Genevieve Alpar, BS ’25, received the Robert S. Hyer Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research from the Texas Section of the American Physical Society, an honor that recognizes the top undergraduate physics research in the state.
Her project, completed under the mentorship of Drs. Jacob Moldenhauer and Will H. Flanagan, measured the neutron capture cross-section of the radioactive
isotope Zirconium-88 (⁸⁸Zr) using a groundbreaking direct measurement technique at the Neutron Time of Flight Facility (n_TOF) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Alpar’s work confirmed and refined previous unexpected findings by national labs and marked the first-ever direct gamma-ray measurement of this rare isotope.
“Every single UDallas class has taught me to work through problems and understand the fundamentals before moving on to the big picture.”
GENEVIEVE ALPAR
Alpar attributes her development as a physicist to UDallas’ academic culture: “Every single UDallas class has taught me to work through problems and understand the fundamentals before moving on to the big picture.” Reflecting on the award, she called it “an honor and a reminder that we are part of something greater — a community that seeks knowledge for the sake of knowledge.”
Now, with global research experience and recognition behind her, Alpar looks ahead to continuing her work in nuclear physics with a master’s in nuclear engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology.