UMBC right-side Emily Ferketic can hit with power. But she also has the power to reach into a black hole. From anywhere. Her sofa. The classroom. The local coffee shop.
No special technology is required. She doesn’t have to say her name backward to get transported to another dimension.
All she needs is a pencil and paper.
As a Ph.D. student in theoretical physics, Ferketic can use mathematical models of physical objects to predict natural phenomena.
“When you can’t touch something, you have to figure it out,” she said. “Everything we do is theoretical because we can’t actually see if it works or not. We just do the math behind it, so, since everything should follow the laws of physics, the math should apply anywhere.”
Ferketic, a product of the Pittsburgh area who has already earned her undergrad degree in physics, is starting her master’s program this fall and also delving into her Ph.D. research. Moreover, she is doing all this while using her fifth and final year of volleyball eligibility at University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Pairing the demands of doctoral research with the rigors of a Division I sport isn’t for the faint of heart. Many schools Ferketic said that she spoke to during…
