arizona football stadium. The trip was funded by American University’s Office of the Provost and by the University of Arizona, and the research was funded by NASA’s District of Columbia Space Grant Consortium and RTX Corp.  

The experience meant much to the students, said Bristol, who added that the conference taught her the importance of collaboration and communicating scientific findings effectively. “It broadened my understanding of how vast the field of optics is with its many applications. It was wonderful to connect and see the existing community of people working in optics,” she explained. “We got to interact and learn from other undergraduates who have similar interests, and from professionals in academia and industry in optics-related fields.”

Bartin agreed. “The optical school at Arizona was an incredibly valuable experience,” she said. “They had a jam-packed schedule with lectures, networking events and lab tours. I gained so much knowledge about what optical sciences looks like, what the community outside of AU has to offer, and all the potential for post-graduation opportunities.”

A Winning Poster 

The American University project, "Characterization of an Electro-Optic Etalon," characterized the optical properties of a device that could be used for telecommunications. The team engineered the device so that it would stand up in the face of challenging field conditions. “Our project focused on characterizing the birefringence and stabilizing the transmission of a device custom-designed by Professor Anderson. The goal is to use it as a demodulator for optical telecommunication,” said Bristol. “Presenting our research and winning first place was a thrill and an honor, and I am proud of all we have accomplished as a team.”
See the full poster

Beyond the award itself, the experience left a lasting impact on the students, shaping their perspectives on research, collaboration, and their futures in physics. “The ability to present what we've been working on for the better part of a year to other excited students was really amazing. They had to cut the poster session off because all the students wanted to keep presenting their work and ask questions about research,” Bartin says. “My experience in Professor Anderson's lab has just been so influential over my attitude towards physics and my career after graduating.”