April 25, 2008

Congratulations to:
Laura Stiles, undergraduate senior major in Engineering Physics, who received the award for the Best Undergraduate Student talk in Nuclear Physics at the APS meeting in St. Louis in April.


Dr. Dave Besson for his selection as an Outstanding Referee for 2008 for the journals of the American Physical Society.

Donald Edward Claus, senior in engineering physics, son of Donna Claus; Horizonte Instruction and Training Center, Salt Lake City, for his selection as one of 18 McNair Scholars for summer 2008. McNair scholars are undergraduates who plan to attend graduate school and pursue doctoral studies following the receipt of their bachelor’s degrees. The program supports first-generation college students and minorities underrepresented in graduate education. The full press release can be found at this site.

Bradley Joseph Klee, senior in engineering physics, and Alexander J. Krejci, senior in geology and physics, for receiving Undergraduate Research Awards for Spring 2008. Bradley Klee, son of Kevin and Sheila Klee, is studying “Optimization of Statistical Analysis Programs for Cosmological Studies” with Hume Feldman, associate professor of physics and astronomy, while Alex Krejci, son of Jerry and Kelly Krejci, is studying “Mechanisms by which Cosmic Rays Affect Biodiversity” with Adrian Melott, professor of physics and astronomy. The full press release can be found at this site.

Seven University of Kansas students, including Luis Vargas, senior in astronomy and physics with a minor in mathematics, and Eric Colangelo, freshman in mathematics and physics, calculated their way to $1,750 in prizes at the 26th annual KU Undergraduate Mathematics Prize Competition held March 31. Students will receive their awards at the mathematics department’s annual awards banquet April 23 at the Adams Alumni Center. The full press release can be found at this site.

---

April 07, 2008
Congratulations to:

Caitlin Rochford, recipient of a 2008 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship. Caitlin is currently working toward a Ph.D. in the area of Condensed Matter Physics.

 

Laura Stiles, undergraduate senior major in Engineering Physics, who received an Honorable Mention in the competition for a 2008 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship.

 

---

 

March 03, 2008

Return to Planet Jayhawk
KU welcomes home astronaut and alumnus Steve Hawley, who will join the KU physics and astronomy faculty to teach and to promote math and science education in Kansas. Hawley flew on 5 space shuttle missions. All 3 Kansan astronauts are KU graduates. The complete press release can be found at this site.

---

February 26, 2008


KU students and researchers will be on hand this summer in Europe when the world's largest scientific device ever built begins operation. The Large Hadron Collider will allow researchers to better understand the underlying properties of the universe.
The KU High Energy Experimental Group is featured among the stories cycling through on the KU top web page. For more details, go to http://www.features.ku.edu/hadron/

---

January 31, 2008
Jacob Enoch
1927 - 2008

Memorial services for Jacob Enoch, 80, Lawrence, will be at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Lawrence Jewish Community Center. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at B’nei Israel Cemetery in Eudora.
Mr. Enoch died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008.
He was born Feb. 17, 1927, in Berlin. He grew up in Israel and moved to the United States in 1947. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Brooklyn University in 1952 and a doctorate in physics from the University of Wisconsin in 1956.
Mr. Enoch worked as a staff scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and as a theoretical physicist at General Electric Space Sciences Laboratory. He joined the faculty of Kansas University as a professor of physics in 1962. He taught and did research at KU from 1962 until he retired in 1992. He was an adviser at the Universidad de Oriente in Cumana, Venezuela, from 1965 to 1967, a Fulbright research scholar at the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany, from 1970 to 1971, and a visiting professor at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheba, Israel, from 1971 to 1973.
He married Hilda Cohen on Jan. 30, 1955, in Green Bay, Wis. She survives, of the home.
Other survivors include two daughters, Aviva, Chapel Hill, N.C., and Tamar, Berkeley, Calif.; a son, David, Las Vegas; and a grandson.
The family suggests memorials to the Schiefelbusch Speech/Language Clinic, 2101 Haworth Hall, Kansas University, Lawrence, KS 66045.

---

January 28, 2008
Recent items of interest regarding faculty and alumni include:

Dr. Amar Nath Ray (M.S. Physics 1995, Ph.D. Physics 1997) was selected as the top inventor last month by the communications firm, EMBARQ, where he is employed. During the last year, Dr. Ray has submitted more than 20 patent applications centered around 8 different concepts including seamless call transfer and VOIP address-based E-911. A copy of the story about Dr. Ray can be accessed at this link.

Dr. John Beacom (B.S. Physics and Mathematics 1991) has been promoted to Associate Professor at Ohio State University in the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, after only three years at that institution.  John is also a member of our Alumni Advisory Board.

Research carried out by the Astrobiology group at KU and Washburn, including recent Ph.D. graduate Dr. Brian Thomas, now on the faculty at Washburn, Prof. Melott and Prof. Anthony-Twarog, was featured on Space.com. The research is centered on the impact on Earth of a sunpernova generated by the death of Eta Carina. The news release can be found at this link.

---

December 28, 2007

---

Dr. Robert Stump

Private funeral services for Dr. Robert Stump, 86, Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy, KU, will be at a later date.

Dr. Stump died Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007, at St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington Kentucky.
He was born in Indianapolis, Ind., the son of Albert and Susan Thro Stump. He graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis and received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois. Dr. Stump was a professor of physics at Kansas University from 1950 to 1988 and participated in numerous experiments in nuclear and high-energy physics. He was a visiting scientist at Brookhaven National Lab, the European Center for Nuclear Research and the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris. He was a member of the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Falmouth, Mass.

Survivors include his wife, Jeanne Gass Stump; four sons, Daniel and wife Ruth Ann, East Lansing, Mich., Roger and wife Julia, Delmar, N.Y., Greg and wife Marcia, Lexington, and Jordan and wife Eleanor, Lincoln, Neb.; a brother, Thomas and wife Doris, Indianapolis; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Dr. Stump was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret Matchett.
The family suggests memorials to a charity of the donor's choice.
Kerr Brothers Funeral Home in Lexington, Kentucky is in charge of arrangements.

November 05, 2007

---

Congratulations to Alexander J. Krejci, senior in geology and physics, on his selection as a Dean's Scholar. Alex is one of nineteen University of Kansas students in the Dean’s Scholars Program who will be honored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the University Honors Program with a reception at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, at Nunemaker Center. Joseph Steinmetz, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will welcome returning and newly selected Dean’s Scholars. Established in 1992, the program provides recipients with annual $1,000 scholarships and faculty mentors and is designed to diversify the talent pool available for liberal arts and sciences faculties. A full press release may be found at this site.

October 25, 2007

---

Congratulations to Professor Adrian Melott on his selection as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of two faculty from KU chosen this year.The recognition was announced in this week’s issue of Science magazine. Dr. Melott, professor of physics and astronomy at KU, was recognized for “distinguished contributions to cosmological large-scale structure, for organizing public support for teaching evolution and for interdisciplinary research on astrophysical impacts on the biosphere,” the association said. A complete press release on this story may be found at this link.

 

October 18, 2007

---

Congratulations to Daniel Patrick Hogan, undergraduate major in Physics and Math, on his nomination by the University of Kansas to compete for prestigious Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, which provide tuition and living expenses for graduate study in Great Britain or Ireland. Daniel is one of three students nominated to compete for both scholarships. A complete press release on this story may be found at this link.

October 15, 2007

---

The research of Dr. Misha Medvedev and Dr. Adrian Melott on the effect of cosmic rays on the biodiversity of Earth is featured in the Search and Discovery section of the October issue of Physics Today. The complete version of the article, entitled Varying cosmic-ray flux may explain cycles of biodiversity by Bertram Schwarzschild, can be accessed at this link.

October 03, 2007

---

Congratulations to Daniel Cahn Nunes (BS: Astronomy, Physics - 1997)
currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at theLunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, on his selection as a NASA Carl Sagan Early Career Fellow. The fellowships are designed to facilitate the integration of new planetary science discipline researchers into the established research funding programs and to provide tools and experience useful when searching for a more advanced position.

September 17, 2007

---

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside: MEGADISASTERS
This week on the HISTORY CHANNEL:
Tuesday September 18 09:00 PM
Wednesday September 19 01:00 AM
Saturday September 22 10:00 PM
Sunday September 23 02:00 AM
GAMMA RAY BURSTS
Scientists at the University of Kansas believe gamma ray bursts were responsible for a great mass extinction on Earth 450 million years ago. The gamma rays strip away the ozone layer and generate chemical smog, producing a widespread chill that grips the Earth. It would cause food chains to collapse resulting in a prolonged worldwide famine. Also, an expected electromagnetic pulse will zap all of our electronics. Scientists predict the Earth will be able to support only 5 to 10 percent of its current population; that means close to 6 billion people will die--most by starvation. How will our modern cities hold up in the face of a previous global catastrophe?

September 07, 2007

---

Congratulations to the following majors on their selection as recipients of the Departmental Scholarships/Awards for this year:
STRANATHAN AWARD
Corbett Bennett
Laura Stiles
Luis Vargas
PROSSER AWARD
Lynne Lammers
Christopher Martin
Richard Robinson
HANSEL AWARD
Eric Fattig

August 18, 2007

---

The annual picnic celebration of the start of the academic year by the Department of Physics and Astronomy was held at Dad Perry Park in Lawrence from 4:30 to 8:00 PM. Thanks to the organizational efforts of Chair Steve Sanders, Office Supervisor Teri Leahy, a host of faculty and student minions, and the expertise of the Director of Culinary Labs, Bob Curry, an enjoyable time and meal were had by a large collection of faculty, students, retired faculty, and associated family and friends. A few shots of the event are seen below.

 

August 10, 2007

---

Congratulations to incoming freshman majors within the Department of Physics and Astronomy who have been named Mt. Oread Scholars. The students, along with their majors, their parents, and their high schools are:
Alexander John Porter, Engineering Physics-BS, son of Frank and Robyn Porter, Iola Senior High School, Iola, KS; Bryce James Jones,  Astronomy-BS, son of Susan and Brian Jones, Riverton High School, Riverton, KS; Alex Matthew Juby, Physics-BS, son of Michael and Kathrina Juby, Buhler High School, Buhler, KS.

The Mt. Oread Scholars will take part in the 11th annual Walk Up the Hill, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 13. Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle, associate vice provost for Student Success, will lead the walk and provide commentary about campus history and Mount Oread, pointing out landmarks along the way. The walk signifies the beginning of a higher education journey for the 189 Mount Oread Scholars whose ultimate goal is to walk down the hill upon graduation. Two scholars will carry the 2007 KU graduation banner to further mark this important beginning, and scholars are encouraged to wear their Mount Oread Scholars T-shirt that states, “What Goes Up, Must Come Down.” Established in 1996, the Mount Oread Scholars Program is designed to facilitate academic connections on campus and is part of KU’s University Advising Center. New first-year students are invited to become Mount Oread Scholars during their first years at KU if they graduated in the top 20 percent of their high school classes and received an ACT composite score of at least 28 or a minimum SAT score of 1,240.

JULY 19, 2007

---

AWARD-WINNING STUDENT RESEARCH
Twenty-eight undergraduates at the University of Kansas are working on research projects this summer funded with grants of about $1,200 from the University Honors Program. Seven of the students are working with advisors within Physics and Astronomy. The students, their projects, and their advisors are listed below:
Lynne Marie Lammers, sophomore in physics, daughter of Jana Jorn of Baldwin City, and Carl Lammers of Ottawa; Baldwin City High School; “Antarctic Sensitivity Map”; Dave Besson, professor of physics and astronomy.
Michael Ambroselli, senior in physics; “To evaluate/analyze data generated by the current equipment deployed in January 2007 for the AURA (Askaryan Underice Radio Array) project at the South Pole”; John Ralston, professor of physics and astronomy.
Alex Krejci, senior in geology and physics, son of Jerry and Kelly Krejci; Olathe Northwest High School; “Cosmic Rays and Biodiversity”; Adrian Melott, professor of physics and astronomy.
Daniel Hogan, senior in mathematics and physics, son of Patrick and Jane Hogan; Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park; “Search for Axions and Higgs Bosons with the CLEO Detector”; Dave Besson, professor of physics and astronomy.
Emily Ratzlaff, junior in aerospace engineering, daughter of Don and Gayla Ratzlaff; Hillsboro High School; “Finding Heavy Electrons in the Large Hadron Collider”; Michael Murray, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.
Ezra Luke Huscher III, junior in physics, son of Kevin and Peggy Huscher; Salina High School South; “ANITA (ANtarctic Impulsive Transient Antennae)”; Dave Besson, professor of physics and astronomy.
Andrew V. Schaeperkoetter, senior in aerospace engineering, son of Vernon and Kat Schaeperkoetter; Saint Louis University High School; “Detecting Muons Using a Zero Degree Calorimeter”; Michael Murray, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.

MAY 31, 2007

Memorial services for Etta “Elaine” Vick, 84, Lawrence, will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church in Lawrence.
Mrs. Vick died Thursday, May 31, 2007, at Brandon Woods Retirement Center in Lawrence. She was born Aug. 23, 1922, near White City, the daughter of Frank and Golda Good Leonard. She was valedictorian of her graduating class in 1939. She was a Watkins scholar at Kansas University from 1939 to 1941. She attended Tony Wicher’s photo school in Topeka. She received a Bachelor of Arts in general studies in 1985 and a Master of Social Welfare in 1991, both from KU. Mrs. Vick worked in photography studios in Corvallis, Ore., and Lincoln, Neb. She and her husband, Allen, moved to Burlington and opened Vick Studio in 1946. They moved to Lawrence in 1961. In 1977 they moved to the Baldwin City area and ran the studio there until the late 1990s. Mrs. Vick also worked at KU in the physics and astronomy department for more than 10 years. She was instrumental in development of the Ballard Center and served as a secretary on the founding board. She was an advocate for both civil and human rights. She and her husband served as emergency foster care providers for many years. She also advocated for the elderly and nursing homes. Mrs. Vick was a member of First United Methodist Church in Lawrence. She was active in the United Methodist Women’s Association and involved in mission work. She was also a member of the Photography Association. She married Norman Allen Vick on Nov. 11, 1945, in Baldwin City. He survives, of Lawrence. Other survivors include a son, Kevan Vick and wife Gail, Lawrence; two daughters, Shari Raybern and husband Don, Lawrence, and Ardith Meadows, Topeka; 11 grandchildren, Ryan, Colby and Hannah Vick, Jennifer and Kelli Raybern, Jon and Aaron Meadows, Maria Wikle, Nicole Brundage and Kristina and Nikolas Rasmussen; four great-grandchildren, Raven, Kaylyn, A’santi and Caden; and several stepgrandchildren. Mrs. Vick was preceded in death by a daughter, Lynette Rasmussen, and four brothers, Wilbur, Alvin, Wayne and Phillip. The family suggests memorials to the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association in Topeka or First United Methodist Church, sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence.
Online condolences may be sent at www.warrenmcelwain.com, subject: Vick.

MAY 28, 2007

---

AWARD-WINNING

Congratulations to Professor Judy Wu on her designation as a UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR. Prof. Wu joins Professors Kristin Bowman-James, Townsend Peterson, and Joseph Steinmetz, who are also being honored at this time. Professor Wu's work has had great impact within her discipline while bringing honor and distinction to the University.




MAY 18, 2007

---

Congratulations to Professor Doug McKay on being selected as the 2007 recipient of the CLA&S Career Achievement Teaching Award.The $1000 award recognizes his distinguished teaching career, the profound impact he has had in the lives of students, and how deeply he is valued by the College.


ALUMNI: Congratulations to retired Rear Adm. Gene Kendall of Fernandina Beach, Fla., recipient of the Distinguished Engineering Service Award for 2007 from the School of Engineering. The award was created by the KU School of Engineering Advisory Board in 1980 to honor engineering alumni, or engineers who’ve maintained a close association with the school, for their outstanding contributions to the theories and practices of engineering research and development in new fields of engineering or direction of an organization that has made exceptional contributions in design, production and development. Admiral Kendall is a 1971 BS graduate of the Engineering Physics program. A full press release can be found at this site.

APRIL 17, 2007

---

Dr. Hui Zhao, currently a Post-doctoral Research Scholar at the Laboratory for Photonics and Quantum Electronics at the University of Iowa, has accepted an offer to join the Department of Physics and Astronomy as an Assistant Professor beginning Fall 2007. Dr. Zhao received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Optoelectronics, Northern Jiaotong University, China in 1999. He spent three years at the Institut fuer Angewandte Physik, Universitaet Karlsruhe, Germany before joining the research group in Iowa in 2003. His primary interest is in coherent control of carrier dynamics in semiconductors.

MARCH 25, 2007

---

Francis W. “Frank” Prosser Jr.
1927 - 2007

Memorial services for Francis W. “Frank” Prosser Jr., 79, Lawrence, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 14, 2007, at Plymouth Congregational Church. Inurnment will follow at Pioneer Cemetery.
Mr. Prosser died Tuesday, March 20, 2007, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

He was born June 30, 1927, in Wichita, the son of Francis W. Sr. and Harriet C. Osborne Prosser. He received a Bachelor of Science in engineering physics in 1950, a Master of Science in 1954 and a Ph.D. in physics in 1955, all from Kansas University. He lived in Lawrence most of his life. Mr. Prosser served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at KU. He was a research associate at the Rice Institute in Houston from 1955 to 1957. He began as an assistant professor at KU in 1957, became an associate professor in 1962 and then worked as a professor from 1967 until he retired. His honors include being a Summerfield Scholar from 1946 to 1950, and a National Science Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellow from 1953 to 1955.
Mr. Prosser was a member of the American Association of Physics Teachers, American Physical Society, Kansas Academy of Science, New York Academy of Science, Sigma Pi Sigma, Sigma Xi and Tau Beta Pi.
He married Nancy Baugh on May 31, 1952, in Wichita. She died Oct. 26, 2002.
Survivors include a son, David and wife Lori, Gillette, N.J.; two daughters, Rebecca Prosser, Knoxville, Tenn., and Martha McCarter and husband Matt, Overland Park; a brother, John, Denver; and four grandchildren, Rachel, Colin, Daniel and Jason.
The family suggests memorials to the church, sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary. Online condolences may be sent at www.warrenmcelwain.com, subject: Prosser.

MARCH 09, 2007

---

KU announces 15 winners of Undergraduate Research Awards
Fifteen University of Kansas students have received $1,200 Undergraduate Research Awards to be used from January to June 2007. Undergraduate Research Awards support original, independent research by Lawrence campus undergraduates. The University Honors Program administers the awards with funds from the offices of the provost and the vice provost for research and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Four recipients within Physics and Astronomy are:
Alexander Krejci, junior in geology and physics, son of Jerry and Kelli Krejci, Olathe Northwest High School; Statistical Analysis in Astrobiology; Adrian Melott, professor of physics and astronomy.
Laura Stiles, senior in engineering physics, daughter of Mark and Brenda Stiles, Shawnee Mission East High School; From Fibers to Photons: Measuring Positions of the Zero Degree Calorimeter; Michael Murray, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.
Jessica Snyder, senior in astronomy and engineering physics, daughter of Mike Snyder, Clearwater High School; Forward Energy From Photons and Neutrons at the Large Hadron Collider; Michael Murray, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.
Andrew Wooten, senior in aerospace engineering and engineering physics, son of Kent and Nanette Wooten, Shawnee Mission East High School; Monte Carlo Simulations of Protein Translocation Along DNA; Christopher Fischer, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.
A complete press release may be found at this site.

MARCH 09, 2007

---

BOSTON UNIVERSITY NOBEL LAUREATE IN PHYSICS,
DR. SHELDON GLASHOW ,
presented a lecture titled
Does Science Progress Through Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?
Immanuel Kant versus the Princes of Serendip
at the Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium.


FEBRUARY 02, 2007

---

Dr. Matthew Antonik has accepted an appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, joining the faculty beginning Fall 2007. Dr. Antonik's expertise is in the area of biophysics, specifically emphasizing methods of quantitatively determining structures and dynamics via fluorescence by examining in detail the behavior of single molecule photon counting signals. Dr. Antonik received his PhD from the University of Maine, Orono, and has most recently been employed as a researcher in Physical Chemistry at the Heinrich-Heine-Universitat, Dusseldorf.


JANUARY 19, 2007

---

Congratulations to undergraduate engineering physics major, Laura Stiles, on her selection as one of four KU science, math, and engineering students to compete for a national 2007 Goldwater Scholarship. Over the last 6 years (2001-2006), no school in the Big 12 has garnered more Goldwater Scholarships (18) than the University of Kansas. Among Physics and/or Astronomy departments in the Big 12, no Department has had more majors (10) receive Goldwater Scholarships than the Department of Physics & Astronomy at KU. Since 1993, 16 majors within the Department have received Goldwater Scholarships. A press release can be viewed at this site.


DECEMBER 13, 2006

---

DZero finds evidence of rare single top quark; Observation marks a step closer to finding Higgs boson
Scientists of the DZero collaboration (including KU researchers Alice Bean, Phil Baringer, Graham Wilson, Tania Moulik and Carsten Hensel ) at the Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced in a seminar at Fermilab on December 8, 2006 the first evidence of single top quarks produced in a rare subatomic process involving the weak nuclear force. The result is an important test of predictions made by particle theory, such as the number of quarks that exist in nature. In the longer term, the techniques employed in this analysis will allow scientists to search for an even more elusive particle, the Higgs boson. The full press release may be found at this site.

DECEMBER 01, 2006

---

Five KU alumni earn distinguished achievement awards:
The Notre Dame provost, NASA astronaut and graduate of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Steve Hawley, a distinguished public administration professor, the founder of a genomic company and an award-winning poet have all been selected as recipients of the 2006-07 Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Kansas. A full press release may be found at this site

NOVEMBER 10, 2006

---

Fifteen University of Kansas students in the Dean’s Scholars Program, including Astronomy, Math and Physics major Luis Vargas, will be honored at a reception at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, at Nunemaker Center. Joseph Steinmetz, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will meet with the juniors and seniors in the two-year program, which is designed to diversify the talent pool available for liberal arts and sciences faculties.The complete press release can be found at this site.

NOVEMBER 02, 2006

---

The National Geographic Channel broadcast a show entitled NAKED SCIENCE: Extinctions at 9PM local time on THURSDAY, NOV. 02.The show featured a significant contribution on astrobiology from the departmental group of Adrian Melott, Misha Medvedev and colleagues. The complete press release can be found at this site.

OCTOBER 19, 2006

---

Congratulations to Freshman Physics major, Ian Matthew Dungan, on being named a Summerfield Scholar. Ian is the son of Jerri and Paul Totman and a graduate of Girard High School, Girard,KS. The scholarships provide $4,500 per year for four years for each student and are administered by KU Endowment.

These scholarships are awarded to top students graduating from Kansas high schools in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements, record of community service and leadership. The Chancellor’s Honor Scholarship Committee selects the recipients. Students are eligible for consideration if they have a cumulative unweighted 3.5 high school grade-point average and an ACT score of 31 or higher or SAT of 1360 in math and critical reading. The complete press release can be found at this site.

OCTOBER 12, 2006

---

New Funding: Professor Judy Wu has been awarded a new 3-year research grant totalling $285K from the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research to study Material Science and Physics in High-Tc Coated Conductors. In collaboration with 4 other co-PIs, Professors Judy Wu and Carsten Timm have been awarded a NSF grant of Nanotechnology for Undergraduate Education. The two-year grant begins in Jan. 2007 and totals $199 K for establishing a new interdisciplinary course and research focusing on the interface between nanotechnology and other disciplines.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2006

---

Congratulations to Majeed Amini on a successful defense of the Ph.D. thesis: Thermodynamics and Kinetics of the Crystal-Melt Interface for Single and Binary Hard-Sphere Systems: A Simulation Study .

AUGUST 30, 2006

The IAU General Assembly in Prague voted to reclassify Pluto as a dwarf planet, defining the eight largest objects in the solar system as true planets. Pluto becomes the first and, for now, the largest of a new class of objects that ultimately may number in the dozens. These objects, sometimes called Plutons, are generating increasing interest among planetary scientists because of the insight they provide into the formation and evolution of the solar system beyond what it known from the well-studied planets. Pluto has unusual significance for Kansas, the University of Kansas, and the Department of Physics and Astronomy since Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto was a KU graduate of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. For a more detailed look at the life of Clyde Tombaugh, go to this site. For a Lawrence news video on the Pluto designation, click on this link. If you woul like to join in honoring Clyde Tombaugh and help the Astronomy majors of KU, the Clyde Tombaugh Scholarship Fund was created over 15 years ago. For donations of $500 or more, donors receive a copy of David Levy's biography of Dr. Tombaugh, personally autographed by Clyde Tombaugh. For more information, contact the Department of Physics and Astronomy at physics@ku.edu or Kathleen Brady of the KU Endowment Association at kbrady@kuendowment.org.

August 23, 2006

---

Two University of Kansas freshmen with perfect scores on their college entrance exams have received Perfect Achievement Scholarships valued at $52,000 for four years of undergraduate study. One of the two incoming freshman is Richard Zachary “Zach” Robinson, an engineering physics major from Garnett. The complete press release may be accessed at this site.

August 18, 2006

---

       

Seven more University of Kansas professors received good news today when the “Surprise Patrol” awarded them with $5,000 checks and the honor of being W.T. Kemper Fellowship winners. Included among this year's Kemper Fellowship winners is Dr. Judy Wu, Professor of Physics & Astronomy, who was visited by the Prize Patrol during her MWF 12:00 PM PHSX 212 class. In the photos above, she is being congratulated by (left) Provost Lariviere and (right) Dean Steinmetz of CLAS. In the words of the selection committee, "Dr. Wu, who was hired by KU directly from graduate school 12 years ago, has a passion for teaching that was evident early in her career. In the past 10 years, Wu has mentored more graduate students than any other member of the department, as well as a large number of undergraduates. Wu says she sums up her teaching philosophy in the phrase 'Passing my passion for science on to the next generation.' With Wu’s deep involvement in physics education on the graduate, undergraduate, secondary and elementary levels in the community, her passion is easy to see." Dr. Wu becomes the fifth member of the Department to receive a Kemper Fellowship. The complete press release is accessible at this site.

July 24, 2006

---

Forty-five undergraduate students at the University of Kansas are working on research projects this summer funded with grants of about $1,000 from the University Honors Program. Included among the awardees for the summer are:
Daniel Patrick Hogan, senior in mathematics and physics, son of Patrick and Jane Hogan; Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park; “Constraining Relativistic Magnetic Monopole Flux with a High-Energy Neutrino Detector”; Dave Beeson, professor of physics and astronomy.
Brennan R. Metzler, senior in mathematics and physics, son of Rob and Marcia Metzler; Rockhurst High School, Kansas City, Mo.; “Front-End Electronics for a Zero Degree Calorimeter”; Michael Murray, associate professor of physics and astronomy.
Andrew Lake Wooten, senior in aerospace engineering and engineering physics, son of Kent and Nanette Wooten; Shawnee Mission East High School; “Monte Carlo Simulation of Protein Translocation Along Single-Stranded DNA”; Christopher Fischer, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.
Jessica G. Snyder, senior in astronomy, engineering and physics, daughter of Mike Snyder; Clearwater High School; “Light From Neutrons”; Michael Murray, assistant professor of physics and astronomy.

A complete press release can be found at this site.

| PAST NEWS ITEMS|