Even though Jason Merrill left high school planning to go into science, he chose to pursue a liberal arts education at Amherst instead of specializing at another school. Four years later, that choice has paid off, as Merrill has not only excelled in his primary field of physics, but has developed his talents in other fields, such as music and art. Merrill has been involved with many facets of life at Amherst, and has brought his characteristic commitment and diligence to bear in all of them.

Research at Amherst

At his high school in Chalfont, Penn., Merrill had already been involved in music, playing the piano and playing clarinet in the school's marching band. However, he already felt that he wanted to go into science, and was at first skeptical about going to a liberal arts school, worried that his resources would be limited. "I was nervous when I was looking around a lot of liberal arts schools that there wasn't a lot of really serious research going on," Merrill said, "and I think at Amherst that's definitely not true." Originally interested in studying chemistry, Merrill was excited by his early physics classes and decided to pursue a major. He did not find his opportunities or resources in physics limited at Amherst, as his ambitious thesis in the department clearly demonstrates. Working with his thesis advisor Professor David Hall, he has been studying the behavior of atoms of rubidium at extremely low temperatures. "The vacuum tube where we do this while we're conducting this experiment is quite possibly the coldest place in the universe, unless somebody somewhere else is also doing this experiment," he commented.

In addition to his work in the lab, Merrill is valued by the physics faculty for his intellectual abilities in the field. Professor of Physics William Loinaz, who taught Merrill in two classes, was impressed by his curiosity as well as his strong grasp of the fundamentals of physics. "More than any student I can recall, Jason goes to great effort to understanding the basics of whatever he is studying and to explain his ideas with as much clarity and simplicity possible," Loinaz said. "In technical areas of physics there can be a tendency among students to address the mysterious with the obscure, answering difficult questions in ways that don't illuminate what is often clean and beautiful underlying physics. Jason is never satisfied with this approach. He takes great pains to look for better explanations, determined to simply, simply, simplify. The faculty try to inculcate students with this habit, but I suspect it's just native to Jason."

Merrill's friends also noticed and admired his hard work. Josh Rilla '06, who has been in the Zumbyes with Merrill and lived with him in their sophomore year, related this story: "We really bonded my sophomore year when we lived together in Stone. That spring semester Jason decided to take four unbelievably difficult classes in chemistry and physics, and lost close to 20 pounds due to the workload. In the same semester I came down with mononucleosis and ironically lost around the same amount. We always joke that four science classes at Amherst College is the equivalent of having a bad bout of mono."

Adding music to the mix

Merrill's contributions to the College are by no means limited to the study of physics, and he has taken advantage of many different opportunities at Amherst. He also majored in music, and pursued his love for music outside the classroom as well, taking piano lessons and singing with the Zumbyes for four years. Merill had been fascinated by a capella after seeing a show when he was young, and when he conducted his college search he kept the strength of the singing groups in mind. He quickly pursued this interest at Amherst: "I went and saw the freshman show and was pretty psyched, so auditioned freshman year," he said. Looking back on the experience, he said he appreciated being able to work with very talented singers over the four years as well as the friends and the fun atmosphere that the Zumbyes provided. "It's been a great experience, a really fun group of guys," Merrill reminisced. "The thing I love about the Zumbyes is that when we go on stage we have so much fun that I think it often spreads to the audience."

"Jason Merrill is hands down the most mature individual I know," Rilla also commented about his friend. He recalled another story, from rehearsals with the Zumbyes, that reflected this maturity: "I remember one time in Zumbyes rehearsal, when the group was in a particularly distracted mood, Andrew Rubenstein '07 turned to me and pointed to Jason, the only member standing peacefully and attentively, patiently ignoring the chaos around him, and said, 'I thank god every day of rehearsal for Jason Merrill.'" Andrew Rubenstein '07, who also spent years in the Zumbyes with Merrill, said he was always impressed by the diversity and intensity of his interests. "He's very genuinely interested in things: He loves music and takes both singing and playing the piano very seriously; obviously devotes himself to physics; and he has taken up photography to the extent that he has visions of naked subjects in the woods and recruits his friends to pose in shoots for him."

A passion for pictures

Photography has been another more recent field pursued by Merrill at Amherst. Though always interested in photography and frequently taking pictures with his handheld digital, it wasn't until recently that he was able to explore it in a classroom setting. "I was kind of into photography, but I had never done it seriously and I wanted to learn a little more, so I just took basic drawing one year because I had an extra spot," he recalled. "I wanted to do something different, and I really loved it, and I went on to take two photography classes." Photography became yet another passion for Merrill, and he spent much of his last week before finals, after his thesis was finished, preparing his work to be exhibited.

On top of these various interests, as well as his responsibilities as webmaster for the Association of Amherst Students, Merrill had many other interests which he found he simply did not have time to pursue. "I wish there were more hours in the day-if there were five more hours in the day, I'd probably be doing five more activities," he said. "I would've loved to have continued with Frisbee, and I wish I could've kept singing with concert choir and I wish I had a couple extra hours a day to watch movies with friends and go out on the weekends. There's so much exciting stuff going on that it's impossible to not feel regret about things you didn't get to do."

Later this summer, Merrill will begin working towards his Ph.D. in physics at Yale University. He says he is likely to continue his studies in the field of atomic, molecular and optical physics, but he also added "I'm trying to keep an open mind, since there are so many things I haven't even been exposed to at Amherst that I may be able to explore in grad. school." After completing the six-year Ph.D. program, Merrill says he wants to remain open to other options, but has considered research at a national research institution and possibly a career in academia as possibilities in his distant future. In the meantime, Merrill will be staying on campus to perform with the Zumbyes for alumni reunions, and then embark on a one-month cross-country road trip before going to Yale.

Merrill has contributed to the school through his involvement in academics and the arts, but has also affected and been affected by his fellow students. "The people here have been really high-caliber people-great conversations, and a lot of great fun too," Merrill said. Rubenstein commented on the effect his friendship with Merrill has had on him, saying "I'm extremely thankful that I got to know Merrill, because the richness of his interests and existence has surely enriched mine."

Already "somebody"

Professor of Physics Kannan Jagannathan had his own take on Merrill's legacy at the school. "Jason Merrill has taken two courses with me, and I have known him as a major. Jason is very bright and has accomplished a lot as a physics major. In addition he is a Zumbye, and a TV reporter told me that they are even more popular with Amherst women students than football players. Is that true? I wouldn't know. Anyway, Jason managed to get himself on TV in a story that said how every other type of college has declined while Amherst has not, and they simply pointed to Jason to prove their thesis. On that narrow point, I agree with them. That must make anyone feel really good. Bottom line: Nicole Kidman's view in the movie To Die For - 'You're not anybody in America if you are not on TV,'. Jason is somebody. He has been on TV."