University of Denver Autumn 2025

The People Who Shape Us

When physics undergrad Mia Burgener asked to join Professor Jennifer Hoffman’s lab, a mentorship—and an aspiring scientist—was born. When University of Denver physics professor Jennifer Hoffman gave a colloquium talk on her binary star research, sophomore Mia Burgener sat in the audience, intrigued but unsure of what a second-year student could offer. After the talk, Burgener approached Hoffman anyway to ask if there might be room for an undergrad in her lab. At the time, there wasn’t, but Burgener made From Curiosity to Confidence

In her lab, undergraduate and graduate students work together to analyze the behavior of 18 different binary star systems. Undergrads like Burgener each take the lead on one system while collaborating with the broader group, building both independence and camaraderie. The result is a structure Hoffman describes as “multilevel mentoring.” If she’s unavailable, grad students step in—and sometimes the undergrads’ work ends up in their dissertations. “It’s a great system,” Burgener says. “They’re very approachable. And even if we don’t have anything to show at a meeting, we can just hang out, hear what others are doing, and keep in touch.” For Burgener, the experience has

an impression. “She was in one of my classes first quarter, and I was struck by what a responsible student she was,” Hoffman says. “And her reaching out very early to say she was interested in the research was a good indicator.” A few months later, a spot opened up, and Burgener joined the research group—leading to a hands-on mentoring experience that underscores the importance of access to research opportunities and the value of learning by doing.

“It’s important to give students the chance to see themselves as scientists—to believe that they belong here.”

redefined what scientific work looks and feels like. “I thought research was more hierarchical,” she says. “Like, your boss is in charge and you don’t want to mess up. But in this group, I feel like I’m on the same footing. I’m not just another cog in the wheel.” Hoffman is intentional about creating that kind of space. “I think there’s a misconception that science is this lonely

Jennifer Hoffman, physics professor

process—a genius in a lab having flashes of inspiration. But to me, science is collaborative. It’s sitting down with your team and asking, ‘What do we make of this data? What could it mean?’ I want my students to feel that.” That spirit of discovery came alive for Burgener when she created her first graph. “The data was just rows of numbers at first, but when I plotted it on paper and saw the star at the center and lines representing the dust scattered around it, it hit me. I thought, ‘Oh my God. This is science.’ It was really powerful.” Experiences like that are exactly why Hoffman encourages students to join research groups early—even if they’re unsure. “It’s important to give students the chance to see themselves as scientists,” she says. “To believe that they belong here.” Now a junior, Burgener is thinking about graduate school. She credits DU—and the mentorship she found—with helping her get there. “I didn’t want to wait until grad school to do real science,” she says. “And here, I didn’t have to.”

“I came in with basically no coding experience,” Burgener admits. “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to help with anything.” But a graduate student in the group gave her a crash course in Python, the programming language they use, and Hoffman offered guidance and reassurance. “She said, ‘It’s OK if you don’t know how to do it—it’s an opportunity to learn.’” That openness is central to Hoffman’s mentoring philosophy. “We don’t know the answers going in,” she says. “That’s the point of science. You have to get comfortable with not knowing.”

At home in the Chamberlin Observatory, physics major Mia Burgener (left) and Professor Jennifer Hoffman share a passion for binary stars. 

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025