2010
Esther Conwell Receives the National Medal of Science
President Barack Obama presented the National Medal of Science to Prof. Esther Conwell at a ceremony at the White House on November 17, 2010. A video of the ceremony is available by clicking .
Randy Mehlenbacher Wins Stoddard Prize at Undergraduate Senior Symposium
Randy Mehlenbacher received the annual Stoddard Prize for Best Senior Thesis in Physics at the Undergraduate Senior Symposium held on May 11, 2010. Theoretical Analysis of Anharmonic Coupling and Cascading Raman Signals Observed with Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy, the result of his work with Assistant Professor of Chemistry David W. McCamant, was one of five theses presented at the Symposium.
Manly Wins Professor of the Year Award
The 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Students' Association has selected Professor Steven L. Manly of the Department of Physics as the 2009-2010 Professor of the Year in Natural Sciences. All undergraduate students are eligible to vote for this annual award, which honors professors who demonstrate outstanding teaching skills. Professor Manly received the award during the 2010 Undergraduate Research Exposition, which he has managed for numerous years.
Class of 2010 Graduates with Many Honors
Congratulations to the 2010 graduates of the Department of Physics and Astronomy!
Young-Kee Kim (PhD Physics, 1990) Receives 2010 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Distinguished Scholar Award
At the Doctoral Degree Ceremony on May 15, 2010, Young-Kee Kim, who earned her PhD in physics at the University in 1990, received the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Distinguished Scholar Award. Kim is the Deputy Director of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), where she leads strategic plan development and implementation, and a professor in the Department of Physics and the Enrico Fermi Institute at the University of Chicago.
Gregory S. Bentsen (2011) Named Barry M. Goldwater Scholar
Junior Gregory S. Bentsen, student of Professor Frank Wolfs, has won a prestigius Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Endowed by the U.S. Congress to honor the late Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, the Scholarship is designed to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields.
Sixty Students Participate in the 2010 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Symposium for Undergraduate Physics Students (RSPS)
April 17, 2010 marked the day of the twenty-ninth Annual 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Symposium for Undergraduate Physics Students (RSPS), held this year at the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳. Thirteen 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Physics students gave formal presentations about their research while three displayed posters. Overall, sixty undergraduates participated by either attending or speaking about their research.
Joseph Eberly Wins Highest Award of Optical Society of America
Joseph Eberly, Andrew Carnegie Professor of Physics (and Professor of Optics) at the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, has won the highest award given by the Optical Society of America: the Frederick Ives Medal. The honor recognizes Professor Eberly's achievements in the field of optics.
91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ at the Highest Energy Frontier
This March 30th, the highest energy accelerator in the world will begin operating with two beams of 3.5 Tera-electron-volt (TeV) protons colliding head-on, thereby extending the energy frontier deeper into the unknown regions of the Terascale. A group of 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ physicists are among the several thousands who have contributed to designing and constructing the detectors that will collect and analyze the data in these collisions for years to come.
Riccardo Betti Advises Congress about the Future of Fusion
Riccardo Betti, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Physics at the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, recently testified before Congress about the importance of the government's continued support of fusion research. Betti was one of five experts invited to speak to the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Energy and Environment at a hearing called "The Next Generation of Fusion Energy Research."
Lukas Novotny Named Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Lukas Novotny, Professor of Optics and Physics at the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science. This year, 531 scholars around the nation have been awarded this honor by AAAS because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.
Emil Wolf Wins SPIE G. G. Stokes Award
Emil Wolf, Wilson Professor of Optical Physics at the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, has been named the 2010 SPIE (International Society for Optical Engineering) recipient of the G. G. Stokes Award. The annual prize recognizes exceptional contributions to the field of optical polarization.
Patrick Sheehan (2011) Named Barry M. Goldwater Scholar
Sophomore Patrick Sheehan, student of Professor Dan M. Watson, has won a prestigius Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Endowed by the U.S. Congress to honor the late Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, the Scholarship is designed to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields.