Degrees & Programs Physics

Daniel Staples ('21) came to Westmont as an avid lover of art, science, and the outdoors. While at the college Daniel pursued his passion for the former two fields by double-majoring in Art and Physics. His contribution to the Westmont Graduate Exhibition, The Dark Ages, connected imagery from plague doctors of the past to the current feelings of frustration and confusion felt during the current COVID-19 pandemic. He was also actively involved in a research project in nuclear physics during his senior year under the direction of professor Robert Haring-Kaye, presenting a poster of his work at the 2021 Westmont College Student Research Symposium. His results are expected to contribute to a peer-reviewed publication in an internationally-recognized journal. Daniel currently enjoys hunting and working at an IT company with his father near his home in Montana.

Chisondi Warioba ('21), originally from Tanzania, moved to California when he was seven years old where he lived with his father and adoptive mother. Fueled by a passion for medicine, Chisondi initially chose Westmont to pursue a degree that would lead to medical school. By the time he graduated, Chisondi was one of only four students in his class who completed a triple major (Chemistry, Biology, and Physics). Not only did he excel at academics and research while at Westmont, he also assumed a leadership role in advancing racial justice and reconciliation, leading the Black Student Union his junior year and organizing discussion panels for Residence Life events centered around these and other social issues. At the 2021 Commencement exercises, Chisondi received the Dave Dolan Award in recognition of his leadership in responding to the social and spiritual needs of the college. Chisondi is currently pursuing a PhD in Medical Physics at the University of Chicago.

Aria Hamann ’16 received a prestigious graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation to support her doctoral studies in engineering and applied science at Harvard University in the fall. In 2016, she also earned a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct hydrology research at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. She worked on an independent research project to simulate Managed Aquifer Recharge, a promising method of securing a consistent freshwater supply for subsequent recovery or environmental benefits.

Jesse Cozean ’07 majored in physics at Westmont and works for medical device companies his mother, Colette Day Cozean ’80, has started. He is vice president of research and development at Innovative BioDefense Inc. and Abela Pharmaceuticals, and he spends much of his time in the lab. At Westmont, he learned to think through problems and persist until he solved them, which helps in developing new products. He has also written a book “My Grandfather’s War: A Young Man’s Lessons from the Greatest Generation,” which documents Robert Cozean’s ordeal in a German camp.