Recent Boston University graduate Kevin Reiss reflected on how his experiences with educators in both Newtown and at the university helped foster his abilities and drive.

Reiss, who graduated this past spring summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics with honors, was awarded Boston University’s College of Arts and Science Award for Excellence in Physics and he was invited into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

After graduating, but before starting a new job in Illinois, Reiss caught up with The Newtown Bee. Reiss was one of the top demi-decile students of the Newtown High School Class of 2018. He was also featured in The Newtown Bee in 2017 for earning a top score on the American College Test (ACT).

While at Boston University, Reiss was a presidential scholar, he has had physics research published, he was awarded the Goldwater Scholarship as one of four Connecticut residents and one of 396 students across the country, he presented his research at American Physical Society annual meetings, and he co-authored a text book with one of his professors, according to his mother Cathy Reiss.

An internship at Wolfram Research during his time at Boston University led to Reiss cementing a job with the company in Illinois after graduating.

And with all of that behind him, Reiss reflected that some of his lessons and motivation stemmed from NHS.

Overall, Reiss described his college experience as “pretty hectic.”

“It seems like it has been probably longer than it has been,” Reiss said, adding that while the first two years were “normal” hectic, the last two years were very different due to the pandemic.

Many of his plans changed due to the pandemic, including a planned study abroad program in his junior year and attending conferences, which were all switched to being virtual.

Even with the backdrop of the pandemic, Reiss completed a lot. He wrote and defended a thesis on research he conducted his senior year in the realm of computational physics, specifically exploring the Fermi Pasta Ulam Tsingou system. Reiss was inspired to work in the area after meeting a professor in his freshman year at Boston University.

“I just sort of happened to meet him,” said Reiss, speaking about Professor David Campbell.

Just like some of his teachers at NHS, who Reiss links to inspiring his educational path and interests — like Kim Lowell, Eugene Hall, and Dr Steve Mallory — Campbell provided the same sort of inspiration and direction.

“They certainly inspired me and motivated me to get to where I am,” said Reiss.

Reiss said he was given numerous opportunities at Boston University, both from Campbell and from Professor James Rolph, who Reiss worked with as a learning assistant during the pandemic. Reiss said he learned much from Rolph and from the big challenge of needing a hybrid system for students who could be both in a classroom and attend the course online. He also co-published a textbook with Rolph, which Reiss described as a large collection of material written entirely computationally with Wolfram Mathematica, a product of Wolfram Research.

Reiss completed an internship with Wolfram Research while at Boston University, and then he was hired after graduation to work for the company in Champagne, Ill. With the pandemic, Reiss completed his internship remotely.

“Now I will finally get to go out there and actually get to work at headquarters,” said Reiss.

Reiss was also involved with extracurricular activities while at Boston University. He followed being a member of the Newtown High School Marching Band by participating with the marching band, pep band, and two other bands while at Boston University. He mostly played the tuba in all of the bands.

“You have to flex the other half of your brain sometimes,” said Reiss.

Reiss said he is thankful for everyone who supported him in his educational journey, including his parents Cathy and Scott Reiss.

Residents who are recent college graduates can share their experience for possible publication in The Newtown Bee by emailing eliza@thebee.com.

Education Editor Eliza Hallabeck can be reached at eliza@thebee.com.