Winter recently completed dual degrees in Chemistry and Theatre Studies as well as a minor in Physics. Prior to coming to Ithaca College, Winter loved both performing in community theatre productions as well as, in her words, “stargazing in the cornfields not too far from home.” After reading about black holes the summer after her first year, Winter was intrigued by the possibility of learning more about astronomy in a formal setting, despite not having taken science classes in several years. However, said Winter, “the faculty were very supportive of me taking on the physics minor, so I decided to go for it, and I’m so glad I did!”
Not content to only take classes, Winter also immersed herself into research, including a Summer Scholars project in 2024 at the Clinton Ford Observatory under the mentorship of Dr. Matthew Price. That summer, Winter learned to operate the recently-installed iOptron 16-inch Ritchey-Chrétien reflecting telescope, helping to improve its performance and streamlining operations. Winter noted, “Working at the observatory has made me feel a lot closer to the universe, our planet, and the local community.”
Dr. Price commented, “Winter was a joy to be around and worked very hard with me. She was one of the more important people in keeping the telescope going!”
Winter has also served as a Learning Assistant for multiple semesters, earning an Outstanding Learning Assistant award in 2025. Last spring, she assisted Dr. Beth Ellen Clark Joseph and the students in PHYS 102 (Introduction to Physics II), the second semester of introductory physics for non-majors.
As a Theatre Studies major, Winter specialized in dramaturgy, the art of helping directors and actors bring the text of a play to life on stage through literary analysis and research. In the Fall of 2024, Winter was the dramaturg for the campus production of Let The Right One In. This play about the relationship between a bullied child and a vampire was adapted by Jack Thorne from a Swedish novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, which Winter remarked was “one of the best vampire stories in contemporary literature.”
When asked about what combining her interests in both art and science at Ithaca College was like, Winter responded, “Learning how to think like a scientist and how to think like and artist go hand in hand. You learn how to think creatively, how to put that to action, how to analyze and adapt, and importantly, how to communicate all those ideas to other people. At their core, they are both about understanding the nature of things, of the universe and of humanity.” Winter’s strengths in both of these areas were particularly apparent in PHYS 280 (Learning Assistant Practicum), where according to instructor Dr. Jerome Fung, “Winter’s ability to read closely and think deeply about learning added immeasurably to our class discussions of sometimes dense papers about physics teaching.”
Winter’s advice to students thinking about integrating similarly broad interests was, “Do it! If you’re thinking about pursuing cross-disciplines, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. You can, and you should! Everyone should be a scientist and an artist – I believe this entirely!”