William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute

I was a postdoc at FTPI from 2016 to 2020. I can definitely say that my stay in FTPI was one of the best periods of my life. The scientific climate in FTPI is outstanding, and the freedom to do whatever I want, but at the same time work closely with great scientists is one of its greatest strengths. On top of that, the people at FTPI, staff and faculty, are warm and welcoming, and the place still feels like home to me. FTPI also provided me with the experience (and the connections!!) that allowed me to obtain my current position at Ariel University.

Thank you FTPI for everything!

The Fine Theoretical Physics Institute was instrumental in my development as a physicist. My research interests expanded into the inflationary epoch through collaborations with faculty working on the DOE HE theory grant. They introduced me to tools I continue to use and their insights continue to shape my thinking. Perhaps more important were the weekly seminars where faculty, post-docs, and graduate students gathered to hear top researchers present their recent work, and perhaps more importantly, to discuss this work. Seminars were frequently lively and I benefited greatly from observing brilliant physicists engage with these fascinating topics. FTPI helped me develop into an independent researcher.

FTPI has a friendly research environment with world renowned researchers covering a vast array of topics. This environment played a vital role in my maturation as a researcher. In fact, many of my current expertises is attributed to my time at FTPI. For example, I was first encouraged to consider topics such as supergravity, inflation, dark matter phenomenology, proton decay, and grand unification during my time at FTPI. These topics are the foundations of much of my current research. Much of my success as a researcher can be traced back to the great research environment of FTPI.

The time I spent at FTPI was amazing. I worked there as a postdoc from 2020-2021. People at FTPI, and more generally at the School of Physics and Astronomy, always made me feel welcome and that I belonged. At the same time, I had the opportunity to work with world-leading experts on the research topics I am most interested in, e.g., unconventional superconductivity and quantum criticality. It was a great experience, which boosted my career in academia and brought me to the place where I am today.

The reason why I decided to apply to the graduate degree program in Minnesota was the presence of FTPI. My first contact with the Institute was in fact before I applied, when I visited for the occasion of M. Shifman's sexagennial celebration.

I was lucky to learn particle physics, gravitation, cosmology and supersymmetry from members of FTPI. These classes, and my interaction with members of the Institute, facilitated my transition from the study of mathematical structures in quantum mechanics to the study of high energy phenomena in the early Universe. In this regard, I was particularly lucky to have Keith Olive as my Ph.D. advisor, to whom I owe a good part of my success in academia. The FTPI/Lunchtime Seminars provided a great opportunity not only to learn about new developments and proposals in high energy physics, but also to identify and question any unfounded assumptions upon which they may rely. The financial support was invaluable for developing my research and communicating it.

Unluckily most of my stay at FTPI was during the remodeling of Tate, and I haven't been back since, but I can imagine that it remains as dynamic and welcoming as I remember it, for students, postdocs, visitors and faculty.