UMass Amherst

Ryan McGorty

Majors: Physics, Journalism

Hometown: Holliston, Massachusetts


"I enjoy conducting research," says Ryan McGorty. As a senior pursuing departmental honors in physics, he is working with two faculty members on encapsulating live bacteria. "The breadth of the field I am doing research in –- soft condensed matter –- amazes me. Its range, with the tie-ins to biology, chemistry and material science, makes me confident that a career in physics could never be trite or uninspiring."

Ryan has been conducting research in assistant professor Anthony Dinsmore's lab since his first year. As a junior, he was one of 310 students nationwide to receive a Goldwater Scholarship for excellence in science and mathematics. Ryan has also presented his work at meetings of the New England Complex Fluids Workshop and at an annual conference of the American Physical Society. These experiences have strengthened his motivation for a career in science. After graduation, Ryan says he intends to pursue a Ph.D. in physics.

Because of his extensive experience in the field of physics, most people are surprised to learn that Ryan is also a journalism major. "I enjoy reading newspapers and magazines, especially science publications," he explains. While he does not plan on becoming a writer after college, Ryan recognizes that "an ability to communicate science to the general public is becoming more and more necessary. I look up to scientists like Brian Green, author of The Elegant Universe, who are doing research while explaining it to the general public. Whatever job I get, I hope to be in a position where I can explain science and my research to the public, either through teaching, writing or both."