Duke Ph.D. Alumnus Ryan Bouabid Awarded the Springer Thesis Prize
Ryan Bouabid is the third Duke Physics Ph.D. alumni to receive the Springer Thesis Prize in three consecutive years. (Courtesy of Bouabid)
Duke Physics Ph.D. alum Ryan Bouabid was awarded the Springer Thesis Prize.
Bouabid’s award-winning thesis, “Tests of the Effective Weak Interaction with the World’s Smallest Neutrino Detector,” will be published in the book series “Springer Theses.”
The series “Springer Theses” brings together a selection of the very best Ph.D. theses from around the world and across the physical sciences. The work reported in each thesis must represent a significant scientific advance.
Bouabid defended his Ph.D. in 2025, under advising by Professor of Physics Phillip Barbeau. His dissertation focuses on the detection of neutrinos through a process known as coherent elastic neutrino–nucleus scattering (CEvNS), a new field in experimental nuclear and particle physics that Duke researchers are spearheading and playing a foundational role. During his Ph.D., Bouabid worked with collaborators at Duke and North Carolina State University to build and operate the world’s smallest neutrino detector. Measurements from this detector provide a new window into the weak interaction and enable precision tests of fundamental physics.
During his Ph.D., Bouabid was also selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program. Through the competitive program, he conducted part of his dissertation research at Los Alamos National Laboratory, collaborating with scientists and using specialized resources available at the Department of Energy’s national laboratories.
Bouabid is the third Duke Physics Ph.D. alum from the group to receive the Springer Thesis Prize in three consecutive years, and the fourth dissertation award in the last ten years.
