Riley Christopher, 2025 Lawrence Livermore National Lab AI Guide Intern

Biography

SPS Chapter: Davidson College
Hi I’m Riley Christopher! I am a rising senior at Davidson College, majoring in Physics with a minor in Applied Mathematics, and an active member of Davidson’s SPS chapter. I am originally from just north of Atlanta, Georgia, and my passion for the intersection of education and physics has been shaped by my parents who both work in Georgia’s public school system. Outside of academics, I enjoy spending time with friends, working out, and binge-watching TV series. As the LLNL AI Guide Intern, I am thrilled to be contributing to SPS this summer, further connecting with a community that fosters my professional and personal growth.

Internship

Host: Lawrence Livermore National Lab AI Guide Intern

Internship Blog

Week 1

Song of the Week: Right Round – Flo Rida
I’m not a big fan of traveling or moving in general, so heading to DC for the summer was a little terrifying. But this week turned out to be amazing and honestly, way better than I ever expected.
The chaos started early when one of the wheels on my suitcase fell apart in the Atlanta airport. Then, after landing at DCA, I accidentally chose the wrong Uber drop-off spot for my dorm. But once I finally found my way, everything started looking up. I met my amazing and smart roommate, Grace, and we grabbed dinner at Sweetgreen (which I’m now convinced is the happiest place on Earth).
Sleeping that first night without a mattress topper was... an experience. But the next morning, I got to explore DC for the first time ever. I ran and walked around the National Mall for nearly three hours, completely in awe of everything.
Orientation was a blast, and I even learned how to use the Metro system. I’ve never used a subway before, so there was definitely a learning curve (hence Right Round as my song of the week). On day two, I spent 10 full minutes walking in circles inside the Metro Center station trying to figure out which exit to take.
Everyone at the American Center for Physics has been so kind and welcoming. The building is also fully stocked with coffee machines and snacks, which makes me feel right at home.
One of the best parts of the week has been meeting the other SPS interns. It’s such a fun environment where everyone is working on totally different things, from science policy to astrophysics to science communication and education. It’s exciting to hear what everyone is up to, and it makes the experience feel even more special to be surrounded by so many passionate and driven people.
Although my mentor, Dr. Dave Rakestraw, is based at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, I’m incredibly excited to contribute to our shared project from DC. The goal of our work is to enhance physics lab education by integrating cutting-edge AI tools to help students better visualize, understand, and engage with key physics concepts. We’re aiming to create something that’s not just smart, but actually helpful and interactive for both students and instructors in introductory physics courses.
THE BEST part of the week was Thursday when I realized DC has my favorite coffee chain, Coffee Republic. I cannot wait to force all the other interns to come with me! I am so excited for the next 9 weeks!

Week 2
Song of the Week: Perfect Places by Lorde
Busy, busy, busy week! I’ll keep it short and sweet since I have so many pictures to share.
I started things off with dinner at Rebecca Vieyra’s house, joined by her husband and Dr. Jack Hehn. We talked about her work with the Physics Toolbox app over a delicious home-cooked meal, which was exactly what I needed after a busy day. They also gave me a lovely tour of the Capitol Hill area.

After work on Wednesday, a few of the interns and I went to the Wharf for Rock the Dock. We played cornhole, listened to live music, and had some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Perfect Places really fit the mood for a perfect evening.

On Thursday, the SPS interns were invited to a boat night with some of the ACP team. Dinner on board was incredible, and I discovered that some of my fellow interns have some pretty impressive dance moves.

My parents came to visit over the weekend, so we spent a lot of time exploring museums. My favorite was definitely the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. I don’t even need to explain why, just look at the pictures.

We also checked out Ford’s Theater, The People’s House, and my absolute favorite place on earth, Coffee Republic. After a long day, I convinced my mom to stop at Trader Joe’s with me for a little treat.

Week 3
Song of the Week: This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
This week started on a high note with a lovely Monday dinner, and my last night, with my parents at Founding Farmers. The food was incredible, and I’ve officially learned over the past couple of weeks that mojitos are definitely my drink of cho

On Tuesday, I headed to the Hotel Hive rooftop bar for happy hour with Jenna, James, and Grace. We enjoyed the skyline and watched James absolutely demolish a flatbread pizza (only arugula left behind).

Wednesday brought a bit of baking therapy as I attempted to make gluten-free banana bread, and let me just say, I could’ve eaten the whole thing in one sitting.

Friday morning, I managed to convince Jenna and Grace to start the day with me at the happiest place on Earth (Coffee Republic, obviously). We closed out the night by celebrating Saniya’s birthday with a Mamma Mia movie night.

Saturday and Sunday were reset days in the best way possible—laundry, grocery runs, meal prep, and lots of glorious sleep to gear up for the week ahead. Saturday night, I watched all three hours of Dune: Part Two with James, JJ, and Grace, and it was totally worth forcing myself to stay up later.
Now, as for why the song of the week is This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things...
Well, let’s just say I lived up to the theme. Somehow, I managed to chip Grace’s extremely nice kitchen knife, our one and only good cutting knife, while trying to separate a block of frozen chicken. A tragic (and honestly avoidable) moment.