Schedule

Christopher P. J. Barty

Distinguished Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine

Talk Title: Finding and Treating Cancer in an Instant: The Promise of

Distributed Charge Compton Sources

Chris Barty is currently a Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, a member of the Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, an associate member of Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, a professor by courtesy in the Department of Surgery within the School of Medicine, and a faculty member of the Chemical and Materials Physics (ChaMP) program. Externally he is chairman of the International Committee on Ultrahigh Intensity Lasers and a co-founder of Lumitron Technologies, Inc. which is based in Irvine. Professor Barty received his Ph.D. and M.S. in applied physics from Stanford University and B.S. degrees, each with honors, in chemistry, physics and chemical engineering from North Carolina State University. He has been elected a fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA), the Society for Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), the American Physical Society (APS), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Professor Barty’s present research aims to enable new, laser-based, x-ray modalities for the precision detection and treatment of disease, novel x-ray studies of ultrafast material dynamics and the emergence of nuclear photonics as a new scientific discipline.

Jennifer Dionne

Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University

Talk Title: Exploring Nuclear Collisions at a PUI: Across Scales, Detectors, and Generations

Jennifer (Jen) Dionne is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford, a Biohub Investigator, Deputy Director of Q-NEXT — a National Quantum Information Science Center — and co-founder of Pumpkinseed, a protein-sequencing company. A pioneer of nanophotonics, she develops novel methods to detect molecules and direct their transformations, with a focus on critical challenges in global health and sustainability. Her lab designs nanophotonic resonators and cavities that enhance light-matter interactions, enabling applications spanning single-molecule spectroscopy, catalysis, and quantum networking. Building on this platform, her lab has demonstrated how AI-enabled Raman spectroscopy can characterize cellular phenotypes — including predicting antibiotic resistance and immunotherapy response — and has pioneered novel proteomic and glyco-sequencing approaches. She has also advanced the field of plasmon catalysis, linking atomic-scale photocatalyst structure resolved via in-operando microscopy to catalytic function for sustainable chemical manufacturing. Her work has been recognized with the NSF Alan T. Waterman Award, the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, the Moore Inventor Fellowship, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and was featured on Oprah's list of "50 Things That Will Make You Say 'Wow!'" Jen received her B.S. degrees in Physics and in Systems Science and Mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis, her Ph.D. in Applied Physics at Caltech, and postdoctoral training in Chemistry at Berkeley.

Jennifer Klay

Professor and Chair, Department of Physics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Talk Title: Exploring Nuclear Collisions at a PUI: Across Scales, Detectors, and Generations

Jennifer Klay is Professor and Chair of the Physics Department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she leads departmental strategy, faculty development, curriculum, and operations. She earned a B.S. in Astrophysics from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from UC Davis.  Her work spans nuclear and particle physics, computational physics, nuclear energy, and physics education. She has contributed to seven major experimental collaborations, conducted research at six U.S. National Laboratories, CERN, and the Max Planck Institute, and served in leadership roles including Chair of the Executive Council for the NIFFTE Collaboration. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, including contributions to the Encyclopedia of Nuclear Energy. She serves on the boards of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History and Mothers for Nuclear, supporting public understanding of nuclear science and nuclear energy.

Miguel Rodriguez

Assistant Professor and Chair, Department of Physics, California State University, Dominguez Hills

Talk Title: Physics Education & Research in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Miguel Rodriguez, PhD, is Chair of the Physics Department and an Assistant Professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills. His research explores collaborative learning, equity and belonging in STEM, and the thoughtful use of generative and agentic AI in physics education. He is currently developing novel agentic AI architectures for qualitative research and coding. He is committed to preparing students and educators to navigate an increasingly AI-shaped scientific landscape with curiosity, critical thinking, and human judgment. Beyond physics education, he is an author, entrepreneur, and martial artist.