Class of 2026
Major in Physics; Minor in Slavic and Eurasian Studies
I’m a junior from Tokyo, Japan, majoring in Physics, and minoring in Slavic and Eurasian Studies. I am quite interested in condensed matter physics, and find it incredible how material properties can be used to support future technology. At Duke, I work in Professor Sara Haravifard’s Lab, where I focus on synthesis and characterization of quantum materials. I also love to read Russian literature, which I find complements physics very nicely. When I’m not in the classroom or lab, I spend most of my time in the Duke Motorsports garage, where I design and fabricate composite aerodynamic components for our open-wheel race car! After Duke, I hope to continue studying physics in graduate school.
Favorite Class: Due to my separate interests in Physics and Slavic Studies, I wanted to give a brief overview of my favorite classes from each department. I enjoyed taking Modern Physics (Physics 264). Starting from special relativity and ending with condensed matter physics, I found it rewarding to learn about the incredible breadth of advancements made in physics over the last century. I also enjoyed the lab component of the class, where we learned how to measure quantities discussed in class such as the speed of light or the decay rate of muons. At the same time, I loved taking The Russian Novel (Russian 313). Starting with Turgenev’s "Fathers and Children," we then read other novels such as Cherneshevsky’s "What is to be Done," Dostoevsky’s "Notes from the Underground," and ended with Tolstoy’s "Anna Karenina." I felt the class helped me better understand the role novels played in Russian literature as both social commentary and written responses to earlier works.
Department of Physics