Zachary Howe, MSc
Short Bio
Brooks Howe (he/him/his) is originally from Lakewood, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland. Outside of research, he enjoys cooking, running and hiking, singing and playing piano.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Physics Wittenberg University 2022
Bachelor of Arts in Music Wittenberg University 2022
Master of Science in Physics Auburn University 2024
Professional Experience
Brooks enjoys teaching and has done so in various settings. He served as a tutor in the Wittenberg in the math tutoring center while at the University and has also been a private tutor while at Auburn, working with high schoolers and undergraduate students. He also worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant after starting at Auburn in 2022 until 2024.
Brooks is a member of the American Physical Society (APS) and has been an active member of the APS Forum on Graduate Student Affairs executive committee, on which he currently serves as a member-at-large. In Fall 2026, he is a lead organizer of the APS Division of Plasma Physics Student Day.
Throughout his time at Auburn, he has led various initiatives in the Physics Graduate Student Association (PGSA), including organizing the Southern Physics and Astronomy Graduate Student Symposium in Fall 2026, starting an unofficial resource repository for physics graduate students in Spring 2024, creating a qualifying exam preparation program for first-year students in Summer 2024, organizing a graduate student seminar club Spring 2023-Fall 2025. He served as PGSA Treasurer during the 24-25 academic year.
Innovation
Brooks is interested in the intersection of interpretable machine learning and plasma physics. Currently, he works under his advisor Dr. Evdokiya Kostadinova, using the Sparse Identification of Nonlinear Dynamics to learn about how dust particles interact when suspended in a plasma. Brooks also has an interest in physics education research and is currently collaborating with Dr. Eric Burkholder on a project investigating inter-rater reliability of Graduate Teaching Assistants grading introductory physics homework problems.
Engagement
Brooks has been involved in various outreach efforts in and outside of the Auburn Physics Department. He has volunteered at COSAM’s Destination STEM, the Physics Department Tailgate, as well as various conference outreach opportunities at both the American Physical Society’s Division of Plasma Physics and Global Physics Summit.
