SC State physics graduates explore the universe and the human body

Christina Jones, Sophia Papa and Andrew Johnson will receive their bachelor's degrees on Friday, May 9.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – From nuclear medicine to outer space, three South Carolina State University physics majors are wrapping up their degrees with research experiences that span atoms and galaxies.

Christina Jones and Sophia Papa focused on medical physics, while Andrew “Drew” Johnson concentrated on computational physics and astrophysics. All three will graduate Friday, May 9, with Bachelor of Science degrees — Jones and Papa through SC State’s medical physics option, and Johnson with a physics major customized for data science applications.

Jones and Papa conducted research with Dr. Ram Yadav, an experimental nuclear physicist. They spent the summer of 2024 at Michigan State University’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a state-of-the-art center for nuclear research.

“It was a really great experience,” said Papa, who hails from Maryland. “Our first day there, we got a tour around the laser beam. It was so massive that the beam occupied one room, passed through the ceiling of the hallway, and all the way to the other room across from it.”

Papa enlisted in the Army as a combat medic in her junior year and has worked part time for a local EMS company. After graduation, she will move from the enlisted ranks to become an active-duty officer through the SC State Army ROTC Bulldog Battalion.

Medical physics research on a national stage

Jones, of York, South Carolina, was the lead author on a research poster she presented virtually at a national meeting of the American Physical Society. She will pursue certification in nuclear medicine technology at Midlands Technical College this fall, with plans to either enter the workforce or continue in graduate school.

“When coming to SC State, my goal with majoring in medical physics was to be in a program that allowed me to get experience, so once it was time to graduate, I would be exposed to multiple avenues in medical physics that will allow me to start my career,” she said. “I have studied radiochemistry, nuclear physics, and health physics and greatly appreciate SC State University’s physics program and professors for helping me.

“I would tell future medical physics majors to do internships, shadow researchers, and go to conferences to get the exposure and experience that will help you in the long run,” Jones said.

Astrophysics with the world’s largest digital camera

An Orangeburg resident, Johnson worked with SC State’s Dr. Jennifer Cash, a computational astrophysicist, and Dr. Donald Walter, an observational astrophysicist, on a research project involving Clemson University, Villanova University, and the University of the Virgin Islands.

His work centered on massive datasets expected from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, home to the world’s largest digital camera. The telescope will produce 20 terabytes of data each night over the next decade. The instrument is the size of a small car and is attached to a new telescope on a mountaintop in Chile. 

Under Cash’s direction, Johnson learned Python programming and helped test algorithms to manage the observatory’s 3-gigapixel images. Though he hasn’t settled on a specific path, his experience positions him well for a wide range of careers in science and technology.

SC State’s Spring Commencement will be conducted Friday, May 9, at 10 a.m. at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on campus.

The SC State Physics Program is housed in the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, a unit of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation.

For more information about the Physics Program, visit https://scsu.edu/academics/programs/physics.php or contact Dr. Donald Walter at dwalter@scsu.edu or 803-533-3773.