Physics major Jack Millen has always been drawn to how things work, from exploring engineering concepts on his own time to looking up at the stars and imagining a future in space. Now enrolled in SUNY Oneonta’s 3-2 engineering program, Millen is on track to earn both a Physics degree at SUNY Oneonta and an Aerospace Engineering degree from the University at Buffalo. By blending hands-on problem solving with a deep foundation in physics, Millen is building the skills he needs to turn a lifelong interest in space into a career designing the next generation of satellites and spacecraft.
Why SUNY Oneonta?
When I visited SUNY Oneonta, I just really liked the Physics Department. I think the Physics department here is really above average compared to any of the other SUNY schools I visited. In high school, I was very deliberate about which college I wanted to go to. I applied to maybe 15 schools, visited about half of them. Here, I just felt a much stronger one-on-one connection.
Why I Chose Physics
I've always been interested in engineering. My father is a land surveyor, so that's quite similar to civil engineering. For most of my life, I was exposed to some engineering by exploring stuff on my own time. I've always been interested in space. Neil deGrasse Tyson is someone I really look up to, so initially, I thought I wanted to be an astrophysicist. As I matured and had more hands-on experiences, like working on my car and doing stuff at home, I really liked the engineering side of physics. So combining the two, you get aerospace engineering, and that's what I'm going for.
I really like having a Physics degree as a backup. I've always thought having a Physics degree just proves you can do hard stuff. It's a universal degree that can get you hired in a lot of different fields and positions. Even if the engineering market somehow got too saturated, I know the Physics degree will provide me with general skills that will get me anywhere.
Jack Millen tells us about his time here at SUNY Oneonta as a Physics and 3-2 Engineering Major.
About the 3-2 Engineering Program
Right now, I'm about 10 credits or so short of completing the degree in three years. What’s going to happen next is I'm going to transfer to my next school for the two-year part, likely the University of Buffalo, for Aerospace Engineering. Some of my credits will transfer back here to complete my physics degree. Some of them, nearly all of my credits, are going to transfer to Buffalo because of the relationship that we have with the school.
The 3-2 program has several established relationships, mostly with other SUNYs, but also Clarkson University and RPI. They’re well-established relationships that almost guarantee most of the credits are transferred perfectly and seamlessly.
Favorite Classes
That one is hard, but we'll start with Circuits 2. Right now, I'm building my own flight computer for my model rocket. It's just a GPS tracker right now, so it connects to the GPS satellites, and it gives me its GPS position. I'm working towards a full flight computer, which involves acceleration, measuring its rotation, integrating its velocity from those two, and its temperature, humidity and pressure. It's going to give me a full breadth of information that just makes an engineer happy.
My favorite math class is probably Calculus 3, and I enjoyed Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism for the difficulty of it. It's probably the hardest class I've taken thus far.
My Activities
I'm the President of the Physics Club, and we do a lot of physics- and astronomy-related activities. Before that, I was the Vice President of Finance for the Student Association, and I was a Senator for a few semesters as well in the Student Association. I dropped those to pick up the presidency for the Physics Club.
Best Experiences
Definitely being able to go to the RockOn program. It was my first time at a NASA facility ever, especially one that's not just like a museum. To actually be doing some level of research and getting hands-on experience, that was really cool. Beyond that, the experiences I've had just as a student have been great; the little things I enjoy are the department picnic we have.
Two SUNY Oneonta students, Jack Millen and Ethan Biles, gained an experience unlike any other recently.
We have a really nice physics community. All the professors are super nice, and they're all friendly with each other. I came from a high school that was small, intentionally, to improve that student-to-teacher ratio. I wanted to find a school where I would get that same feeling again, where I know I can get a lot of attention, be able to go to my professors anytime, and bother them with whatever comes to my mind.
What Will I Remember in 10 Years?
The work that I've done. I've tried to keep fairly busy every semester, so I think I've gotten a fair amount accomplished each semester. And I'm going to remember the people for sure, my professors, just the amount of time I've spent with them, and my classmates. I’ll remember the work I've done the most and just what each professor here has contributed to my development in a different way, which I appreciate.
