Majoring in physics and music is preparing Jesse Webb to answer life’s biggest questions.
Somewhere between the intricate equations of the world of physics and the soul-stirring melodies in the realm of music, Jesse Webb has found his rhythm.
A junior at Louisiana Tech double-majoring in those fields — with minors in computer science and mathematics for good measure — Webb’s drive to be his best self comes from within. He speaks frequently on the intrinsic value he finds in learning, growing, and expanding his skillset. The workload and accompanying stress that typically come with pursuing a double major only appealed to him when he considered his academic goals. For someone hoping to further develop passions in both art and science without compromise, Tech’s supportive faculty and focus on collaborative research made picking the University an easy choice.
A junior at Louisiana Tech double-majoring in those fields — with minors in computer science and mathematics for good measure — Webb’s drive to be his best self comes from within. He speaks frequently on the intrinsic value he finds in learning, growing, and expanding his skillset. The workload and accompanying stress that typically come with pursuing a double major only appealed to him when he considered his academic goals. For someone hoping to further develop passions in both art and science without compromise, Tech’s supportive faculty and focus on collaborative research made picking the University an easy choice.
From the moment he set foot on Tech’s campus, Webb knew it was the place where he could aim high without fear. One of the major draws? The opportunity to work with physics faculty on the ATLAS particle physics experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, a project that explores the fundamental building blocks of the universe. This type of work, this research that seeks to answer life’s biggest questions, is motivating and rewarding for Webb.
And it always has been.
“As a kid, I was always asking my parents questions about why and how things worked,” Webb said. “The answer usually referred to a ‘they’: ‘they’ discovered the sun was the center of the solar system, ‘they’ harnessed electricity to generate power. So, I had this idea of a mysterious ‘they’ that were making the world go ‘round, and I just knew I wanted to be a part of that.”
But physics isn’t the only force shaping Webb’s time at Tech. Music offers him a different kind of exploration, one that has led him to stints in the Band of Pride, as the principal trombone of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and as part of local bands and organizations like Ruston Community Theatre. He says that, early on, learning the trombone was less about making music and more about proving to himself he could get good at something new. It was about the “puzzle” of it all. Nowadays, he values the expression, creativity, and camaraderie that come with the discipline, and he has let the unique parallels between music and physics define his understanding of both.
“There’s a lot of math in music,” he explained. “But there’s also a lot of beauty in physics and how it describes the world, in how math can be used to explain so much of what’s around us. There’s no piece that I’ve played, no note that I’ve ever made, that is as beautiful or elegant to me as the formula f=ma. But also, there’s a lot of creativity to discovering those simple and beautiful concepts in physics. There’s a lot of collaboration and free thinking that goes into having new ideas and new approaches to a problem or a question.”
Despite the demands of these fields and the extensive extracurricular commitments, Webb is constantly searching for opportunities to get involved and learn something new. He’s a member of Tech’s Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma, the associated national honors society. He’s built prototypes as part of the College of Engineering and Science’s First-Year Showcase project. He’s a Goldwater Scholar nominee and has interned at Southern Methodist University, where he honed new skills in a fast-paced environment. He even spent a year learning French in preparation for a study abroad trip, deciding that he wanted to experience the country as more than “just another tourist.”
One of my favorite things about science is how cross-cultural it is, how it breaks borders, how it doesn’t care where you’re from,” he said. “It cares what you know and what you’re studying and what you hope to learn for humanity.
– Jesse Webb
As Webb continues to learn and research, he’s developed connections with Tech faculty that have helped him pursue his passions. Dr. Lee Sawyer, professor and director of chemistry and physics at Tech, was approached by Webb, who asked about the possibility of working on the ATLAS experiment at CERN. Sawyer found out quickly that his student was keen to explore and research, even with his already full plate.
“Jesse is an outstanding young man,” Sawyer stated. “The work he’s a part of is essential to understanding the nature of matter and energy at the most fundamental level. His additional outlets for creativity, like playing in Tech’s jazz band, provide balance between the highly technical world of physics research and the world of the arts.”
Working with faculty like Dr. Sawyer has helped fuel Webb’s aspirations for his own future, aspirations as ambitious as his current workload. Grad school, a doctorate, and eventually a faculty position where he can continue his research while teaching others — these are the goals that drive him forward.
“I love the idea of giving back, of helping others find a love for learning, research, and science,” he said. “As much reward as I get from learning a new concept, there’s just as much when you help someone else find that same moment.”
Looking back on his time at Tech, Webb has come to realize a truth about himself: he loves pushing his own limits. That mindset, that unwillingness to settle, has shaped him into a student who views time as opportunity. Nobody holds him to a higher standard than he does himself. He admits to moments of exhaustion and even a little regret, but he is dedicated to seeing his commitments through. And, when asked if he’s ever had the urge to slow down, he smiles as he shakes his head.
“It does feel a bit like I’m wasting time if I’m not learning something new.”
Whether it’s physics, music, or even handstands — a skill he decided to take on just for fun — Jesse Webb is always moving forward, always motivated to find his full potential.
It’s part of Newton’s first law, after all: an object in motion stays in motion.
