Physics and applied physics explore the universe we inhabit, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, from the quantum to the cosmic, by studying light, matter and energy.

Research: Merging Technology with Science

Research lies at the heart of our department, with expenditures totaling over $10 million annually.

Work alongside our world-class faculty in a diverse array of experimental, computational and theoretical research as you prepare for stimulating careers in academia, industry and government.

Explore All Physics Research

Two UMass Lowell physics students look at equipment in a classroom.

Join Our Physics Colloquia

Each month we bring speakers from across campus and across the country to talk about current topics in physics.

View our Spring 2025 schedule.

Meet Our Students

Simone Peironnet in a hazmat suit.
Simone Peironnet '22, '23
Radiological Sciences and Protection

Simone Peironnet secured a job with Boeing as a health physicist before graduating from UMass Lowell.

Studying radiological sciences at UMass Lowell was the best training and education combination I ever could have gotten.
Read More About Simone Peironnet 
Nazeli Acosta, in medical garb and mask, tests a patient's temperature
Nazeli Acosta '20
Physics

Nazeli Acosta won a State Department Scholarship to study rural health care in the Dominican Republic.

Physics appeals to my intellectual curiosity and learning for the sake of learning.
Read More About Nazeli Acosta 
Rigel Cappallo env image
Rigel Cappallo ’13, ’16, ’19
Physics

Triple River Hawk Rigel Cappallo ’13, ’16, ’19 went from pianist to physicist.

I really loved the relationship that I had with the entire faculty and staff in the physics department.
Read More About Rigel Cappallo 
UMass Lowell student Albert Farah is seated at a desk while looking at a computer and tablet.
Albert Farah '24
Physics, Mathematics

Albert Farah found multiple paid research experiences at UMass Lowell.

The professors are really excited to talk about their research, and that infuses itself into me.
Read More About Albert Farah 

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  • Three men and a woman stand around an optical instrument in a room and talk.

    Ph.D. Student Ventures to Sweden to Study Space Weather

    Physics Ph.D. student Charmi Patel ’24 recently traveled to Sweden to deploy HiT&MiS, an innovative optical spectrograph developed by the Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology to study space weather in the little-understood "ignorosphere."
    Featured Story
  • A doctor talks to a group of people at a hospital.

    ‘I’m a Different Person Now’

    Seven Honors College students, representing six different majors, traveled to Ghana during winter break for a study abroad seminar on public health and energy.
    Featured Story
  • An artist rendering of a three-story building addition, with people crossing a street in the foreground.

    Kennedy College Breaking Ground on Olney Science Center Expansion

    Work is set to begin on the expansion and renovation of the Olney Science Center, providing modern labs, collaborative spaces and amenities to enhance the learning experience for Kennedy College of Sciences students.