In the newest episode of the JYU for YOU podcast, our host Irfan sits down to have a chat with Finland’s most famous young physicist: Henna Kokkonen. Henna was put into the national and international spotlight after discovering a new isotope while working on her master’s thesis and she’s now a successful doctoral researcher in the Nuclear Spectroscopy Group at JYU. However, Henna didn’t start off her academic career with an interest in physics: quite frankly, for most of her education her main interest was sports with a little curiosity reserved for history.
Yet, a passionate physics teacher from Juva revealed the stories behind all of those different equations which piqued Henna’s curiosity. Through a lot of dedication and hard work, the accelerator lab at JYU, which on Applicants’ Day left her feeling intimidated, became a familiar space for engaging in research.
Throughout all of her success, Henna always remembers to highlight the importance of the support that she has received from her friends, her family as well as the Physics Department at JYU.
Henna also breaks the “physicist stereotype”: she finds time to travel, to play on the local volleyball team Vehniän Wartti, which made it to the finals in Finland’s second division, to hang out with her friends and much more.
She's a great example of the young generation of Finnish researchers: it's no wonder that she was even invited to Linnan juhlat, the Independence Day reception organized by the President of Finland, in December 2023.
In short: the best 67-minute pitch for studying physics at JYU.
International Master’s Degree Programmes: www.jyu.fi/en/study-with-us/masters-degree-programmes
Physics at JYU:
www.jyu.fi/en/study-with-us/masters-degree-programmes/masters-degree-programme-in-physics
The discussed paper:
journals.aps.org/prc/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevC.107.064312
Henna’s master’s thesis: jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/87126
JYU for YOU: linktr.ee/jyuforyou
Chapters:
00:00:00 - 00:00:48 - Teaser
00:00:48 - 00:01:00 - Intro sequence
00:01:00 - 00:01:38 - Host introduction
00:01:38 - 00:03:38 - Conversational starters; the weather
00:03:38 - 00:12:33 - Henna’s academic journey in Juva
00:12:33 - 00:22:53 - Journey to JYU and finding a community
00:22:53 - 00:31:38 - Progression of studies
00:31:38 - 00:40:01 - Master’s thesis as PhD prep
00:40:01 - 00:44:54 - Science matters in Finland
00:44:54 - 00:51:23 - Linnan juhlat
00:51:23 - 00:52:30 - Personal Reflection
00:52:30 - 00:55:19 - Henna’s Future Plans
00:55:19 - 01:01:03 - Henna’s free time
01:01:03 - 01:04:31 - Advice for students
01:04:31 - 01:06:03 - Closing thoughts
01:06:03 - 01:06:15 - Outro