Annual Report 2025-Virginia Tech QuarkNet Center

Our center had a great 2025! Our lead teacher, Rebecca Jaronski, has also stepped into the role as a Neutrino Fellow for QuarkNet. In February, she participated in the Virtual Fellows Camp, which focused on producing more data portfolio activities. Rebecca submitted an idea for neutrino data activity, and is currently in the process of drafting it for inclusion in the DAP for QuarkNet.

Our summer workshop occurred on July 30, 31 and August 1st. 5 teachers attended, including one new recruit who came for his students- they have apparently been begging him to help them with quantum computing and other modern physics concepts, and he found us! 

Our workshop theme combined 2 National Workshops from QuarkNet. Daniel Kallenberg flew to Blacksburg to help us build and test Cosmic Watches, and Ken Cecire helped to facilitate the Minerva Masterclass workshop. Thanks so much to Dan and Ken! The VT Center Teachers hope to use the Cosmic Watches for several activities in our classrooms this year and also to potentially participate in the Minerva Masterclass workshop in the spring with our students.  

In addition to the National Workshops, Virginia Tech professor and our center’s co-mentor, Tommy O’Donnell, gave a talk on his work in neutrino physics and rare event searches, specifically the CUORE experiment in Italy.  He also took the participating teachers on a tour of the high energy labs at Virginia Tech- including testing our Cosmic Watches in the laboratory with lead shielding and radiation sources. The talk and tour were amazing, and we also enjoyed working in the brand new Virginia Tech science lab building!

Our center is growing and developing, and we look forward to a strong 2026!