Undergraduate Researcher
Department of Chemistry
University of Vermont
Discovery Hall W319
82 University Place
Burlington, Vermont 05405
Education
B.Sc. Chemistry, University of Vermont, May 2020
Background and Research Interests
Luke Burgess, a native of Galway, New York, is currently a junior in the Department of Chemistry. Luke decided to come to Vermont after being forced to visit, and ended up falling in love with UVM entirely. Luke chose chemistry after falling in love with all of the amazing concepts that arise using simple charged particles during his junior year in high school. He loves how chemistry can be applied across disciplines and enjoys learning about these important concepts.
Luke chose to work in the Ruggiero group because of the focus of the research on understanding the fundamental nature of atomic-level interactions, and is currently working on using a combination of density functional theory simulations and experimental terahertz spectroscopy to probe the critical forces within solids that drive their molecular dynamics. Luke plans on continuing his education after finishing his degree, and hopes to pursue a graduate degree in chemistry.
Luke’s previous achievements include being an Eagle Scout, and in his free time he enjoys hiking, biking, and snowboarding.