For most first-year students at Miami, their biggest adjustment is probably differentiating the many quads on campus or figuring out how to make new friends. For sophomore Physics major Zeynep “Zay” Bayraktar, it was getting accustomed to Ohio’s notoriously polarizing weather.

Bayraktar is originally from İzmir, a stunning coastal city in western Turkey that is more Mediterranean than Midwestern. Adjusting to rainy springs and cold winters was a challenge, but one she gladly adapted to in order to study the science that she loves. Hailing from a city with over 8,000 years of history as a human settlement, it makes sense that it would be physics.

“Physics is the first science that was born, and it's the most fundamental,” Bayraktar explained. “I'm passionate about physics because physics explains how the universe works, and it gives us a methodology to think about things in life.”

Exploring the world around her

During the 2024-2025 academic year, approximately 2,600 students at Miami pursued independent studies, internships, or directed research thanks to the encouragement of the Office of Research for Undergraduates. In the Physics department, which is tight-knit with a low student-to-faculty ratio, all undergraduate students begin exploring hands-on research opportunities right away. The mentorship, according to Bayraktar, has been invaluable.

“We're a small department, but we are so close as a student community and to the professors,” she said. “Everybody here feels like a family.”

Bayraktar is already exploring her third research experience here as an undergraduate assistant in Miami’s condensed matter lab. Her work there focuses on atomic-scale, quantum, and semi-conductor materials. She spent her first year studying spectroscopy, a technique used to study the interaction between matter and light, and the following summer as an Undergraduate Summer Scholar, pursuing independent research in the same field.

“The thing I love the most about research is getting to see how theory connects to real-world applications,” Bayraktar said. “It's also understanding that what we do matters and that it will touch people's lives.”

This summer her plans include heading west to Purdue University, where she has been named an Open Quantum Initiative Fellow and a Summer Undergraduate Research Participant. In their Quantum Nano-Photonics Lab, she’ll help develop faster methods to characterize photonic chips.

Each hour in the lab unraveling the secrets of the universe is working toward what Bayraktar hopes is a long career studying what she’s passionate about. After graduating from Miami, Bayraktar plans to pursue a Ph.D. in experimental physics, hoping to specialize in quantum optics, quantum sensing, or quantum materials.

“In the long term, I see myself as a research scientist at a national lab,” Bayraktar said. “Or staying in academia and having my own lab and teaching.”

Discovering a community

And she’s stayed involved on campus outside of the classroom. Bayraktar is a member of the Lilly Leadership Institute, the vice president of Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, a physics peer mentor, and a resident assistant. In just two years at Miami, she’s come a long way — and not just geographically.

“Honestly, it took a lot of effort from me to find my community at Miami, especially as an international student,” Bayraktar said. “It sometimes takes you being vulnerable and open about your culture. I think the moment I started having conversations with people, instead of having my headphones on, I started finding my community.”

Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the College of Arts and Science? Visit the website for more information.