ATLANTA—Holy Spirit Upper School physics teacher Bianca Hall successfully defended her dissertation and earned her doctorate in theoretical physics from the University of Central Florida.

Now Dr. Hall, she studied for the degree over nearly five years, progressing through two years of classwork, picking up her master’s degree, and dedicating two and a half additional years of research toward her final dissertation.

Specializing in condensed matter physics, specifically superconductivity, Hall also served as president of the university’s Graduate Society of Physics Students and was a teaching assistant for the school’s undergraduate physics classes.

In November Hall returned to the University of Central Florida to defend her dissertation, “The Microscopic Theory of the Knight Shift,” in which she proposes a new model of the Knight shift, which involves nuclear magnetic resonance measurements in metals.

Hall intends to continue her studies in physics while teaching at the Atlanta independent Catholic school.

“I love my eighth-graders; I love my students. I find it tremendously exciting and fulfilling to help students learn science and grasp new concepts,” she said.

Hall currently teaches physical science, Advanced Placement physics C and Advanced Placement calculus AB.