Buffalo, NY - Canisius University Physics Professor Michael Wood, PhD, will present on the building blocks of matter, Wednesday, September 17, in a public talk titled “How to Build a Proton.” The event, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in Science Hall Room 1053.
Wood will share findings from his recent sabbatical, during which he conducted advanced research supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. His work focuses on the most basic of building blocks of matter – protons – and the subatomic particles that form a stable proton. “The talk will illuminate how big science can explain such a small thing,” he says.
Wood will also discuss what it means to take a sabbatical as a university researcher, how new knowledge is discovered and how faculty research fuels both personal growth and societal advancement.
Michael Wood is an experimental nuclear physicist whose research spans from the internal structure of atomic nuclei to the elusive mystery of dark matter. At Canisius, he is known for his dedication to student research, routinely bringing undergraduates into national-level experiments at Jefferson Lab and collaborating with scientists across the globe.
Recently, Wood presented at the BDX & Beyond Workshop at Jefferson Lab, where he shared insights on the proposed Beam Dump eXperiment (BDX), a cutting-edge project aimed at producing a beam of dark matter using leftover electron energy. This initiative may open new frontiers in understanding the unseen forces shaping the universe.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
