Science

Joey Perko

Physics, Class of 2024

Hometown: Richland, Washington

Taking classes at the University of Idaho is great. Nothing compares, however, to putting your ideas to work in a real-world setting, learning directly from your experiences and a mentor’s guidance.

Diving into undergraduate research has been the best part of the year. In Associate Professor Zachariah Etienne's lab in the Department of Physics, I joined a project examining gravitational waves to detect black hole collisions in space. This summer, as an intern at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, I was part of an undergraduate lab studying fundamental interactions between water molecules that could open the door to discoveries in engineering and health. As a student researcher, I use what I've learned to do things that nobody's ever done before.

Outside the lab and classroom, I am a College of Science ambassador and a volunteer in the Moscow community with my church organizations. I also love playing guitar and spending time with friends.

At U of I, you are part of a community that provides one-on-one interaction with teachers and peers. My professors care about what I am learning; they don't wait until I come to them, but reach out when they see an opportunity that I might benefit from. Education in the College of Science allowed me to start doing research in only my second year of college. Many of my fellow U of I students have had similar experiences.

Because I love research and learning, I plan to apply for graduate schools with an eye on a degree in physics or astrophysics. I am keeping my options open, however, and am also considering entering the workforce or teaching secondary school sciences for the Peace Corps.

Support from donors enabled me to attend U of I and has enriched my undergraduate experience, enabling the research opportunities that help me network and learn while building excitement about a career in physics. Thanks to aid from awards such as the Leonard Halland Centennial scholarship, the Hill Research Fellowship Scholarship and the Richard and Patricia Sorensen Scholarship, I am now two semesters away from graduating debt-free, making a sustainable and confident start for my future.

I quite literally could not do this without you.

Both my scholarships and my research have been vital to my career path. I quite literally could not do this without you. Thank you so much!