We thought you must all wonder about who our students are, about what they do, whether in our classrooms, or outside, about what their dreams are like. So we have started a Senior Spotlight series, where one could get a (tiny) glimpse of their awesomeness. We continue here with a spotlight on Ryan Ferell, from Woodbridge, VA, who has been interviewed by Jack Tressler, a junior physics major. In Jack's words:
College is a great time of fun, exploration and change, and for many students, this exploration helps lead them to what they want to do in life and specifically, what sort of career path they want to follow. Personally, I found myself changing a lot through my first year in college, and even more so my sophomore year. As a Physics and Math double major I thought I knew what I wanted to do, and for a time I struggled with, if it really was what I wanted to pursue, and through struggle and self reflection this changed. Now, more than ever, I am more certain on what I want in life, but less so when it comes to what I desire as a career. Alternatively, here at JMU, we have plenty of talented students ready to display their passion for what they do, and are ready to impress, this can be seen by looking at the majority of the Physics Department as well! Ryan Ferell, a senior Physics Major with two minors in Russian and Astronomy has quite the idea of what he strives to be one day; today I got the privilege to interview him and learn a little more about what he anticipates in his future.
What made you choose this major?
Ryan talked very adamantly about Space, and how much it intrigued him, he told me as a kid he used some paint, string, and other assorted crafts to make a room-sized solar system model on the ceiling of his room! So it’s quite evident, he loved Astronomy, but as he explained, as he got older he realized a career in Astronomy was not very realistic so he decided to major in Physics, as it’s the closest thing that will allow him to understand and study the stars and everything encompassing them.
What does it mean to you to be a scientist?
To Mr. Ferell, the importance of being a scientist goes beyond lab safety and procedures, and he believes in the discovery of the truth to be the penultimate goal of what scientists do, not just to know, but to use this evidence based observations to shape the way we think and act about real world issues such as what goes on in politics. More succinctly, Ryan believes that science should be a major moving force in Humanity.
What are you most proud of?
When talking to Ryan about this, it was apparent it was less about a specific thing that he has achieved that he is proud of, but more so that he is proud of his progress as an undergraduate at JMU, and how much his work ethic has improved. He has said that he is proud at how far he has come in the major, despite his shallow math background when he started, and the fact that he has turned low grades at first, into very strong grades by the end of the semester. He is proud of his ability to persevere despite failures and even prove those failures wrong with each success as he grows to soon be a graduate.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What are your long term goals?
Now when it comes to long term goals, Ryan has some big goals and he plans on achieving them! He has explained that he has solid plans to get his PhD/Masters in Physics, doing research into Deep Space. Specifically, he has a high interest in finding the Hubble Constant, or he would like to explain the discrepancy in theoretical values of what speed galaxies spin at, versus the actual values we observe. He also explained that if he doesn’t do that, he will join the Air Force, become a pilot, so that when he retires he can become a test pilot for NASA!
