You might call Noah Koch ’25 a quadruple threat talent: researcher, published scholar, writing consultant and athlete. The dual-degree engineering and applied physics major deftly integrated his interests to land a spot in Georgia Tech’s biomedical engineering graduate program. Noah is eyeing a career in prosthetics development.
He was part of a team whose research racked up an impressive list of mentions in outlets like Forbes, BBC Science Focus and MSN. Under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Physics Zachary Lindsey, they published “The Effects of Thumb Position on Backhand Disc Golf Throws of a Mid-Range Disc” in AIP Advances.
“This project came to life in our advanced experimental physics course,” Noah explains. “We investigated the relationship between thumb position on a mid-range disc and the resulting angular speed, translational speed and torque generated during the throw. This work represents the first instance in the literature of an experimental study dedicated to investigations of disc golf throw mechanics related to thumb position.”
The project involved throw sessions for advanced and professional disc golfers.
Noah worked closely with other mentors, including Cook Professor of Mathematics Ron Taylor. “He gave me the tools I needed to pursue what I was interested in,” Noah says. “Whether it was research, math club or physics club, he gave me the resources to go and pursue those things.”
Professor of Physics and Astronomy Todd Timberlake invested in his development as a researcher. They later co-authored an article in the Journal of Statistical Physics.
Noah prioritized a well-rounded college experience. He served as the captain of the tennis team and grew leadership skills through campus jobs as a physics research assistant and writing consultant. Noah also managed to squeeze in study abroad at the University of Glasgow, with a focus on the Scottish enlightenment.
He says Berry is a place like no other when it comes to one-on-one coaching and hands-on experience that you can tailor to your professional interests: “One of the unique things about Berry is pursuing undergraduate research. You can just walk into a professor’s office and gauge what their research interests are.”
