This fall, the Physical Sciences department is thrilled to welcome new faculty member Dr. Bartosz “Bart” Fornal. Dr. Fornal is an expert in theoretical particle physics who attributes his passion to his natural curiosity about how the world works.
Originally from Poland, Dr. Fornal began his academic career at Kraków’s famed Jagiellonian University, where he studied mathematics and the natural sciences inside the very halls once graced by Nicolaus Copernicus. His work was recognized by the Polish Minister of Education and Science, who awarded him with a prestigious scholarship, and later by the California Institute of Technology, which granted him the Henry and Grazyna A. Bauer Fellowship to pursue his doctoral studies. While at Cal Tech, Dr. Fornal sought the mentorship of famed physicist Mark Wise and, together, they published multiple papers on elementary particle physics.
Since earning his Ph.D. in 2014, Dr. Fornal has held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of California, Irvine, the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Utah. At each institution, he collaborated with renowned research teams on such subjects as gravitational waves, dark matter, and the lifespan of neutrons. His dozens of scholarly publications in these areas have been widely circulated by broader media outlets, including the Financial Times, Physics World, Scientific American, Quanta Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times.
When he is not conducting, publishing, or presenting his research around the globe, Dr. Fornal devotes his time to mentoring budding physicists. In addition to teaching core curriculum courses and overseeing undergraduate research projects, he travels regularly to take part in university and high school science events. This dedication to teaching and service is just one of many reasons Dr. Fornal is an ideal fit for Barry University. “Bart is very enthusiastic about hands-on activities for students,” says Dr. Maurizio Giannotti, a Barry Professor of Physics whose own award-winning work complements that Dr. Fornal. “He is a very talented teacher who can explain difficult concepts in easy terms and with relevant examples. We have had a lot of discussions on how to bring new ideas to Barry University and on how to involve students in relevant research topics.”
So, what kind of student involvement does Dr. Fornal hope to engage? Dr. Giannotti says they’ve discussed implementing new lab activities as well as outreach and service projects that would introduce students to the broader community. “The first step, I think, will be to expand the number of advanced classes in physics that Barry students can take,” says Dr. Giannotti. “This will allow them to be more prepared for possible research projects. At the same time, we should teach them some important tools (for example, software tools) useful in high energy physics and cosmology. Bart has a lot of ideas, energy, and enthusiasm. I am confident we will expand the opportunities in physics for our students at Barry.”
We can’t agree more. Welcome, Dr. Fornal!