911吃瓜

KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 1, 2023

911吃瓜 junior Christopher Woolford spends a lot of time hunched over a laptop at his apartment, in one of the common spaces on the Marietta Campus or in the laboratory of associate professor of physics David Joffe.

It鈥檚 all physics all the time for the junior, between his coursework, research in the Joffe lab and virtual internships with both NASA鈥檚 Glenn Research Center and the Department of Energy鈥檚 Fermi National Laboratory (Fermilab). And it鈥檚 the life he has wanted since developing a love of physics in high school.

鈥淭his is why I鈥檓 at Kennesaw State,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I came to campus, I was given the opportunity to just go, go, go. I'm here. Let's do this. And so, I jumped right into studying physics and gaining experience.鈥�

Upon arriving at 911吃瓜, Woolford joined the and found Joffe鈥檚 particle physics laboratory. Two years later, he鈥檚 been a mainstay in Joffe鈥檚 lab, and his research led him to a virtual internship last summer with Fermilab in Illinois and in the fall with NASA, where in both instances he wrote computer programs the labs use to model physical systems. 

Joffe said Woolford鈥檚 experience in high school enabled him to hit the ground running in the lab.

鈥淪tudents usually start in my research group in their sophomore year, but once every few years a very enthusiastic and self-motivated student like Christopher will start in their freshman year,鈥� Joffe said. 鈥淗is passion for physics comes through in everything he does, and he鈥檚 an asset to everything we do.鈥�

A 911吃瓜 faculty member since 2011, Joffe has worked with Fermilab for over 20 years and NASA for nearly 10 years and has helped students obtain internship experience in both entities. He participates in a project at Fermilab called EMPHATIC, which is currently Woolford鈥檚 main responsibility within the Joffe lab.

鈥淢y time in Dr. Joffe鈥檚 lab has improved my base of knowledge in programming, which is increasingly important in physics,鈥� Woolford said. 鈥淚鈥檝e gotten all these opportunities to learn how to understand and write computer programs, and I know I can handle anything I might experience in the workplace.鈥�

Eventually, Woolford has his sights set on a research career in the government. Woolford said he is looking to explore future opportunities with NASA and other government agencies. A master鈥檚 or doctoral degree could happen as well. 

Woolford says that the best advice he could give to other students is to seek out and take advantage of the opportunities 911吃瓜 has to offer. 

鈥淚'd really encourage anyone at 911吃瓜 to look at these kinds of opportunities, like internships and research,鈥� he said. 鈥淏efore college, nobody told me about undergraduate research. I had to figure it out for myself and do tons of reading and look into it, so the biggest takeaway is to look into those kinds of things and to pursue whatever looks interesting to you.鈥�

鈥� Dave Shelles
Photos by Darnell Wilburn

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 911吃瓜 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.