Sam Rosner
Hometown: Charlottesville, VA
University: University of Illinois
Major: Physics
BIOGRAPHY
Hi, I’m Sam Rosner, and I’m a freshman majoring in physics. I am from Charlottesville, Virginia, where there are a few more hills than Illinois! I really enjoy playing the violin (I have been playing for eight years), photography, and of course cycling. At UIUC I am involved with the Society for Physics Students and undergraduate research. I am very much a bike nerd and love to learn about new (and vintage) cycling technology. Physics gives you a certain analytical perspective on the world, and I am excited to have the opportunity to see the country in an entirely new light with Illini 4000.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Both of my parents work in healthcare, and over their careers they have seen how health can be suddenly taken away from any person through sheer bad luck. Almost 40% of people are diagnosed with cancer at some time in their lives, and while I don’t have any data, I can guess that a significant fraction of those people had no externally visible risk factors or behaviors which could explain their illness besides simple misfortune. I really hate the idea that your health could be taken away, any day, any time, for no reason. Medical science has shown that cancer is curable, with a 32% drop in cancer death rate between 1991 and 2019. I feel very honored to be able to have a part in finishing the task of curing cancer.