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INTRODUCING

Madelyn Leembruggen, PhD

Hungry Physicist & Science Communicator

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Madelyn Leembruggen

PhD in Theoretical Physics,

Harvard University

BS in Astro/Physics &

BA in Mathematics,

University of Cincinnati

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About

About

My speciality is the physics of the everyday.  Whether it's the culinary chemistry that fills our bellies, the material properties that built our world, or the engineering marvels that fuel our transportation, I love revealing the science and technology that underpin our modern lives.

I graduated from Harvard University in 2024 with a PhD in theoretical soft matter physics. My dissertation is at the intersection of soft condensed matter physics and materials science; I've built simulations of thin materials in order to study how paper crumples! As a freelance educator and science PhD, I have taught science to middle schoolers through graduate students in a variety of formal and informal settings, and developed research talks from 2 to 90 minutes long for audiences from general to technical.

I am dedicated to making STEM an equitable, inclusive, and accessible space for people from all backgrounds. To this end, I co-founded and am President of  A World of Women in STEM, an online learning space dedicated to celebrating past, present, and future women+ in STEM fields. 

Education & Experience

Science Communication

I am a researcher turned science communicator, intent on telling stories that center the human process of discovery. Drawing inspiration from history and the natural world, I use humor and compassion to demystify science. Video is my favorite medium, but I also work in written and audio formats.

Trumpeters of the Rockies
05:06
The Doorway to the Underworld is Growing and We Can't Stop It
07:53
Soup, salad, or sandwich? Physics has the answer | Madelyn Leembruggen | TEDxDayton
13:47
MIT Professor Explains Nuclear Fusion in 5 Levels of Difficulty | WIRED
24:30
2000 Years of Optics: From starting fires with ice to contact lenses
06:25
Dr. Joan Murrell Owens: Call of the Coral
06:16
The Magic of Piezoelectricity: How Crystals Create Lightning
02:33

Physics Research

My graduate work at Harvard University was at the intersection of soft condensed matter physics and material science, exploring deformations of thin sheets. Specifically, I studied how paper crumples and ribbons wrinkle!

I built simulations in C++ to model thin materials, and used Python to visualize the results of our simulations.

Watch this 4 minute recap of my dissertation to learn about my PhD research:

Skills & Languages

As an undergraduate at the University of Cincinnati, I studied theoretical cosmology, focusing on dark matter candidates such as the axion and other axion-like particles. I used pencil and paper (and a LOT of chalk) to calculate the gravitational stability of structures that these hypothetical particles might form.

Papers related to these topics can be found on my publications tab.

Awards & Interests

Fellowships & Awards

2024 Harvard Physics Excellence in Teaching Prize

2023 Jackson Wild Media Lab Fellow

2021 Harvard Physics Excellence in Teaching Prize

2020 Harvard Physics Graduate Leadership Prize

2018 Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellow

2018 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow

2018 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence, Univ. of Cincinnati

2018 Eleanor Hicks Outstanding Female Senior Award, Univ. of Cincinnati 

2018 Helen Weinberger Award, Univ. of Cincinnati Phi Beta Kappa Society

2018 Leroy Apker Award finalist, American Physical Society

2017 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar

2017 Chapter Junior Award, Univ. of Cincinnati Phi Beta Kappa Society

2016-2018 Violet M. Diller Scholarship, Univ. of Cincinnati

2014-2018 Cincinnatus Academic Scholarship, Univ. of Cincinnati

Skills

Media

Public Speaking & Video Hosting

Science Writing (Lay & Technical)

Video Production

Curriculum Creation

Premiere ProLightroom, & Photoshop

Presentation design

Academic

Python & C++

Data Analysis

Grant Proposals

Workshop Facilitation

LaTeX

Contact me

Contact Me

Thanks, I'll get back to you soon!

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