It has been an extraordinary year for the UCSB Physics Department, marked by continued growth, outstanding student achievements, and exceptional recognition of our faculty’s research impact. We celebrated the graduation of 146 undergraduate physics majors and the completion of 24 PhD degrees, keeping us on track for a fifth consecutive year awarding the most undergraduate physics degrees in the nation. Our department community has been especially vibrant this year, with strong participation in events such as the Nobel colloquium, the Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, and new community-building traditions like Physics on Ice.
Our undergraduate program continues to evolve and strengthen. The optics laboratory course has transitioned from a special topics offering into the core curriculum, and additional courses in quantum information, atomic, molecular and optical physics, and mesoscopic physics have followed a similar path. We are particularly encouraged by the growing number of undergraduates engaged in independent research, highlighted by two full days of student presentations at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. These experiences remain central to our educational mission, giving students opportunities to build technical expertise, confidence, and problem-solving skills through hands-on discovery.
This year also brought remarkable recognition for our faculty and alumni, underscoring the breadth and impact of physics at UCSB. Professors John Martinis and Michel Devoret were awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, while Gary Horowitz and Boris Shraiman received prestigious international honors for their contributions to theoretical and biological physics. We also launched new efforts to strengthen connections beyond campus, including the Labs & Lectures series and the inaugural UCSB Physics Alumni Award. Through alumni visits, outreach programs, and community events, we continue to deepen the ties that connect our students, faculty, alumni, and supporters.
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