Undergrad Participates in High-Energy Physics Summer Research

Will Lancer - the URECA researcher of the month for June - is a junior double majoring in physics and mathematics. Since January 2025, he has been working on experimental high-energy physics research in the ATLAS group under the mentorship of Assistant Professor Hannah Arnold, Department of Physics and Astronomy.In the spring semester of his sophomore year, he was awarded a 2025 URECA fellowship to participate in 10 weeks of immersive summer research.

"The summer is such an incredible time to do research because it lets you make massive gains in research while not sacrificing your coursework," said Lancer. "I think it's so useful to have a summer research program like URECA because you can progress your research abilities and careers in a safe, protected environment without sacrificing any of the coursework. It's the perfect environment!

Lancer's research focuses on the ttH(->cc) decay: the process of a Higgs particle being produced in association with two top quarks, and then decaying into two charm quarks. He uses ROOT, C++ and machine learning for large-scale data analysis. Long term, he plans to pursue graduate studies in theoretical high-energy physics.

Lancer has already completed several graduate-level classes, including Classical Electrodynamics and Quantum Field Theory I; he also did two independent reading courses under the direction of Professor Martin Roček to build his foundational knowledge in theoretical physics.

On campus, Lancer is involved as a member of the Stony Brook Society of Physics Students, where he contributes as a "Problem of the Week" writer, and is active with the Stony Brook Math Club and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club.

Read the full interview with URECA Director Karen Kernan.