Kelby Peterson

Biography

I am a physics major at Utah State University. I got involved with USU's Material's Physics Group the summer after my high school graduation. My research through the last 3 years has focused on materials used in spacecraft design. I have been analyzing a collection of materials that spent 18 months suspended from the International Space Station, looking at how the space environment degrades materials. I have been honored to be accepted as an SPS intern working at NIST in Maryland/DC this summer identifying individual biomolecules in complex solutions. Outside of my research I'm also high involved in my university's SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma chapters. I have served as USU's Sigma Pi Sigma Vice President for the last year, as have been re elected for next year. I participate in countless outreach events through our SPS chapter a semester including numerous projects at local elementary schools, our annual Mythbusters demo show, Science Unwrapped outreach talks, Physics Day at Lagoon, and countless other things.Outside of physics I work as a Resident Assistant for on-campus housing, am the Director of Scholastics for the National Residence Hall Honorary, and will the president of USU's L.I.F.E Council next year.