PRISM Mentors 2024-2025

Bobby Vitale (he/him)

Hello! I’m Bobby and I’m currently a senior double majoring in math and physics from Dallas, TX. Outside of procrastinating my schoolwork, I am one of the co-presidents for Photon (BUs Society of Physics Students chapter), I have been an LA for 3 semesters (PY211, PY251, PY451, and currently PY452), and have been involved in research in both the physics and math departments. I have researched numerical schemes for PDEs and am currently doing tabletop experiments with NV centers. In my free time, I love watching horror movies, discovering new music, and playing with my cat Erwin. I’m excited to serve as PRISM Director for this school year, and feel free to reach out via email (bobby21@bu.edu) with any questions or concerns.

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Tiphany Thaiduc (she/her)

Hi everyone! My name is Tiphany Thaiduc, I’m a senior studying astronomy and physics. I’m from France (not Paris haha). I did research in the astronomy department modeling hydrogen lines of stars hosting Peter Pan Disks for a year and a half with Professor Espaillat. I also participated in the Geneva Study Abroad Program and did my research in neurtrino physics. Next semester I will do research in cosmology with Professor Brout. In my free time, I like to read, play basketball (I’m part of the women basketball club) and draw.

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Simon Wang (he/him)

Hello! I’m Simon Wang, a senior from Beijing, China, majoring in Physics and Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. I also work as a grader in the math department. Outside of academics, I enjoy playing basketball and hockey. I’m a dedicated NBA fan and spend my weekends at the Walter Brown Arena ice rink. Feel free to reach out for help with math, physics, or computer science!

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Darya Chaharom (she/her)

Hi! My name is Darya and I am a senior majoring in physics. I grew up in Cocoa Beach, Florida but moved to Massachusetts. I am currently doing research at Boston Medical Center in their medical physics department and plan on going to grad school for medical physics. I also had the awesome opportunity to study abroad in Auckland, New Zealand, where I researched differential phase contrast imaging using a TFT-LCD. Outside of physics, I like cooking, dancing, and all things nature.

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Alex Thornton (he/him)

Hi everyone, my name is Alex and I’m from the Bay Area, California. I’m a senior studying Physics and Astronomy and planning on applying to graduate school in physics. My interests outside of physics include weightlifting, anime/manga (my favorites include HxH, Berserk, Tokyo Ghoul, Monster…), teaching, and just hanging out with friends. I’ve been an LA in physics for five semesters, so I can talk a lot about undergraduate teaching and all the physics courses BU offers. I was also the VP for BU’s weightlifting club, BU Barbell, so I can also talk a lot about how clubs operate and how you can join/participate in them. My first research group was in astronomy with Professor Hermes studying white dwarfs, and then I studied abroad in Geneva and did research at CERN doing software development and analysis for a neutrino experiment.

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Arjun Chandra (he/him)

Hi! I’m Arjun and I’m a senior Physics and CS major from California. I’ve done a lot of random stuff at BU so far including studying abroad in Spain, playing in the jazz band, and working in the children’s center. I am also currently part of a BME lab on campus researching Alzheimer’s disease. In my free time I like to play guitar and listen to music.

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Andrew Staff (he/him)

Hello! My name is Andrew Staff and I’m a senior majoring in Astronomy & Physics from Orange County, CA. After graduating I hope to go into engineering physics. In my free time, I play lots of video games and read. I also love to go to board games club (highly recommend!).

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Osmond Chen (he/him)

Hello! My name is Osmond Chen and I am a senior majoring in physics on the pre-med track from Queens, NY. I am co-president of BU’s Physics Club, Photon, and I teach the Taekwondo classes in Fitrec. Outside of Physics and Taekwondo, I cook for friends, go out for jogs, and nuzlocke Pokemon Romhacks.

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Mehmet Akharman (he/him)

Hello! My name is Mehmet, I’m from Istanbul, Turkey and I’m a junior studying Astronomy and Physics. I’ve worked at the BU Center for Space Physics focusing on meteor research with the MIT Millstone Hill Observatory and am now joining a cosmology group. In my free time I enjoy playing board/video games, reading, and exercising!

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Pedro Baculima (he/him)

Hi! My name is Pedro, and I’m a junior majoring in Astronomy and Physics. I’m from Cuenca, Ecuador. During my first two years, I worked for the Center of Space Physics at BU, doing research on meteors in collaboration with the MIT Millstone Hill Geospace Facility. I am particularly interested in particle physics, which will be my new focus in the research group I am joining now. During my free time, I like going out with my friends, going to the gym, reading, watching movies, and sleeping.

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Shelby Cavanaugh (she/her)

Hi! My name is Shelby, I’m a Junior majoring in Physics and Astronomy from Cheyenne, Wyoming! I’m currently doing research in high energy physics analyzing CMS monojet final states from the LHC. I am the Vice President of BU’s Society for Women in Space Exploration and I am also a member of BU’s women’s waterpolo team. In my free time I love to ski, hike, read, and go exploring Boston!

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Ryleigh Resendiz (she/her)

Hi! My name is Ryleigh Resendiz, and I am a junior majoring in Mathematics and Physics from San Antonio, Texas. I am currently researching a hidden valley model that predicts a coupled dark sector with data collected at CMS. Outside of Physics, I am the head of DEI Dialogues for my sorority, Delta Gamma. In my free time, I enjoy practicing yoga, exploring the city, admiring art, and hosting dinner parties.

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Eli Marlin (he/him)

Hi my name is Eli Marlin. I am a Senior Physics and Astronomy major from Northampton MA. I am currently involved in cosmology research creating large, supernova comparison databases, using space and ground based telescopes! Outside of physics I play ultimate frisbee and perform stand-up comedy. I’m a big sports fan, especially skiing and football, and love to hike, sail, and climb!

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Salvatore Cordova (he/him)

Hey everyone! My name is Salvatore and I’m a senior majoring in physics and philosophy and minoring in math. I was born in Chile but lived most of my life in Peru. One of my biggest passions is teaching, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be a Learning Assistant for PY105, PY106, PY212, PY313, PY351, and PY405. I’ve also done research in astronomy, where I worked with Dr. Quanzhi Ye to study a near-Sun comet named C/2019 Y4. I’m currently working in Professor Wanzheng Hu’s lab where I study optical metamaterials in the THz range. When I’m not talking about physics or philosophy, I can usually be found playing chess or petting the nearest dog :)

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Sneha Jos (she/her)

Hey, I’m Sneha! I am a senior majoring in Physics and minoring in Computer Science from South Florida. In the past, I have done research in single molecule detection and soft robotics. Through the Geneva Study Aborad program, I have spent the past months working on ion beam optics with AEgIS (one of CERN’s antimatter groups). I am also part of the Kilachand Honors College and Co-President of Photon (the society for physics students at BU). Outside of academics, I love watching TV shows, following sports (mostly soccer and basketball), trying to read, and spending as much time as I can with my friends!

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Will Stride (he/him)

Hello hello! My name is Will, and I am a junior math and physics major from Nashville, Tennessee. I am currently working on research involving optical circuit analysis in the photonics department. I am also the Secretary of Photon. In my free time, I like going for walks/runs, watching trains, and reading manga.

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Simon Lim (he/him)

Hi! I’m Simon, a junior Physics and CS double major from South Korea, though I’ve lived in Massachusetts since high school. I am currently involved in research in cosmology on dark energy. I’m not the type to go exploring Boston much, so you can usually find me in the undergraduate room. Outside of physics, I’m probably out getting a McFlurry, in my room playing video games, or just scrolling through Instagram reels.

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Angel Morales (he/him)

Hi! I’m Angel and I am a senior Astronomy and Physics major. I have previously researched blazar jets and analysis of a stochastic gravitational wave background. I am interested in anything relating to black holes and gravity, but I am just generally interested in all things space and science from stars to paleontology. Outside of school, I enjoy things like Pokemon, Yugioh, plenty of anime and all things superhero! I also like playing the piano and I am a huge fan of rock.

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Rohan Banerjee (he/him)

Hi! I’m Rohan and I am a junior who is majoring in Math and Physics. I am currently working in a biophysics lab on Viral inactivation using a laser and gold nano particles. My primary interest outside of physics is stochastic processes. I am the demo officer for BU’s Physics society, Photon. In my free time, I usually play videos games or learn stupid math tricks.

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Anne Marie Zambon (she/her)

Hi! My name is Anne Marie and I’m originally from northern California. I’m a senior studying physics with an interdisciplinary concentration in biology. Since Fall 2022, I’ve been doing research in the Economo lab, which studies the neural circuits involved in motor control through computational, molecular, and behavioral approaches. In my free time, I love reading, painting, and walking around Boston with friends.

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Payton Harvill (she/her)

Hello! My name is Payton and I am a Junior Interdisciplinary Physics major. Currently, I am focusing on astronomy and biophysics. For the past year, I have been conducting research with Dr. Kamenetska working with gold dimers using the optical tweezer instrument we call “Martha.” I come from a small town in the center of Washington State, so moving to a big city was definitely a culture shock! I am a huge animal lover (I always accept cute pet pictures) and I love to cook.

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