While the eclipse will only be partially visible in Louisville, it can be experienced in its totality in a band about 100 miles wide from Mexico to Newfoundland, including most of southern Indiana like Paoli and Seymour, less than an hour away. 

“This will be so close to us in Louisville,” said Gerard Williger, professor of physics and astronomy, who is teaching the class. “Those who experience a total solar eclipse will remember it forever. It’s completely different from a partial eclipse: The temperature drops, birds go quiet, the wind dies down and a few bright stars and planets become visible.”

is entirely online and worth one college credit. The next time a total solar eclipse will occur this close to Louisville will be on Oct. 17, 2153.

“The course is unusual in that it does not fulfill a degree requirement, but rather is a free elective, like a golf or tennis class,” Williger said. “The goal is to inform people about this once-in-a-lifetime eclipse, and is not meant to take much time.”

“Special Topics: The Great North American Eclipse of 2024,” begins Jan. 8, 2024. The eclipse will be April 8, and the final class April 15. Lectures will be recorded for flexible viewing.

Visit the  for information on pricing and how to enroll. UofL employees may use their tuition remission benefit for the class.

Topics include the sun and the solar system; eclipses in art, literature, folklore, film, music and television; the celestial sphere and exoplanets.

Cities outside the , like Louisville, will experience a partial solar eclipse and see a crescent-shaped sun. 

�ճ���� is gearing up for crowds for the event and is offering five free viewing sites for eclipse-watchers. A festival is planned for the day before. �����Ի���, also within driving distance from Louisville, are planning for eclipse tourists.

For further information, contact Williger at gwilliger@louisville.edu or (502) 852-0821. 

, a double major in physics and political science who graduated in May,  gave careful consideration to both majors when entering UofL as a freshman and was prepared to switch to engineering if ever he felt drawn to more applicable science.

But Hulse never wavered from his decision to major in physics.

“As I continued with the physics major, I really came to appreciate just how beautiful and surprising the natural world is,” he said. “While I still want to use physics to make a practical impact, my interests would never let me completely abandon the pure, theoretical side.” 

Hulse was fortunate to find important mentors along the way in the physics department, especially Sergio Mendes and Timothy Dowling.

“I went to these two professors for guidance on deciding a field, picking universities to apply to, and just generally gaining their insights,” Hulse said. “They are both hidden gems at UofL, being deeply passionate about physics and sparking excitement in their students.”

A National Merit Finalist and Governor’s Scholar, Hulse had a lot of options for where to attend college. A full-ride McConnell scholarship tipped the scales in UofL’s favor, but it was also a priority for Hulse to gain a well-rounded liberal arts education.

He did so by earning a double major in physics and political science, as well as minors in mathematics and German. He maintained a 4.0 GPA and was an undergraduate teaching assistant in PHYS 350. He showed his talents as a natural mentor and collaborator by working extensively with a student with unique learning challenges, playing a key role in the student passing the class. Hulse also served on the McConnell Center Moot Court Team, as vice president of the Campus Lions Club, and as a member of the Society for Physics Students.

In addition to studying abroad in Germany, Thomas was active with physics research with professors at UofL and other universities. Remarkably, he has presented his undergraduate research in five separate presentations. His many accomplishments earned him the prestigious Woodcock Medal, which is awarded to an outstanding senior in recognition of both superior scholarship and personal characteristics. He was chosen as a student speaker for the May 2023 Commencement.

With such a strong undergraduate career behind him, Hulse will begin doctoral studies at Rice University this fall in Applied Physics.

“Applied physics is all about striking that balance between lofty theories and actual real-world application, which is the perfect fit for me,” he said. “I hope that I can find that balance to make a real, meaningful difference somewhere.” 

By Julie Wrinn,

In 2014, Du-Caines won a highly competitive, 3-year $394,000 grant from NASA to study the variability of tides in the atmosphere between earth and space.

“We want to be able to better forecast weather in space,” Du-Caines says. “The variability of tides is a piece of the puzzle we have to solve to be able to accurately predict day to day weather in space.”

Du-Caines says forecasting weather in space is about as accurate as forecasting weather on earth 50 years ago.

As part of the study, Clemson’s Oberheide is analyzing satellite data to see if it validates the model UofL’s Du-Caines is using to understand the variability of tides (a kind of large-scale wave similar to the Jet Stream) in space. The research is important, according to Du-Caines, to more clearly predict when storms or bad weather above the earth’s atmosphere might impact GPS, power grids, suborbital flights or satellites.

Du-Caines says she and Oberheide are more concerned about their research than what will be happening on the football field.

“We just laugh about it,” Du-Caines says, “though I wish we (UofL) would have won last year!”    

That early training helped the youngster cultivate an aptitude for problem solving and physics – a foundation that recently helped him win a prestigious , one of just 252 such awards given this year in the U.S.

The scholarship goes to undergraduate students in the fields of mathematics, science or engineering and provides up to $7,500 for tuition, fees, books, room and board.

Smart believes that his father’s influence helped lay the groundwork for his interest in science and ability to vie for the prominent scholarship.

“While working, he would discuss the functions of objects: why we use screws instead of nails; why plywood is so heavy compared to balsa wood; why we need to use a wrench, etc. He would spend the time to explain to me the how and why,” said Smart. “These questions developed me as a scientist and I still ask these questions as a physicist investigating the structure of matter.”

A physics and mathematics major, Smart will use his Goldwater scholarship to work toward his ultimate goal of earning a doctoral degree in theoretical particle physics.

“This intertwining of mathematics and physics in an effort to define the smallest details of the universe is the discovery of profound beauty and insightful explanation,” he explained.

Smart grew up in Woodford County, Kentucky, and is a 2013 graduate of Woodford County High School. His parents are Eric and Laurie Smart of Versailles.

He came to UofL as a Brown Fellow, perhaps the most prestigious scholarship program offered at the university. He is also a member of the University Honors Program and a Grawemeyer Research Scholar.

He already has contributed to several UofL projects and has presented findings at meetings including the Atlantic Coast Conference “Meeting of the Minds” research conference. He also received Research Experience for Undergraduates grants from the National Science Foundation to work with Cornell University’s accelerator physics program last summer and to work on plasma physics at University of California-Los Angeles this summer.

Smart praised the mentoring relationship between faculty and undergraduate students, who can learn early in their university careers the precise ways to do meaningful scientific research and work in groups.

“There’s a lot of opportunity there,” he said. “It’s good to start early. The relationships with faculty are what propel me forward.”

Physics Professor David Brown, who facilitated one of Smart’s research groups in 2014-15, said Smart has a “voracious appetite” for knowledge and understanding.

“He shows an incredible mind for grasping new concepts and synthesizing information into new ideas,” Brown said. “It’s obvious he has an unstoppable curiosity about the way the universe works at its most fundamental level and that he thinks deeply about these issues and actively pursues answers.”