Nikhil Keer '25
BS Physics with honors, BS Mathematics 
Optics specialization
Summa cum laude

On Stony Brook: 
Being from Long Island, a few of my teachers and guidance counselors who were SBU alumni recommended SBU. I also participated in SBU's high school physics summer camp program. 

I was drawn to SBU by its exceptional research opportunities, particularly its close ties with Brookhaven National Laboratory. SBU's physics and mathematics faculty are among the best in their fields, making it an ideal platform for my undergraduate physics research. This would prepare me well for pursuing a PhD in physics.

On his major: 
I pursued a double major in physics and mathematics, driven by my deep passion for these subjects. With its elegant descriptions of the universe's fundamental workings, physics was a natural choice for me. I added the mathematics major to better understand the rigorous formulations, derivations, and interpretations of physical laws.

 

Favorite class: 
One of my favorite classes was my electrodynamics course taught by Prof. Navid Vafaei-Najafabadi. The subject was interesting, and Prof. Vafaei-Najafabadi was an outstanding professor who genuinely cared for his students. I was fascinated by the extensions he would make from the curriculum regarding accelerators, lasers, and plasma, enough to take his graduate course on plasma physics and wakefield acceleration the following semester, and conduct undergraduate research under him for my honors senior thesis.

Interests and accomplishments:
My main accomplishments have come from my research in plasma physics, my field of interest. My honors senior thesis project for the past year was simulating electron probing of the CO_2 laser-driven plasma wakefield to understand its unique electromagnetic field structure better, providing experimental diagnostics for experiments performed at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Accelerator Test Facility (BNL’s ATF), contributing to research towards plasma wakefields for particle acceleration and focusing, needed for more compact particle accelerators and colliders for high-energy physics.

I presented this work at the 2024 APS Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) annual conference, BNL ATF Tours for the DOE high energy physics directors, Physics Department 3rd Undergraduate Colloquium, 3rd Physics Undergraduate Research Day, and URECA and Honors College Symposia. 

I received the 2025 Provost’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Barry Barish Undergraduate Research Travel Award. I am a member of the Sigma Pi Sigma (physics) and Phi Beta Kappa (national) honor societies and the Honors College. I have also made the Dean’s List every semester at SBU and have received the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for four semesters.

 Plans for post-graduation:
After graduation, I plan to continue my academic journey by pursuing a PhD in nuclear science and engineering at MIT. My research will focus on plasma physics, a field that has captivated me during my time at SBU.

Favorite SBU memory:
The thing I will remember most about SBU would be the welcoming physics and mathematics undergraduate community. As like-minded passionate students, we all formed close bonds throughout our time here, making the undergraduate experience more worthwhile. Whether through group study sessions before exams, hanging out in the Society of Physics Students room discussing each other’s courses and research, attending various talks together, or anywhere else on campus just having a good time, the company of fellow undergraduate students was greatly appreciated.

Advice for future Seawolves: 
Do not hesitate to seek out professional opportunities. Go to office hours to get to know your professors and their work. Try to get into research as soon as possible to see if it is right for you and what type of research you would like to do. Try to establish connections through networking. Overall, make the most of your time at SBU, and try to have fun while doing so.