The Tafti Lab appreciates diversity and welcomes enthusiastic researchers of different backgrounds to join the team. We strive to create a dynamic, friendly, and collaborative environment where postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers work together and learn from each other. Our weekly group meetings serve to bring the group members together, introduce new members, discuss the latest achievements of team members, solve problems with the lab equipment, and have group presentations. The group presentations are meant to improve the students’ presentation skills and evoke deep scientific discussions.
When new members join the lab, they are introduced in the group meeting and connected with other students and postdocs. Each group member is responsible for an instrument in the lab and helps others use that instrument and troubleshoot potential problems. Although group members are extremely efficient in helping and training each other, Prof. Tafti always finds time for one-to-one training of every student (including undergraduates) and postdoc.
The group has a tradition of organizing group dinners in their favorite restaurants where all team members can discuss their professional as well as personal interests and challenges in an informal setting. There are no hierarchies in our group and everyone is valued for their unique talent and personality. This is why the Tafti Lab has been remarkably successful in training students and postdocs to succeed in the competitive job market. The lab also maintains a healthy connection with its alumni who act as another layer of support for the group members. Examples of group activities are shown below to give a picture of life in the Tafti Lab.
Group Dinner April 2024)
The group had dinner at Stoked Pizzeria. On the left side from front to back, we have Nate, Sudhaman, Xiaohan, Xinyi, Mira, and Grace. On the right, we have Enrique, Sid, Fazel, Kyle, and Bhawana.
APS Meeting (March 2024)
The 2024 APS talks by Kyle Fruhling (left), Xiaohan Yao (top right), and Sudhaman Balguri (bottom right) were well-received by the audience at the APS March meeting in Minneapolis.
Christmas Party (December 2023)
The physics department at BC holds a Christmas party each year. Most of our group members were present at the party. From left to right: Bhawana, Enrique, Kyle, Nate, Fazel, Mira, Xinyi, and Sid.
Group dinner (December 2023)
The group went for dinner with two distinguished guests, Dr. Berit Goodge (physics seminar speaker) and Dr. Hung-Yu Yang (Tafti Lab alumni). From left to right: (front) Sid, Kyle, Nate, Hung-Yu, Xinyi, Grace, Mira, Enrique (back) Fazel, Berit, Olivia, Sudhaman, Bhawana
Undergraduate poster presentation (Nov. 2023)
Undergraduate researchers, Mira Mahendru (left) and Nathan Tolva (right), presented their posters at the Society of Physics Students meeting. Mira presented her work on the large negative magnetoresistance in EuCd2P2. Nate presented his work on the quasi-1D magnetism in van der Waals materials.
Graduation of Dr. Faranak Bahrami. Congrats!
Faranak Bahrami successfully defended her thesis and graduated in the spring of 2023. She started a postdoctoral position at Princeton University to work on quantum computers. Congratulations!
Graduation dinner for Faranak, Andrew, and Emilie (May 2023)
The team members got together to celebrate the graduation of the graduate student, Farnak Bahrami, and undergraduate students, Andrew Cole (Physics) and Emilie Dufault (Chemistry).
American Physical Society meeting (March 2023)
The 2023 APS talks by Faranak Bahrami (top left), Xiaohan Yao (top right), Alenna Streeter (bottom left), and Kyle Fruhling (bottom right) received lots of attention and were followed by exciting discussions.
Undergraduate Poster Presentation (Nov. 2022)
Emilie Dufault (chemistry major) and Andrew Cole (physics major) presented their research posters at the SPS event at Boston College. They are both senior students with active research projects in Tafti Lab.
Group dinner (September 2022)
From left to right: (front) Enrique, Emilie, Grace, Olivia, Kyle, Fazel, Alenna, Faranak, Xiaohan (back) Kadan, Sudhaman, Nathan, Andrew, Piyush
Tafti Lab at the Otto’s (April 2022)
From left to right: (front) Emilie, Mira, Faranak, Xiaohan, Alenna (middle) Kyle, Kadan, Fazel, Piyush, Nathan, (back) Sudhaman, Andrew
Last group meeting of the year (December 2021)
From left to right: Nathan, Sudhaman, Emilie, Piyush, Faranak, Mira, Fazel, Violet, Alenna, Andrew, Kyle
Group dinner (October 2021)
From left to right: (Front) Emilie, Kyle, Nathan, Piyush; (Back) Faranak, Alenna, Andrew, Kemal, Sudhaman, Fazel
Group lunch (June 2021)
From left to right: Faranak, Andrew, Owen, Kyle, Emilie, Fazel, Xiaohan, Alenna.
Graduation of Dr. Hung-Yu Yang. Congrats!
From left to right: Xiaohan, Hung-Yu, Fazel, Faranak, Kyle, Alenna.
Our group meetings continue remotely!
From left to right and top to bottom: Fazel, Alenna, Renee, Kyle, Kemal, Faranak, Andrew, Zhi-Cheng, Tom, and Xiaohan.
Tafti Lab celebrating the Chinese new year!
From left to right: Tom, Fazel, Xiaohan, Hung-Yu, Summe, and Faranak.
Happy Birthday Faranak! (December 2019)
From left to right: Zhi-Cheng, Faranak, Fazel, Jane, Hung-Yu, and Nancy. Happy birthday to FB!
West Roxbury Public Library (October 2019)
Renee and Fazel demonstrating electromagnetic induction, superconductivity, and more to young scientists at the West Roxbury public library. Thanks to Faranak for taking the picture and helping with the event. Thanks to Ms. Philecia Harris for organzing and hosting the event at the library.
Happy Brithday to Hung-Yu and Summer (August 2019)
From left to right: Faranak, Tom, Nikhil, and Fazel (standing), and Hung-Yu and Summer (sitting). Happy birthday to HYY and SM!
Group Lunch (June 2019)
Tafti lab having lunch and kick-starting a productive summer.
Group Lunch (April 2019)
Tafti lab in their favorite pizza place after a lab clean up.
APS March Meeting (March 2019)
Hung-Yu, Fazel, and Faranak having fun at the APS meeting.
Brookline Public Library (October 2017)
Hung-Yu and Fazel demonstrating acid-base reactions to elementary school students at the Brookline public library.
Cambridge Science Festival (April 2017)
Mykola explains superconducting levitation to a young audience during the science festival. Parents were as curious as children.
Newton Public Library (September 2016)
Samantha explains the magic of magnetic materials and magnetic fluids to an excited crowd of 8-15 years old children.