Dr. Brian Kent

Current position?
Jansky Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Skills learned as a WVU Physics student that are most useful in your career?
Problem solving! In every physics course you are taught to think outside the box. There are multiple paths to every answer, and often asking the right question is the real challenge in research.

Reason for coming to WVU to study Physics?
I was fortunate enough to be awarded a Foundation Scholarship to support my undergraduate education. I chose my major because studying astronomy requires a strong background in both physics and math.

Most rewarding Physics course(s) taken?
As most physics majors learn very quickly, the various physics disciplines blend together in all areas of research. No one course gives you all the answers! However, I always enjoyed classical electrodynamics – an important theoretical background component of my research in radio astronomy

Involvement in graduate research projects?
My summer NSF REU projects in Florida (studying quasars) and at NRAO Green Bank (studying masers) were valuable in preparing me for graduate research at Cornell University.