Prize Recipient

Andrew Emerick
University of Minnesota

Background:

 My name is Andrew Emerick, and I currently attend the University of Minnesota as a Physics and Astrophysics double major. I grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, but moved to Katy, Texas after my freshman year in high school. It is my fascination for the unknown in the Universe that motivated me to  study physics and astrophysics. Ever since I was in elementary school I was fascinated with our solar system and the sea of stars visible in the night sky. Later on, I became even more captivated by the more mysterious of objects, such as black holes and dark matter. I feel as though physics and astrophysics are two sciences that deal with the very extremities of human knowledge in both the micro and macroscopic worlds. My study of these subjects is founded upon a desire to attain knowledge for knowledge's sake: to help push this boundary of human understanding.

In addition to my classwork, I am currently working as an Undergraduate Research Assistant with Dr. Lawrence Rudnick, a professor of astronomy at UMN,  studying the formation of galaxy clusters and the relationship between radio and x-ray radiation at their centers.

Aside from my interest in physics, I have been playing Clarinet for 8 years, and currently play in the Campus Orchestra at UMN. Also, I have a twin sister, Allison, who is a flute performance major at the University of Colorado: Boulder.