UNM graduate student takes home Department of Energy award

Andrew Gentry is celebrating after being selected for the Department of Energy's Science Research Program award. Gentry is a Ph.D.candidate at The University of New Mexico and is one of just 62 graduate students representing 25 states and Puerto Rico for the Office of Science Graduate Research (SCGSR) program's 2024 Solicitation cycle.

Gentry says he was thrilled to be one of the few selected for the award and that he is most excited for the opportunities the Department of Energy provides.

"It's exciting you know, the DOE has really great opportunities and it's an opportunity to go work with some of the best scientists in the world," said Gentry. "I'll be using some of the best facilities in the world."

The program utilizes world-class training and access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources at the Department of Energy's National Laboratories to prepare award recipients for critical jobs in the workforce. Gentry will leave to study at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for a year starting in January 2025, to collaborate in developing novel detectors and electronics.

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is a DOE Office of Science laboratory operated by Stanford University in California. SLAC is known for leading large-scale projects and welcoming scientists, like Gentry, to use their X-rays, lasers, and electronic beams for groundbreaking experiments.

"The DOE provides these fellowships to a couple people every year to go work at the different DOE labs around the country… It's for all students in STEM, from biology to engineering," said Gentry, about what the program seeks in students.

The lab rests in the heart of Silicon Valley surrounded by brilliant minds and support from Stanford University, which is one of the most sought-out Universities for engineering. To the far East lies the University of New Mexico, where Gentry has spent hours studying physics using particle accelerators to prepare for this program.

Gentry is excited to take his research from UNM to a nationally recognized laboratory and continue his thrilling work, as he mashes protons and tries to replicate The Big Bang.

"We accelerate protons to .99999 times the speed of light, so it's almost the speed of light," said Gentry. "Then we mash them together and we see what happens…when those collisions occur you have similar conditions to what was going on during the Big Bang in the very early universe."

Gentry is pursuing his Ph.D. after discovering his passion for physics while taking a physics class on a whim at Truman State University for his undergrad in Missouri. Now being selected for a prestigious award from the Department of Energy and embarking on a year-long research program, he leaves advice for young STEM majors who are figuring it out at The University of New Mexico.

"When you're an undergrad I think you should really try and explore and figure out your interests," said Gentry. "There's so many options. Go to talks that are offered and, even though they're really hard to read, try to read research papers and things like that. See what sparks your interest."

Gentry is busy spending time reviewing research papers, reading about physics, and studying before leaving the University of New Mexico in pursuit of the universe and its beginnings at SLAC.