Physics Professor Earns Fulbright Scholarship & International Acclaim

Northeastern Professor Tomasz Taylor is a master of theoretical elementary particle physics, and his successful career reflects that. As a recent US Fulbright Scholar and foreign member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, Taylor’s current and past work is being recognized across the world for its importance in the world of theoretical physics.

Theoretical elementary particle physics’ main goal is to understand the very basic building blocks of matter, what they do, and what forces they interact with through creation of mathematical equations. Particle physicists are interested in understanding not only what’s inside an atom, something everyone knows exists, but what’s inside the nucleus of the atom, and what makes up those elementary particles. They break down everything to smaller distances than even detailed microscopes can visualize. Because these sub-particles are so small, research relies on “atom smashers” to break apart the atom to understand how the small structures work and interact with each other through forces.

Taylor grew up and attended all of his schooling in Poland. He received his professional education and PhD in physics from Warsaw University in 1981. Taylor described growing up in Poland very different than the way students grow up today. “Back then, there was a genuine respect for science and it used to be something that was cool. This pushed my interest in science throughout school, even at a young age,” he said.

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Physics