Student Experiences

The “Pale Blue Dot,” Carl Sagan’s description for earth based on Voyager 1 space probe’s photo taken 3.7 billion miles away, prompted Cole’s fascination with space. A Marquette University senior studying astronomy and physics, Cole was initially disappointed with his education. “It was just math on a blackboard,” recalls Cole, who was looking for something more physical, real, and measurable. So began his search for a field where he could apply his knowledge. Cole found this first in sports. Playing on the Marquette lacrosse team, he noticed a pattern of wrist injuries that occurred during face-off. He found the pain from these types of injuries was far reaching, affecting 92% of those surveyed. For an entire season, Cole worked with physics faculty members to film face-off and track the rotation of the wrist. He then developed a new technique, which allowed for the possibility of maintaining performance while greatly reducing the potential for damage (Cole presented these findings at a conference in Sacramento soon after the REU concluded). Cole has extensive experience in outdoor education, most notably as a counselor at Camp Courage in Bend, Oregon. Seeing the Tracking Land Change REU opportunity, he felt the call to return to nature. At River Ridge Ranch, Cole used spectrometry to identify tree species along the riparian area. Alongside professor Scott Winslow, Cole trained the computer to read different light signals, in similar fashion to how astronomers categorize stars. The goal was to be able to survey and calculate populations for a single tree species, a method that could revolutionize the speed at which invasive species are exonerated from a region. With his strong interdisciplinary background, Cole looks forward to a career where he can apply his analytical physics-backed brain to one of his many other interests, such as biomechanics or injury prevention for athletes.