Robert Bentley & Geno Santistevan
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Physics PhD Candidates
Advisor
Dr. Douglas Wells
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Robert Bentley is beginning his sixth year as a PhD candidate at NMT, with interests in nuclear astrophysics. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of California, Berkeley in Astrophysics and Physics. When he first joined NMT he intended to pursue radio astronomy, as he did throughout his undergraduate degree, by conducting further research at the NRAO. However, in his first year, Dr. Douglas Wells presented a talk at a physics department colloquium on his research interests in photonuclear physics. Because of its potential contributions to astrophysics, he decided to pursue nuclear astrophysics.
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Geno Santistevan graduated from The University of New Mexico with Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Mathematics. He entered NMT’s graduate program in the Fall of 2018. At the time, he applied and was accepted to the physics masters program. After his first semester, Geno considered upgrading to the physics PhD program. With the encouragement of his advisor and other physics faculty, Geno applied to the graduate office for the program upgrade in February 2019 and was accepted into the PhD program in August 2019. Geno completed his coursework at the end of the Spring 2021 semester and obtained PhD candidacy in August of 2022.
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Geno worked for 3 semesters as a physics department Teaching Assistant and subsequently as a Research Assistant under Dr. Douglas Wells from Spring of 2019 to the present.
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Together, Robert and Geno have been researching photonuclear reaction cross sections and their implications for nuclear astrophysics and radioisotope production for medical and other applications. Robert’s research includes the measurement of photonuclear cross sections that have applications in the medical and astrophysical communities. Technetium-99 metastable is a high demand medical radioisotope because it is used in approximately 1/3 of the cancer diagnostic procedures in the United States. By irradiating natural ruthenium and molybdenum targets with high energy g-rays (bremsstrahlung radiation), we will measure photonuclear cross sections for this and many other mass ≈ 100 radioisotopes, which currently have poorly constrained (or unmeasured) cross sections. These cross sections can be used to help explain the abundance of proton rich nuclei in AGB stars, because neutron emission channels around molybdenum are largely unexplored. Geno’s research, using similar techniques, includes the measurement of photonuclear cross sections that produce Copper-67 and Scandium-47 radioisotopes. Both of these are high national-priority radioisotopes for biomedical research and applications. Both Geno and Robert attended the American Nuclear Society’s AccApp ’21 national conference in Washington DC in December 2021, where they presented their research on these topics. They both published follow-on peer-reviewed journal articles papers on their research, which were published in the 2023 Nuclear Science and Engineering Journal.
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NMT physics graduate students, Cat Zeiger, Robert Bentley, and Geno Santistevan (left to right) along with ISU graduate student, Kean Martinic, visit the electron beam accelerator at Johns Hopkins - Applied Physics Laboratory.
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NMT physics PhD candidates, Geno Santistevan and Robert Bentley (left to right in foreground), visit Johns Hopkins - Applied Physics Laboratory, along Cat Zeiger (NMT physics graduate student) and ISU graduate student, Kean Martinic, visit the electron beam accelerator at Johns Hopkins - Applied Physics Laboratory.
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NMT graduate and undergraduate students studying nuclear physics show off NMT's new nuclear physics lab in Workman Center.
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11/03 @ 2pm
GSA Meeting and Thesis Writing Workshop
A supplementary event during the GSA normal meeting time to discuss thesis writing, starting from the literature review stage. The GSA will have Dr. El-Osery, as well as several students who have been through part of or a whole graduate degree to discuss strategies, suggestions, and to answer questions. While this event is primarily targeted towards those who are starting their graduate programs, all are welcome to attend!
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12/01
Fall 23 - Completion Paperwork
If you are planning to graduate in December 2023
If you are planning to graduate in December 2023 you should have already submitted your intent to graduate. All completion paperwork should be done and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies by December 1st, 2023. For additional information please visit our Completion Guide.
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04/26
Spring 24 - Completion Paperwork
For Spring graduation to be eligible to participate in Commencement and have your degree conferred at the end of Spring semester in the month of May
The completed report of the advisory committee, iThenticate report from academic advisor, and ProQuest submission of the final thesis/dissertation must be submitted by April 26th, 2024 to the Center for Graduate Studies or one final copy of an accepted independent study paper must be submitted to the student’s advisor and advisory committee. Please refer to the Completion Guideline on the CGS website.
Must have submitted your intent to graduate form prior to the beginning of the Spring 2024 semester.
Must submit your Diploma and Intent to Walk to the Registrar by April 12th, 2024.
Student degrees are not complete until final materials have been approved by the Center for Graduate Studies and the student receives final acceptance via email from the ProQuest system. Students are encouraged to submit their thesis/dissertation drafts earlier to ensure that it will be accepted by the Registrar's deadline.
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Scholarships and Other Opportunities
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There are some Endowed scholarship opportunities open to graduate students, which are listed here on the Endowed Scholarship website. Native American graduate students should contact the Financial Aid Office for further information on additional scholarship opportunities (financial_aid@nmt.edu).
Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA SSGF) - January 10th, 2024 - Click for More Information
The Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) - January 17th, 2024 - Click for More Information
Technology-to-Market Summer Scholars (Summer 2024) - January 31st, 2024 - Click for More Information
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Graduate Student Association (GSA)
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Center for Graduate Studies
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Admission & Student Success
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Graduate Coordinator / Technology Manager
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