Prize Recipient

Luis C. Vargas

Background:

My name is Luis C. Vargas and I live in Lawrence, KS. My parents and I moved to the United states when I was 16. I am currently a senior at the University of Kansas majoring in physics, astronomy and math. My current interests lie in the field of astrophysics. Incidentally, astronomy was what got me interested in the physical sciences. Only later in high school did I discover the deep connection between physics and math. This final realization convinced me to major in physics and math as well. Since astrophysics is such a rich field, I am still exploring my options as to which area to specialize in, as well as the orientation I want to pursue, be it theoretical or observational. Until now, I have been more involved in the observational side. Until May of this year I had only had experience dealing with optical data. I was thus fortunate to spend this summer working with a combination of X-ray, optical, and infrared observations from both ground-based and space observatories at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Though there is not much free time in the life of a physics major, I am still involved with the Society of Physics Students, of which I am president this school year, as well as Math Club. Outside of physics, I have always enjoyed learning languages, and thus hope to study in Japan for a semester. This trip will extend my undergraduate studies for one more year, but it will be definitely worth the time invested. Whenever a time window opens up, I can also be found playing piano, chess, or reading both physics and fiction. Finally, I have also been trying to learn a bit about non-classical music!