Physics student selected for prestigious international research program

Lamar University (LU) physics student Alysa Patteson is heading to Italy this summer after being selected for a highly competitive international research program that places her among a small group of undergraduate students chosen nationwide.

Patteson, a senior from Nederland, was named to the 2026 cohort of the U.S. Department of Energy-Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Summer Students Exchange Program, according to a university announcement. The program selected just 11 undergraduate students across the United States.

The exchange program supports collaboration between U.S. and Italian researchers in nuclear and particle physics and offers students hands-on experience in advanced experimental work. Since its establishment in 2004, participants have often come from major research institutions and gone on to graduate study and research careers.

"I am very excited," Patteson said. "I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of the DOE-INFN Summer Students Exchange Program."

She said the selection represents a meaningful step in her academic and professional path.

"Being selected for this program means a lot to me, as it represents an important step toward pursuing a career in nuclear physics and experimental research," she said. "I am especially proud to have been selected for this program as a student from a smaller physics department."

Patteson said her experience at LU played a central role in preparing her for the opportunity.

"The opportunities and preparation I have received at Lamar University have allowed me to compete at this level and be chosen for an international research experience," she said.

At LU, Patteson is an undergraduate researcher in the Experimental Nuclear Physics Group, working under Dr. Zhaozhong Shi and Dr. Philip Cole on the EPIC luminosity detector through a Department of Energy-supported NuSTEAM program.

She said her introduction to nuclear physics came through the university's program, which led to additional research opportunities.

"Being a physics student at Lamar University is what introduced me to nuclear physics and opened the door for me to participate in an internship last summer through the NuSTEAM program where I learned about nuclear physics," she said. "Through this program, I was given the opportunity to intern at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the University of Houston."

Patteson is now continuing that work through ongoing research tied to the Electron-Ion Collider.

"Upon completion of the internship, I am now conducting research in nuclear physics, working on the luminosity monitor for the far backward pair spectrometer for ePIC at the Electron-Ion-Collider," she said.

Faculty members said her selection reflects both strong academic preparation and significant research contributions.

Dr. Philip Cole, former chair of the physics department, said Patteson distinguished herself early in her coursework.

"The course is rigorous and is one of the hardest math courses at the undergraduate level across the entire university," Cole said. "In a class of eight, she was an exceptional student. Because she was such an exceptional student, I asked her to join the NuSTEAM endeavor."

Cole said her research performance places her among the strongest students he has worked with.

"In my eight years as chair of the physics department, I consider her to be among the top 5%," Cole said. "She is exceptional. I have great expectations of her."

He also emphasized the significance of her selection for the Italian research institute.

"The mathematical acumen she brought to the research project places her in the top in the nation," Cole said. "It is a very rare thing to get an internship at INFN-Genova."

Dr. Zhaozhong Shi, her faculty mentor, said Patteson has shown consistent strength in both coursework and research.

"In my Electricity and Magnetism course, Alysa demonstrated outstanding mathematical maturity, deep conceptual understanding, and a strong intrinsic motivation to master challenging physics material," Shi said. "She consistently engaged with advanced problems, asked insightful questions, and supported her classmates by explaining difficult concepts with clarity and patience."

Shi said her research work spans radiation detection, data analysis, theoretical modeling and computational simulation, and has directly contributed to ongoing EPIC detector development.

"Given her impressive work under Dr. Shi's mentorship, it is no surprise that Alysa was chosen for the research exchange program," Dr. Rafael De La Madrid, chair of the physics department, said.

Patteson said she views the program as both a continuation and expansion of her research journey.

"I am most looking forward to bringing back the knowledge and skills I gain from this experience and applying them to my current research," she said. "I believe this opportunity will strengthen my ability to contribute to ongoing research in nuclear and particle physics and help me continue growing as a physicist."

Patteson is expected to complete her undergraduate degree following the summer program and plans to pursue a doctorate in physics.