For Savannah Decker, member of the Westmoreland Jr./Sr. High School Class of 2016, Westmoreland will always be a special place.
It’s where she discovered the passion shaping her future.
Savannah is currently a junior at Boston University, where she is majoring in physics and minoring in mathematics. On January 13, she will depart for Geneva, Switzerland for six months to study at the University of Geneva. There, she will continue her education in physics, which she was first introduced to at Westmoreland. 
“My passion for physics started in Mr. Fleming’s Regents physics class, and has only grown since then,” Savannah said. “I owe and dedicate much of my success to him, and I know that I would not be where I am without him. I also must thank Mrs. Weissenberger, who was essential in getting me an internship at the (Rome) Air Force Research Lab, where I have worked for the last three summers.”
Savannah, reluctant to acknowledge her own hard work, is only getting started. More success is on the horizon.
While in Geneva, Savannah will also be conducting directed research at Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN) - - the number one research facility for particle physics in the world. Founded in 1954, physicists and engineers at CERN use the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter - - fundamental particles. Savannah and her colleagues will specifically be using purpose-built particle accelerators and detectors. Accelerators boost beams of particles to high energies before the beams are made to collide with each other or with stationary targets. Detectors observe and record the results of these collisions.
The use of these instruments and subsequent collisions are critically important in the development of better, more accurate and safer medical detection and diagnostic devices.
“I believe my work will consist of improving the resolution and sensitivity of positron emission tomography (PET) scanners,” Savannah said. “The goal is to achieve earlier detection in patients, while lowering their exposure to radiation.”
If the study aboard program wasn’t already challenging enough, all of Savannah’s classes will be taught in French - - a language she plans to become fluent in. Above all, she hopes to contribute to the important research happening at CERN in an impactful way.
Savannah will return home from her study abroad experience in July. After graduating from Boston University in 2020, she intends to enroll in graduate school to pursue a PhD in physics. Her ultimate goal is to lead a biomedical optics research team. According to Savannah, biomedical optics uses light and its properties to diagnose and treat diseases.
“I think the link between physics and medicine is incredibly important, and I want to exploit fundamental physics concepts for the benefit of medical applications,” Savannah said.
In the end, Savannah remains grateful for the education she received at Westmoreland, which she says put her on a path for success.
“What I enjoyed most at Westmoreland was the opportunity to take advanced placement calculus and physics,” Savannah said. “These resources for students interested in STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) are a great opportunity to prepare for college.”
“They ended up being the reason why I was able to be accepted into Boston University as an advanced physics major and take higher level courses.”
The Westmoreland Central School District wishes Savannah well in her impressive endeavors!