Erin Gross

Erin Gross decided to study physics back in high school because she loved applying math to something that was right in front of her.

Now at Carthage, Erin is taking full advantage of the 3-2 Pre-Engineering Program Carthage offers. This program allows students to study physics at Carthage for three years and then study engineering at UW-Madison for the next two years.

Erin said Carthage’s small classes will help prepare her for UW-Madison at the end of this year. “I thought this would work best for me to get the attention in my lower-level classes to form a good framework for the engineering classes I’d be taking in Madison.”

Another strength of the Physics Department is the amount of support students receive from the faculty. “Each student is seen as an individual rather than a number,” Erin said. “This has tremendously helped in the senior thesis process when the faculty discussed whom they thought each student should be paired up with. They have gotten to know us very well in only three years.”

Erin also had the amazing opportunity to travel to Belize. “I went to Belize my sophomore year for a Carthage Symposium J-Term that was taught by an environmental science and biology professor,” she said. “It was amazing to see the environmental practices other countries have, and also the lack of them. It gave me a perspective I would not have had if I had not gone on this trip.”

In addition to traveling to Belize, Erin was in an REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) at Biosphere 2 through the University of Arizona. She spent 10 weeks with other students doing research with Dr. Marcel Schapp on one-dimensional soil physics for a hill slope project that is being developed for the biosphere. “It was really great being able to be part of such a big project knowing that I had contributed in some way,” Erin said.

These experiences, as well as taking a few environmental courses, have helped show Erin that she would like to incorporate environmental awareness into how energy is captured and used. “I have always been a nature lover at heart while still loving physics and engineering,” she said.

Erin’s love of the environment has helped her become the president of CURE. “It’s great that Carthage faculty and students are starting a sustainability group that meets with all interested parties on campus to figure out new ways to greenify our campus,” she said. Erin is also a member of Society of Physics Students; is on the Carthage Microgravity Team, which allows her to develop a project with other students for NASA; and she is a member of Chapel Choir.

In the future, she looks forward to get her environmental engineering degree from UW-Madison. After that, she would love to design greener sources of energy.