Lillian Schick ’28 was the first recipient of the new Seligmann Award, honoring a student in the sophomore class for outstanding achievements in physics and astronomy. Lillian, a double major in Applied Physics and Exercise Science with minor in Mathematics, achieved an excellent academic record in the department while also being a member of the Ithaca College Diving Team. Lillian has also conducted research with Professor Colleen Countryman on leveraging generative AI as a tool for pedagogical simulation development with emphasis on best practices in prompting and interface design.
Students and Alumnus Honored At Spring Banquet
By Jerome Fung, June 8, 2026
The Physics & Astronomy Spring Banquet brought students and faculty together in Klingenstein Lounge on May 5 to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of current students and alumnus Sean Harkin '16.
Student awardees (from left): Lillian Schick '28, Maya Fanti '28, Christopher Frazier '29, Xander MacKenzie '28.
Student awardees (from left): Lillian Schick '28, Maya Fanti '28, Christopher Frazier '29, Xander MacKenzie '28.
A new Emerging Investigator Award to recognize students in their first two years who have demonstrated early and enthusiastic engagement in research or other experiential learning within the Department of Physics & Astronomy was given to Maya Fanti ’28 and Christopher Frazier ’29 . Maya, a Physics major with minors in Mathematics and Astronomy, studied aperture photometry with Professor Luke Keller, gaining hands-on experience with observational techniques and astronomical data analysis. This summer, Maya is participating in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in cosmology at Cornell University. Christopher brought his passion for Quantum Information Science to the group of Professor Matthew Sullivan, under whose guidance he has been learning thin film growth, photolithography, and superconductor physics with the goal of building a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID).
Xander Mackenzie ’28 was recognized with the Early Career Citizenship Award to honor his contributions to the intellectual, social, and community life of the department. Xander was part of the organizing team for the Fall 2025 trip to PhysCon in Denver, Colorado. He has also been an active member of our SPS chapter and a physics tutor.
Other students honored at the banquet included Suryash Malviya ’26, Keely Higgins ’27 , and Zach Ritchie ’28 ,who were inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honor society; Sierra Dages ’27 , who was inducted into Sigma Xi; and Josh Bugiera ’27 , Gianna Marin ’27 , and Cameron Stanford ’26 , who were recognized as Outstanding Learning Assistants.
Sean Harkin '16 speaks about his work in architectural acoustics.
In addition, alumnus Sean Harkin ’16 gave a well-received talk on his work as an acoustician. Sean discussed how as an acoustical engineer with several firms, he has used the physics background and problem-solving skills he developed while studying at Ithaca College. Sean discussed how he has addressed technical challenges such as mitigating noise due to building vibrations in tall, slender skyscrapers and ensuring that the noise from a restaurant drive-through window complies with local codes and does not unduly disturb neighbors.
Congratulations to Sean and all the students who were recognized!