Hispanic Heritage Month

Carmen Carmona Benitez

Title: Assistant Professor of Physics

Degrees: Ph.D. in physics (2009), B.S. in physics (2004), Universidad de Granada, Spain

What motivates you to do science?

The discovery of the unknown! Since college, I have been fascinated by the idea that most of the universe is completely unknown; that is, not only is most of the universe unknown because it's far away and we haven't observed it yet, but it's actually made of a substance that is completely unknown to science—something we call dark matter. Thus, I began working on experiments trying to discover what it is, and even "catch" these dark matter particles!

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

It is a time to reconnect with my heritage, connect with people who share my culture, and a great opportunity to learn about the various Hispanic cultures, traditions, and cuisines. It’s incredibly diverse!