Faculty Researchers
Meet the faculty leading research in our department. Interested in getting involved? See our Internships page for how to find a research position.
📷 [IMAGE: photo of Dr. Sara Callori] 📷
Dr. Sara Callori
Prof. Callori studies ferroelectric, magnetic, and multiferroic thin films, focusing on functional perovskites and superlattices that power next-generation electronic technologies. She is a leader in the Center for Advanced Functional Materials, a multi-institution collaboration advancing cutting-edge materials research and hands-on student involvement.
📷 [IMAGE: photo of Dr. Matteo Crismani] 📷
Dr. Matteo Crismani
Prof. Crismani studies the atmosphere of Mars, investigating cloud formation and meteor ablation using data from NASA missions and international collaborations with ESA and JAXA, including the Martian Moons eXplorer mission returning samples from Phobos. He also directs the Murillo Family Observatory, where students gain hands-on observing experience and participate directly in planetary science research.
📷 [IMAGE: photo of Dr. Jonathan Daniel] 📷
Dr. Jonathan Daniel
Dr. Daniel works at the intersection of quantum optics, nonlinear optics, and quantum sensing. His doctoral research examined the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect in atomic vapor, and as a Cal-Bridge postdoctoral fellow he collaborated on developing highly sensitive quantum field sensors based on nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, work that was selected for a FedTech entrepreneurial incubator. He is CSUSB's first EPA Faculty Fellow, working with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona Division.
📷 [IMAGE: photo of Dr. Martin Kim] 📷
Dr. Martin Kim
Prof. Kim is an experimental physicist working in quantum optics and solid-state materials, with research spanning nanotechnology, semiconductors, spectroscopy, and quantum information science supported by NSF and DoD funding. He mentors students in advanced laboratory research that prepares them for graduate study, national labs, and high-technology careers.
📷 [IMAGE: photo of Dr. Katy Rodriguez Wimberly] 📷
Dr. Katy Rodriguez Wimberly
Prof. Rodriguez Wimberly studies the formation and evolution of the earliest galaxies by researching ultra faint dwarf galaxies using telescopes and cosmological simulations. She serves in national leadership roles with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the Cal Bridge Program, combining frontline astrophysics with strong mentorship and student support.
📷 [IMAGE: photo of Dr. Laura Woodney] 📷
Dr. Laura Woodney
Prof. Woodney studies comets and other small icy bodies to understand the formation and evolution of our solar system using ground-based optical observations. She provides students with hands-on research experience in observational astronomy and data analysis that connects classroom learning with real discovery.