Join us in welcoming our Fall 2020 incoming students:
Jared Baggett – incoming MS student
Jared completed his undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. He found his interest for medical applications of physics during his biomedical optics class as an undergraduate. After researching the topic and shadowing a medical physicist, Jared knew that medical physics was perfect for him. Always wanting to help those in need, Jared hopes to use his experience from UF to work with therapeutic treatment of cancer patients. Aside from school, Jared enjoys playing sports, working out, and having a good time with his friends. He has a soft spot for animals and is always willing to stay inside for a movie night.
Ronnie Bolden (Lieutenant, United States Navy) – incoming MS student
Ronnie is an enlisted, active duty Naval Officer. For over a decade, he operated nuclear reactors for the US Navy. Now, as an officer, his focus is on radiation health. Ronnie completed his undergraduate studies thru Excelsior College during his three-year tour as an instructor at the Naval Nuclear Power Prototype in Charleston, South Carolina. He was selected to complete the Navy DUINS program and chose UF. He’s excited to learn more about Medical Physics and aspires to become a DABR certified Medical Physicist. In his free time, Ronnie enjoys spending time with his family.
Florian Buhlman – incoming MS student
Florida completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida! Go Gators! Florian first learned about medical physics as an undergrad, as several of his classmates were pursuing a Medical Physics degree. The path came into focus for him after he began working for UF, within the EH&S Radiation Safety program, where he was surrounded by inspirational colleagues that had followed a similar trajectory. When not at school or work, Florian enjoys taking on DIY projects. From soldering PCBs to wrenching on vehicles and anywhere in between, Florian loves to learn and apply new skills.
Jacob Campbell – incoming MS student
Jacob obtained an MS degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and completed his undergraduate studies at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. Jacob also works as an electrical engineer at UF in the Florida Applied Research in Engineering (FLARE) Department of the College of Engineering. His interest in medical physics started when he shadowed a radiation oncologist and medical physicist during their treatment of cancer patients. Aside from studying and working, Jacob enjoys cooking and exercise (including playing soccer).
Bobby Dawson – incoming MS student
Bobby completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He is currently working in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, as a medical physics assistant at Ackerman Cancer Center. He is interested in research geared toward optimizing radiation therapy, specifically proton therapy. Bobby became interested in medical physics after touring UF’s Proton Therapy Institute in high school and later spending a summer working as an undergraduate researcher at Cornell’s high energy synchrotron source. In his free time, he enjoys DIY home improvement projects, weightlifting, music festivals, and 3D printing.
Douglas Goddard – incoming MS student
Doug obtained a MS degree in Physics from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas and completed his undergraduate studies at Fort Hays University in Hays, Kansas. He became interested in medical physics when he learned about the under-served hospitals in the western high plains, the place he calls home. Doug previously worked for the Department of Defense as a civilian research scientist developing high energy laser weapons systems, laser sensors and instrumentation, and enhancing the understanding of laser bio-effects. Leveraging his background in sensors and instrumentation. Doug plans to refocus his career into Diagnostic Imaging with intentions to serve the communities in his home state of Kansas and surrounding areas. In Doug’s free time, he enjoys competitive shooting sports, flying with his wife and two boys in their Cessna, and cattle ranching.
Jingxi Weng – incoming PhD student
Jingxi completed his MS in Medical Physics at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. His MS thesis focused on the relation between radiomic features of lung CT and genetic mutations of lung cancer patients. His undergraduate studies were completed at Nankai University in China. Jingxi enjoys movies, science fiction, travelling, world history and learning new languages.