Bowdoin Physics Major Dana Peirce ’19

Whereas most students apply to undergraduate research experiences (REUs) using standard online application methods, Peirce pursued an alternate approach to gain experience. She directly contacted professor David Kipping. After acquiring an unpaid internship in Kipping’s lab, Peirce then secured funding through Bowdoin’s Career Planning Center.

One of the most valuable parts of the research program for Peirce was that she learned what she didn’t want to pursue in the long term. While she had previously considered pursuing postgraduate education in astronomy, this program, while positive, helped her realize that she wanted to pursue experimental physics outside the realm of astronomy.

“It’s important to learn these things before you make any major decision about what you want to study after college," she said.

The following summer, Peirce received a competitive REU internship from the National Science Foundation to further her education in atomic, molecular, and optical physics at the University of Oklahoma.

Peirce is now attending graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a PhD candidate in physics.