Jillian Paulin

Astronomy/Physics Major at Colgate University

Jillian is a 2019 Open Rivers Scholar and a rising sophomore at Colgate University studying astronomy and physics. She is a recipient of the Edwin Foster Kingsbury Prize from the Physics and Astronomy department and the Donald Lloyd Cotton ‘36 Prize from the Music department as well as a Dean’s Award recipient. Jillian is currently involved in research with her department on dark matter and stellar evolution. 

At Colgate, she has particularly enjoyed her Atoms and Waves course where she had a chance to conduct a Quantum Eraser lab, and her Introduction to Mechanics course, where she got to create her own lab! She is also an active participant in the Department of Physics and Astronomy weekly seminars, where guests present their work and connect with students. As Colgate is carbon neutral, Jillian has found that sustainability is a well-discussed topic on campus and she personally has many opportunities to get involved, from environmental studies lectures and volunteering opportunities to just being mindful by using a reusable water bottle. 

When she is not doing physics, Jillian is the student principal violist in the Colgate University Orchestra and plays in the Colgate Chamber Players. She is also a member of Impulse, a group that works to increase diversity in STEM, and is an Alumni Memorial Scholar which allows her to attend conferences and pursue research. Outside of Colgate, she enjoys attending shows at the Ho Tung Visualization Laboratory, the campus planetarium with shows each Friday, helping Bethel High School students with STEM courses, and playing games with friends.