Molloy is always trying to prepare Stanners for fulfilling future careers, and so on Tuesday, May 17th, a professor with a doctorate in Physics served as a guest speaker Mr. Nadeau’s AP Physics class. Dr. Matthew Smylie, PhD works in the Physics and Astronomy department at Hofstra University, is a professor two days per week, and is a working scientist three days per week. Dr. Smylie spoke to Stanners about the benefits of choosing a career in the natural sciences, mainly Physics.
Dr. Smylie informed Mr. Nadeau’s class about the need for physicists and how to go about pursuing a career as a scientist. “Step one is believe in yourself,” he told the class, making it known that hard work got him to where he is today. He explained that becoming a scientist has allowed him to travel the world, as “science is fundamentally international!” Dr. Smylie also discussed another exciting aspect of being a scientist, which is that new discoveries are happening all the time. He even went so far as to encourage Stanners to explore a higher degree in Physics, stating, “A PhD in a natural science is a gateway to a wonderful and interesting life.”
At the end of class, Dr. Smylie performed an experiment right in front of the students, demonstrating the properties of liquid nitrogen. The presentation was hands on, and he invited Mr. Nadeau’s class to come and see the results up close! It was an informative, eye-opening lecture and Molloy thanks Dr. Smylie for taking time out of his day to help Stanners find their path in the world of science.