ɬ�﷬

ɬ�﷬ Associate Professor of Physics Kristen Burson has been awarded a Department of Energy (DOE) Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) grant to support her ongoing research collaboration with Materials Scientist at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This prestigious award enables faculty from institutions not classified as "Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity” or “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity" to work alongside leading scientists at DOE-funded national labs during the summer.

Burson’s research project, titled "Trapping Noble Gases in Silicate Cages of Various Sizes," focuses on developing and analyzing methods to capture xenon and other noble gases using silicate nanocages. Conducted at Brookhaven’s Center for Functional Nanomaterials, this research has broad applications, including nuclear non-proliferation, noble gas production, and the removal of waste products from nuclear energy processes. The project seeks to create cost-effective techniques for capturing low concentrations of noble gases, a crucial aspect of various industrial and scientific fields.

“I am looking forward to returning to Brookhaven this summer to work with my collaborator, Dr. Boscoboinik. Our collaborative research last summer on isolating noble gases provided significant momentum for my continued work on this important and exciting project. For our students, the summer experience is especially high impact since they get the opportunity to work with “fancy” scientific instruments at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials and to network with scientists at Brookhaven, while simultaneously benefitting from close faculty mentorship that continues upon returning to ɬ�﷬,”said Burson.

As part of the grant, Burson will be joined by two ɬ�﷬ students, Joyce Lin ’26 and Andrea Roy ’26, who will work alongside her and Boscoboinik’s lab at Brookhaven National Lab. The VFP program provides generous stipends, as well as support for travel and housing, ensuring that both faculty and students have the necessary resources to conduct their research.

This marks Burson’s second consecutive year receiving a VFP grant. In 2024, she collaborated with Boscoboinik at Brookhaven along with ɬ�﷬ students Eric Genet ’26 and Shabab Kabir ’26. Both Genet and Kabir were later awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarships by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation for their academic and research achievements. Read more about their recognition here.

Through opportunities like the VFP grant, ɬ�﷬ continues to provide students with hands-on research experiences that contribute to meaningful scientific advancements.