Facilities and Research Opportunities

An Elmhurst education goes far beyond the classroom.

As a physics student at Elmhurst, you’ll have many opportunities to get involved in high-level research projects in advanced facilities.

Superior Facilities

Elmhurst has all the up-to-date resources you need to develop your skills as a physicist. For example:

• Our brand-new physics labs boast the latest in scientific equipment.
• Up-to-date facilities include an astronomical observatory and extensive computing facilities designed especially for students of the sciences.
• The Bates Observatory, located atop the Science Center, is home to four telescopes ranging from the small and portable 5″ telescope to the main 14″ telescope permanently fixed in a computer-controlled mount.
• A separate building houses the University’s own 750,000-volt Cockcroft-Walton accelerator. Though it’s no longer in use, the accelerator now serves as the centerpiece of a unique art gallery.

Research Opportunities

Independent Research

Classes at Elmhurst are small, so you’ll have access to intense research experiences that are normally only available to graduate students.

Working closely with a faculty member, you might build your own robot, study quasars and black holes, or investigate biological sensory processes. You’ll also present your results at regional and national conferences, gaining experience and connections along the way.

Off-Campus Research Programs

Elmhurst students often win grants to conduct research at universities and other institutions.

One student spent a summer studying fluid dynamics at the University of Chicago with the support of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant, for example. Other students have conducted research at Harvard University, Northwestern University and other institutions.