Alexandros Cooke-Politikos '25 is one of two student recipients this year of the Belle K. Ribicoff Prize, awarded annually to exemplary graduating seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, originality of thought, and a commitment to extracurricular activities and community service.A 4.0-GPA student, Cooke-Politikos is earning dual bachelor degrees in physics and computer science, while minoring both in mathematics and French. It is the kind of academic life best pursued only by those who thrive on excelling, possess deep intellectual curiosity, and devote themselves to originality of thought.
“Alex’s intellectual abilities match his deep commitment to inquiry. He has established himself as a dedicated researcher and scholar, and in fact, his perseverance in tackling complex theoretical and computational challenges has led to some groundbreaking designs,” says Brian M. Wells, associate professor of physics and assistant director of the NASA CT Space Grant Consortium at UHart. “His ability to excel across multiple disciplines speaks to his versatility and intellectual depth.”
The groundbreaking design to which Wells refers is for compact microwave applications used in astronomy, a field in which the young scholar has enormous interest. Cooke-Politikos has received two NASA grants to support his work on metamaterial lens design, and he conducted important research during a summer internship at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado, where he investigated Martian magnetospheric escape.
The contributions that Cooke-Politikos has made to metamaterials research led to his being asked to co-author a paper in the journal Discover Applied Sciences. He also works as a physics laboratory teaching assistant, where he has played a vital role in instructing introductory-level physics courses, planning laboratory lectures, and overseeing experiments. As a tutor, Cooke-Politikos has worked with students across multiple STEM disciplines, including complex mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science.
In addition to his studies and tutoring, he is working on a thesis titled The Development, Fabrication, and Application of 3D Printed Metamaterial Lensing. Cooke-Politikos stays active in related pursuits, including sharing his knowledge with the planetary science community.