Member bios

Emma Hunt

she/her

Hi, I’m Emma! I started my PhD in the fall of 2019. I am part of Dr. Florin’s biophysics lab in the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics. I am studying the dynamics of single collagen fibrils in reconstituted networks to measure their mechanical properties. In my free time I'm usually riding my bike, two-stepping, or planning my next backpacking trip!

✉️ emmahunt@utexas.edu

Snehal Tibrewal

she/her

Hey! I am Snehal, a PhD student working on Gravitational Physics with Prof. Deirdre Shoemaker. I work on simulating as well as analyzing gravitational wave signals from merging black holes. Apart from work, I enjoy painting (watercolor mostly) and spending my time around food – cooking or sampling fun Austin restaurants!

✉️ snehaltibrewal@utexas.edu

Emma Horner

she/her

My name is Emma and I’m a second-year physics graduate student working in experimental biophysics with Dr. Vernita Gordon. I use fluorescence confocal microscopy and machine learning to study bacterial morphology. In my free time, I love going to concerts, drawing, yoga, playing guitar/piano, and camping!

✉️ ehorner@utexas.edu

Carson McVay

she/her

Hi! My name is Carson, and I started my PhD in the fall of ’23. I’m a member of Dr. William Gilpin’s lab, where I use machine learning to understand information transfer in chaotic systems. Outside of Physics, you can find me running with Bat City Track Club, playing the NYT crossword puzzle, and hanging out with my cat, Cricket.

✉️ cm66935@my.utexas.edu

Vaishnavi Patil

she/her

I am a second year grad student in the high energy theory department. GeM has made me excited about the community here. I enjoy going on hikes or playing board games/various sports. I am always down for a conversation on pretty much any topic you could think of.

✉️ vaishnavi.patil@utexas.edu

Alex Stram

she/her

My name is Alex and I am a third year physics PhD student. I work in experimental condensed matter for Dr. Keji Lai, focusing on studying the optoelectronic properties of two-dimensional semiconductors using Microwave Impedance Microscopy (MIM). If I ever have time, my hobbies include hiking, painting, and playing guitar.

✉️ alexander.stram@austin.utexas.edu

Prof. Elaine Li

Experimental condensed matter physics

Recent Graduates

Sarah Racz

she/her

Sarah studied high energy theory, specifically holography and the intersection of gravity and quantum information. She graduated in the summer of 2024 and is now a professor at Sarah Lawrence College.

✉️ racz.sarah@gmail.com

Lisa Frammolino

she/her

Lisa worked in Dr. Shih’s experimental condensed matter physics research group, investigating the atomic structure and electronic properties of 2D Van der Waals materials using Low-Temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy (LT-STM/S) technique.

✉️ lrf635@utexas.edu

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