Student Voices

Danielle Weiland, '14

Meet Danielle

"Don’t be afraid of physics. It’s tough, but the teachers are there to get you through until you graduate."

Hometown: Kenosha, Wis.

Major: Physics

Minors: Mathematics and Engineering

Career Goal: "Work for Boeing and continue doing research for NASA."

Home grown in Kenosha, Danielle Weiland, ’14, has been familiar with Carthage for a while. She got to know the campus while attending her high school’s football games, which were played at Keller Field.

Danielle eventually decided to attend Carthage because of the research opportunities that are available to students, no matter what year they are in. She always knew that she wanted to major in physics.

“I enjoy physics more than any other subject,” she said. “When a problem works out, it is like an entire new world has opened up. Everything about physics is amazing.”

For Danielle, the biggest strength of the Carthage Physics Department is the dedicated faculty.

"They make us what we are and help us succeed no matter what our goals are," she explained.

As a member of the Carthage Microgravity Team, Danielle had the chance to travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston in 2011 to present and run an experiment that the team designed. She was part of the team that built a fuel gauge that would work in zero gravity.

"The hard work paid off once we got to Houston for the zero-g testing," Danielle said of the year-long research process. "We got to meet tons of great people who work for NASA who can help us get internships there in the future, and even an astronaut."

After graduation, she hopes to attend Embry-Riddle University in Florida for Aerospace Engineering and continue doing experimental research for NASA.

Favorite professor: "My favorite professor so far is Dr. Jean Quashnock because he keeps the class entertained while he teaches."

Favorite class: "My favorite class so far was Calculus I with Professor Aaron Trautwein because I was scared of that class in high school, but Prof. Trautwein made everything less scary. I ended up receiving a perfect grade."

Toughest class: "Right now my toughest class is Differential Equations because I have only had Prof. Trautwein teaching math so far at Carthage. It's hard to get used to another math professor's style."

Favorite moments at Carthage: "My favorite moments are definitely the late nights spent in B-2 trying to focus on getting our microgravity research done."

Favorite spot on campus: "The messy living room of science — Straz B-2."

Biggest surprise so far: "How close everyone in the Physics Department is."

On-campus organizations: "Along with the Microgravity Team, I am in Society of Physics Students (SPS) and hope to be the president of SPS my senior year."

Advice for students considering your major: "Don’t be afraid of physics. It's tough, but the teachers are there to get you through until you graduate."

— Elizabeth Reinhardt, '12

Student Voices

Stephanie Finnvik, '12

"I have so many different interests, but going to Carthage, I knew that I would have the opportunity to try each before I decided what I really wanted to do."
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Kim Schultz, '12

One of the best moments at Carthage for Kim was participating in the NASA Systems Engineering Educational Discovery (SEED) program. She got to work on a team to design, build and conduct an experiment for NASA.
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Danielle Weiland, '14

"Don’t be afraid of physics. It’s tough, but the teachers are there to get you through until you graduate."
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KelliAnn Anderson, '14

"Carthage is providing me an environment where I realize I could go on and do even greater things, and giving me the confidence and determination I need to do so."
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Douglas Vodnik, '13

The summer after his freshman year, Douglas had the chance to participate in Carthage's Summer Undergraduate Research Experience program.
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Read student voices from graduated students.

Microgravity Team

The Carthage Microgravity Program sends physics students aboard NASA's zero-gravity aircraft. Read more.