In-Person Meetings for Day Classes are Cancelled for Thursday, February 6, 2025; Classes Taking Place at 4 p.m. or later Being Held As Scheduled.
Classes Beginning at 4 p.m. or Later
Classes that begin at 4 p.m. and later today are being held as scheduled.
As environments vary in different parts of the State, commuting students should utilize their best judgement when deciding whether to come to campus and faculty are asked to be flexible in accommodating student requests during inclement weather, defining alternatives or makeup provisions as needed. Similarly, faculty members who must change their class format should notify impacted students by e-mail immediately and define what their alternate delivery approach will be.
Classes Beginning Prior to 4 p.m.
As previously announced, all in-person day classes on Thursday, February 6, 2025 are cancelled. All scheduled in-person classes beginning before 4 p.m. will transition to being held online or remotely. Additional information on the virtual format for each class will be provided by the instructor.
Faculty have been asked to prepare for Online or Remote sessions in the event of in-person meeting cancellations. These options will be determined by the Faculty member and all questions should be directed to the Faculty teaching each course section. Faculty also have been asked to be very understanding and accommodating of the individual situations of their students who may have difficulty managing these alternative online or remote class meetings on short notice.
Please note that only essential employees, as previously determined by their respective department leaders, should report to campus Thursday. All other employees should fulfill the requirements of their role remotely.
Campus operations for residential students, unless otherwise noted, will operate as scheduled, though hours may be modified or changed based on the conditions. Separate messages will be sent from the Peterson Library, the Beckerman Recreation Center, and Dining Services regarding any changes to their normal hours of operation. The Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation will remain open Thursday for residential students to use for study space and to participate in online classes.
Residential students should be prepared to move their vehicles, if requested, for snow removal operations.
Physics Professor, Student’s Research Featured in Documentary
Michael Del Grosso ’23 and Nikodem Poplawski Ph.D., have been conducting groundbreaking research exploring topics such as quantum field theory and quantum mechanics. They have completed two research papers they are submitting for publication, and they are featured in a new documentary airing this month in Europe.
March 27, 2022
By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications
Michael Del Grosso ’23 (left) and Nikodem Poplawski, Ph.D., conduct a demonstration as part of a new documentary. (credit: ARTE TV)
For Michael Del Grosso ’23, his experience conducting research with his mentor Nikodem Poplawski, Ph.D., has been fascinating and rewarding. They are now submitting two research papers to academic journals and their work is featured as part of a new documentary.
During the summer of his sophomore year, Del Grosso interned with Dr. Poplawski, doing what he describes as “graduate-level physics research.” He says that, while challenging, it enabled him to explore research methodologies and mathematical problem-solving approaches.
“I am incredibly grateful that Dr. Poplawski offered me this opportunity,” said Del Grosso, a chemical engineering major with a minor in physics. “The internship allowed me to experience work outside of the classroom, and it truly challenged my academic abilities. My internship allowed me to learn his way of thinking while simultaneously learning the steps myself.”
Michael Del Grosso ’23 (left) and Nikodem Poplawski, Ph.D., were filmed at the University. (credit: ARTE TV)
‘This research gave him an opportunity to explore’
Their work shows that the Born rule, one of three fundamental postulates of quantum mechanics, may be an approximation of averaging quantum wave function over space and time. They will be submitting their research, as well as their paper titled "Torsional Regularization of Self-Energy and Bare Mass of Electron," to academic journals.
“Michael was very excited about advanced physics and interested in exploring the foundational questions in physics,” said Dr. Poplawski. “This research gave him an opportunity to explore some advanced physics, do some calculations, learn some numerical methods in Python to solve some equations that cannot be solved analytically, and learn how to write a scientific article using a LaTeX document preparation system that is widely used by physicists.”
‘An excellent opportunity’
Nikodem Poplawski, Ph.D., and Michael Del Grosso ’23.
Their work is now a featured part of a documentary that aired earlier this month in Germany and France on ARTE TV. Dr. Poplawski and Del Grosso were filmed at the University during the Fall 2021 semester. Del Grosso assisted Dr. Poplawski with demonstrations on camera, something he said he enjoyed and would gladly do again.
“I believe he is a great mentor and teacher,” said Del Grosso, who has been serving as a teaching assistant under Dr. Poplawski for the past year. “He is also one of the most brilliant-minded people on campus. A remarkable fact about Dr. Poplawski is he is a descendent of Albert Einstein in terms of mentorship: Albert Einstein → Leopold Infeld → Stanisław Bażański → Nikodem Poplawski → Michael Del Grosso.”
Nikodem Poplawski, Ph.D., and Michael Del Grosso ’23 in New Jersey as part of their summer research.
Del Grosso, who was nominated for the University’s prestigious Bucknall Family Undergraduate Research or Experiential Learning Award last year, is grateful for the research opportunities he has had with his mentor. He has explored advanced mathematics and physics, including quantum physics, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, and analytical mechanics, and he looks forward to the opportunities his research experience has already created.
“My work with Dr. Poplawski has been an excellent opportunity because it is a fantastic resume booster that will set me apart from other individuals,” he said. “As a result, I get a lot of attention from company recruiters looking for talented young students.”