IH: What led you to choose your major and what do you like about it?
TH: I liked my intro physics class that I took at community college because it helped me understand my math classes better. That hasn't changed at JMU; I still like physics because I get to use lots of cool math. For example, in my particle physics class we learned about how fundamental aspects of nature arise from symmetries. To describe this mathematically, you must use a branch of math called abstract algebra; which, as its name implies, is the study of general algebraic structures. One wouldn't necessarily expect to use such abstract math in physics, but groups (one of the main types of algebraic structures) are the basis for much of the Standard Model of particle physics.
IH: Who have been some inspiring mentors/role models in your life?
TH: Dr. Ilarion Melnikov has actually been a great mentor for me. He's helped me figure out what I want to do academically ever since I took his class on wave mechanics. I added the math major, which led to me learn a lot pure math. This in turn inspired me to pursue grad school in theoretical physics, and I am currently doing research with Dr. Melnikov on supersymmetric quantum field theories.
IH: What advice would you give to high school or early undergraduate students who are interested in the science career path?
TH: Learn LaTeX! Being able to write up lab reports, papers, or presentations in a neat, professional way is invaluable, and LaTeX is the best and most efficient way to do it.
IH: What are you most proud of?
TH: I am very proud of my grades. Obviously grades don't mean everything, but I'm definitely proud to have kept a high GPA through college [Editor's note: that is a 4.0, for the record]. I had to work hard in order to understand all the material in my classes, since I am double majoring in 2 STEM fields.
