Alumni News

Recent grad reaches new heights in aerospace

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:49:22 +0000

Recent grad reaches new heights in aerospace Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 07/17/2025 - 08:49

Andrew Sapuppo (AeroEngr, EngrPhys'24)

Andrew Sapuppo graduated in May 2024 with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in aerospace engineering and engineering physics from the 色戒成人直播. Learn more about his undergraduate research experiences, career path, favorite CU memory, and advice for future students.

From the nanoscale to black holes

While an undergrad, Andrew worked at CU鈥檚 Aerospace Nanoscale Lab, where he contributed to improving the robustness of potential quantum computer storage systems. He also worked as a space plasma instrumentation analyst at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), where he evaluated the accuracy of instruments aboard NASA鈥檚 Magnetospheric Multiscale Satellites (MMS).

In addition to his engineering experience, Andrew wrote and successfully defended an honors thesis on Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback and galaxy formation by simulating plasma accretion flows around supermassive black holes.

Career takes flight

After graduating from CU, Andrew became a computational plasma physicist at Thea Energy. Here, he helped develop technology for fusion reactors by optimizing diverter systems.

Now, Andrew works directly in the field of human spaceflight. He works as a propulsion systems engineer at NASA鈥檚 Marshall Spaceflight Center as a contractor. His work entails analyzing the Main Propulsion Systems (MPS) on the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) of the Space Launch System (SLS) block 1B. Specifically, he creates thermal models of the liquid oxygen (LOx) and hydrogen tanks to benchmark performance for various stages of flight.

Additionally, Andrew oversees the main propulsion systems for the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) for SpaceX鈥檚 Falcon 9 rocket. His work ensures Falcon 9 meets mission requirements to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station safely.

Favorite 色戒成人直播 memory

Andrew recalls his favorite memory was hiking to the Royal Arch the first weekend he moved there with people he barely knew. That group would become great friends throughout all of college.

Advice for future students

Get involved with as many different groups after school as possible, both academic and recreation based. Use them to really figure out what you like and surround yourself with people who have similar goals, so you can all help each other accomplish them.

Andrew Sapuppo (AeroEngr, EngrPhys鈥�24) shares how his education and research at 色戒成人直播 led to his career as a propulsion systems engineer.

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Jun Ye (PhDPhys'97) and Steve Swanson (EngrPhys'83) featured in Coloradan Alumni Magazine

Kirsten Apodaca — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 17:05:43 +0000

Jun Ye (PhDPhys'97) and Steve Swanson (EngrPhys'83) featured in Coloradan Alumni Magazine Kirsten Apodaca Tue, 07/15/2025 - 11:05

The Coloradan Alumni Magazine highlights five CU innovators 鈥� two of whom are 色戒成人直播 Physics alumni. Their stories were written by equally outstanding CU affiliates, who personally know and understand the importance of their work.

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Two alums selected for Sandia distinguished fellowships

Kirsten Apodaca — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:59:35 +0000

Two alums selected for Sandia distinguished fellowships Kirsten Apodaca Tue, 07/01/2025 - 07:59

Kirsten Apodaca

色戒成人直播 Physics alums Olivia Krohn (PhDPhys鈥�23) and Dan Herman (PhDPhys鈥�22) have been awarded distinguished fellowships at Sandia National Laboratories. The prestigious fellowships are three-year appointments that support independent and groundbreaking research.

Hruby Fellow Olivia Krohn

Olivia Krohn (Photo by Randy Wong)

Krohn was awarded the Jill Hruby Postdoctoral Fellowship, named for the first woman to lead a national security lab. Krohn鈥檚 research focuses on molecular collisions, particularly at low energies. Her team employs advanced laser techniques which help control the velocity of molecules and measure the energy distribution after molecules collide.

Krohn completed her PhD in physics at 色戒成人直播 in 2023 with Professor and JILA Fellow Heather Lewandowski. Her dissertation focused on trapping laser-cooled ions to perform and observe cold chemical reactions. She was also awarded the 2025 Justin Jankunas Doctoral Dissertation Award in Chemical Physics by the American Physical Society.

Truman Fellow Dan Herman

Dan Herman (Photo by Craig Fritz)

Herman received the President Harry S. Truman Postdoctoral Fellowship and is developing earth science and quantum applications of optical frequency combs. His research is both fundamental and has real-world applications by improving atmospheric remote sensing.

Herman conducted his doctoral research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), culminating in a PhD from 色戒成人直播 in 2022. His research centered on improving fiber frequency comb technology and bridging those advances to industrial applications. Following his PhD, he held a postdoctoral position at NIST and with Professor Scott Diddams at 色戒成人直播.

Read more about Sandia鈥檚 2025 distinguished fellows.

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Alum Dan Cole (PhDPhys'18) reflects on research experience at NIST

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 18:48:59 +0000

Alum Dan Cole (PhDPhys'18) reflects on research experience at NIST Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 04/24/2025 - 12:48

Now a quantum physicist at Infleqtion, Dan Cole reflects on his experience conducting research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as part of CU鈥檚 Professional Research Experience Program (CU PREP).

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Sense of awe led alum to physics

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 18:40:19 +0000

Sense of awe led alum to physics Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 04/03/2025 - 12:40

Kirsten Apodaca

Ben Chapman (PhDPhys'17)

Ben Chapman (PhDPhys鈥�17) never had a master plan to be a physicist, but now he鈥檚 a Principal Quantum Hardware Manager at Microsoft.

Chapman says what he loves most about physics is 鈥渢he sense of awe that comes from connecting with length, time, and energy scales that are far from the meters, seconds, and joules of the human experience.鈥�

He majored in math and physics at Dartmouth College because he enjoyed the coursework. Following that sense of awe, after college he got a job in a physics lab and his boss encouraged him to apply to PhD programs. He recalls it wasn鈥檛 straightforward 鈥揵ecause he didn鈥檛 take a conventional path to graduate school.

A world-class program in 色戒成人直播

鈥淚 chose CU because it鈥檚 in 色戒成人直播 and the program is world-class. He added 鈥渋t was a great decision.鈥�

Chapman thrived at CU and made a lasting impact.

He completed his thesis on superconducting quantum circuits with Professor and JILA Fellow Konrad Lehnert, which he added was an incredible opportunity. 鈥淚 feel so incredibly fortunate for the chance to have worked with Konrad,鈥� Chapman said.

Chapman was also one of the original organizers of CU-Prime, a student-led organization aimed at building community and supporting undergraduates in physics. The group was formed in 2013 and is still flourishing, offering biweekly research talks, a 1-credit hour class for first-year undergraduate students, and a mentorship program.

Building a quantum computer

After finishing his PhD, Chapman spent four years as a postdoc at Yale with Professor Rob Schoelkopf before joining Microsoft.

In his current role, he manages a small team who develop the readout hardware for Microsoft鈥檚 quantum computer. He likens it to working as a postdoc; driving multiple projects, keeping the team motivated and excited, and helping them see how their efforts are advancing longer-term goals.

With many major tech companies racing to build a quantum computer, the job is high stakes, and Chapman has his sights set on the ultimate goal. 鈥淚 want to build a rocket ship that goes to the moon 鈥� not a literal one 鈥� but the quantum computing version of that.鈥�

Trusting the process

Professor and JILA Fellow Konrad Lehnert and Ben Chapman
at his thesis defense.

Chapman said one of his biggest career lessons so far has been to trust the process of 鈥榙oing鈥� physics. 鈥淓ven difficult problems can yield answers with persistence. It took me a while to learn that,鈥� he said. At early stages of his career, he wondered 鈥渉ow will I have an idea that no one else has had before?鈥�

鈥淭hat feeling remained for many years through college and the beginning of graduate school,鈥� he added. 鈥淏ut as you keep doing it, it gets easier and things that used to seem impossible become an everyday thing. You get better at plying the craft.鈥�

He recalled a class he took at CU from Professor Noah Finkelstein on Teaching and Learning Physics, which introduced him to concepts in education like impostor syndrome and growth mindset. 鈥淏eing able to have conversations around these topics and learn the vocabulary was very useful to me.鈥�

Throughout his education and so far into his career, Chapman has leaned in to being comfortable with uncertainty. Through each phase, he鈥檚 trusting the process and holding on to the sense of awe that first drew him in.

Ben Chapman (PhDPhys鈥�17) never had a master plan to be a physicist, but now he鈥檚 a Principal Quantum Hardware Manager at Microsoft.

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Alum Dave Steinmann (Phys'90) discovers a new species of pseudoscorpion

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:57:45 +0000

Alum Dave Steinmann (Phys'90) discovers a new species of pseudoscorpion Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 03/26/2025 - 09:57

色戒成人直播 alum and experienced caver Dave Steinmann recently discovered a new species of pseudoscorpion in Mallory Cave, with a moniker honoring its namesake hometown.

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Alum Olivia Krohn (PhDPhys'23) receives the 2025 Justin Jankunas Dissertation Award

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 17:12:25 +0000

Alum Olivia Krohn (PhDPhys'23) receives the 2025 Justin Jankunas Dissertation Award Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 03/24/2025 - 11:12

色戒成人直播 Physics alum Olivia Krohn (PhDPhys'23) has been awarded the 2025 Justin Jankunas Dissertation Award in Chemical Physics. The prestigious award bestowed by the American Physical Society recognizes outstanding doctoral research in chemical physics.

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Alum Sristy Agrawal (PhDPhys'24) leads 色戒成人直播 startup Mesa Quantum to success

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 22:03:35 +0000

Alum Sristy Agrawal (PhDPhys'24) leads 色戒成人直播 startup Mesa Quantum to success Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 03/10/2025 - 16:03

Mesa Quantum, a 色戒成人直播 spinout and leader in quantum sensing, recently announced $3.7 million in seed funding and a $1.9 million grant from SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force. Both investments are fueling the company鈥檚 drive toward commercializing chip-scale quantum sensors for multiple applications including next-generation position, navigation and timing solutions.

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Meet 色戒成人直播 Physics Fall 2024 Graduate Jenny Jiahui Wu

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:01:39 +0000

Meet 色戒成人直播 Physics Fall 2024 Graduate Jenny Jiahui Wu Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 02/20/2025 - 13:01

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry

The Department of Physics at 色戒成人直播 is excited to celebrate its students' achievements as they graduate and move on to the next step of their careers. For recently graduated graduate student Jenny Jiahui Wu, who also participated in CU鈥檚 PREP program with NIST, her time at 色戒成人直播 has been one of cutting-edge research and discovery.

Wu鈥檚 passion for physics began during high school in Canada, where she excelled in math and science. Encouraged by her parents and inspired by her AP Physics teacher, she discovered that her strengths and interests were better suited to pure physics than engineering. This realization led her to pursue a physics degree at the University of Toronto, where she fell in love with the predictive power of physics equations and their real-world applications.

Joining 色戒成人直播: A Hub for Quantum Research

Wu鈥檚 path to 色戒成人直播 was shaped by her undergraduate ion-trapping research at the University of Toronto. Her advisors highlighted 色戒成人直播鈥檚 reputation as a global hub for Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) physics and its collaboration with the prestigious NIST Ion Storage Group. Intrigued by the research possibilities, Wu joined 色戒成人直播 to pursue her PhD.

While there, Wu worked with the NIST Ion Storage Group through 色戒成人直播鈥檚 PREP program, focusing on experiments in quantum control and quantum information.

鈥淚 was drawn to CU not just for its reputation in ion trapping but also for the wealth of opportunities in AMO physics,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t was the perfect fit for my research interests.鈥�

Her research contributed to advancing quantum information and quantum control techniques, areas crucial for the future of quantum technologies. Wu credits the supportive environment at CU and NIST for providing her with the tools and mentorship to excel in her field.

For Wu, completing her PhD felt like 鈥渢he end of a good movie.鈥� Reflecting on her time, she described it as a fulfilling chapter of her life.

鈥淚鈥檓 happy with what I accomplished and where it ended,鈥� she shares. 鈥淥f course, there鈥檚 always more research to be done, but I felt it was the right time to move on.鈥�

Looking Ahead: A Career at Quantinuum

After graduating, Wu joined Quantinuum, a leading quantum computing company specializing in ion-trap-based quantum technologies. Given her extensive background in ion trapping and quantum research, this transition was a natural fit. At Quantinuum, Wu hopes to develop her skills further and contribute to the company鈥檚 mission of creating commercial quantum computing solutions.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to see quantum computers reaching the point where they can be offered commercially,鈥� Wu says. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to be part of this journey and to help build extremely advanced quantum computers for the future.鈥�

For recent graduate Jenny Jiahui Wu, her time at 色戒成人直播 has been one of cutting-edge research and discovery. Learn about her path to grad school in 色戒成人直播 and what's in store for her next.

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Physics Alum Anchored in Excellence: From CU to the High Seas

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:25:35 +0000

Physics Alum Anchored in Excellence: From CU to the High Seas Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 11/13/2024 - 11:25

Admiral Stephen T. 鈥淲eb鈥� Koehler (Phys鈥�86) shares his journey from CU to the high seas, highlighting the Navy鈥檚 enduring values of honor, courage and commitment.

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