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Spring 2013 a P R I L 2 0 1 3 P O I N T S O F INTEREST: the Spring 2013 Semester BUSINESS NAME S P E C I A L Spring 2013 A P R I L 2 0 1 3 P O I N T S O F INTEREST: the Spring 2013 semester. in 2011. Big Bang or Chair’s corner A search for another medical Sponsored research expend- Big Bounce? physicist is underway and Physics & Astronomy’s itures from state, federal, and additional searches are being vision is to use its world-class private sources amounted to Schaefer to considered together with CCT science to train its students to $8.9M, an increase from the Stockholm in computational materials think creatively, flexibly, and $5.8M total five years ago. and computational nuclear analytically; to prepare in- Highlights of the faculty’s and Grad student physics. creasing numbers of students students’ research can be recognized 17 new PhD and 4 Medical to produce new knowledge found in this newsletter and on worldwide. Physics Masters students and to be productive citizens the department’s web site at: joined us in 2012, and 17 of Louisiana and the nation; http://ww.phys.lsu.edu. Steldt Leaves more PhD and 4 Medical and to utilize and expand its Legacy Physics MS candidates are research capabilities to en- expected in August 2013. 8 hance Louisiana’s, LSU’s, and students received PhDs and the Department’s national 13 received MS degrees dur- reputation, technical infra- ing 2012. At the start of the structure, and workforce. Fall 2013 semester, the total Three new faculty – Ivan number of students in the PhD INSIDE THIS Agullo (theoretical gravity), and MS program will be 99 ISSUE: Mark Wilde (quantum compu- and 18, respectively. These ting), and Guang Jia (medical Community 1 numbers were 92 and 20 in physics) – will join us in Outreach Fall 2012. 16 students August 2013. John Wefel Michael Cherry, received Bachelors degrees in Who’s New 2 (astrophysics) retired in Chair, Department of 2012. The number of under- March 2013; and Ray Chas- Physics & Astronomy graduate majors as of Fall tain (instructor) left LSU after Undergradu- 3 2012 was 72 compared to 65 ate News Graduate 3 on Saturday April 6. Participants ning Tunneling Microscope that Honors & learned about nanoscale science measures the surface of objects Awards Nanodays… and technology during a nation- at the atomic level. Faculty, wide festival celebrating the students and staff from the Faculty 4 NanoDays, coordinated by the science of ultra small matter. Department of Physics & Awards Nanoscale Informal Science NanoDays featured several hands Astronomy, the Center for Com- Education Network (NISE Net.), Research 6 -on activities for children of all putation and Technology, the took place nationally March 30- News ages. Department of Chemistry, the April 7, 2013, at more than 200 On Saturday, March 30, in the Society of Physics Students, and Alumni 11 science museums, research cen- Highland Road Park Observatory, the National Science Foundation Activities ters and universities across the Richard Kurtz presented Nano- -funded Louisiana Alliance for country. technology for improved energy Simulation-Guided Materials In Baton Rouge, NanoDays generation, storage and transmis- Applications (LA-SiGMA) 2013 was held at the Highland sion. On Saturday April 6th, John volunteered their time to make Road Park Observatory, Satur- DiTusa presented Nanomagnets the events a success. day, March 30, and at the Loui- as a path to new computers and siana Arts & Science museum Juana Moreno displayed a Scan- P A G E 2 Highland Road Park Observatory Community Outreach The Highland Road Park “What’s New with Com- Hynes), “From Magnetism Observatory celebrated its ets” (Greg Stacy), “The Life to Superconductivi- 15th anniversary and remains and Death of Stars” (Juhan ty” (David Young), and a popular destination on Fri- Frank), “Binary Stars” (Zach “Medical Physics” (Wayne day and Saturday nights in Byerly), “The Astounding Newhauser). We look for- Baton Rouge. You often find CCT” (Juana Moreno), “The ward to a major refurbish- an LSU professor or gradu- Star of Bethlehem”, “Dark ment of the 20” telescope in ate student operating the Energy in Stockholm”, and the near future. telescope on a public night. “Dating the Crucifix- This past year public lec- ion” (Brad Schaefer), Check out the Highland Road Park tures from Physics and “Superluminal Neutri- Observatory online at The Dumbbell Nebula Astronomy covered a diverse nos” (Thomas Kutter), “Into http://www.bro.lsu.edu/ array of topics including: the Neutron Star” (Rob Saturday Science The Department of Physics and origin of stars to the fate of Mis- Astronomy runs the Saturday Sci- sissippi river and its impact on Winners of 2013 College of Science ence series of talks aimed at high our city. school students given by faculty A Saturday Science schedule Choppin Honors Convocation is available via the departmental from the Colleges of Science and College of Science Outstanding Junior: Melanie Carroll Engineering. Talks on a diverse set webpage and it is also an- Keen-Morris Prize: Daniel Case of topics are held every month at nounced to different schools. Gregg Hussey Scholarship for Excellence Award: Nicholson Hall. They are attended This year new initiatives were Jonathan Curole by over 50 people from different taken to get the word out about Outstanding Geaux Teach Student Award: Mia Ferriss schools in Baton Rouge and neigh- Saturday Science which yielded College Honors: Daniel Case & Mia Ferriss boring areas. School students get an increase in attendance. Satur- College of Science Untenured Faculty Research Award: school credit for attending these day Science activities were run Parampreet Singh public talks. this past year by our depart- —————————————————————————– ment's Board of Regents This year there were 8 Saturday Winners of Physics & Astronomy Department Science public lectures on a very Fellows and Parampreet Singh. broad range of topics ranging from Student and Teaching Awards 2012 Winners! Undergraduate Research Award: Noah Davis Welcome New Members to Our Department Ganesh Chanmugam Distinguished Dissertation Award: Biao Hu Faculty Research Staff Joseph Callaway Prize for an Outstanding Research Proposal in the Graduate Seminar: Laura Linhardt Aaron Grochoski, Instructor Flor De Maria Blaszczyk (Tzanov) Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Charles Wilson & Garrett Will McElgin, Instructor Bethany Broekhoven (Guzik) May Amber Stuver, Instructor Winston Capps (Cherry) Outstanding Graduate Assistant Grader: Zhiahao Xiao Staff Duncan Macleod (Gonzalez) Undergraduate Majors’ Faculty Teaching Award: Mette Gaarde Hangwen Guo (Zhang) Colleen Fava, Manager of LaSpace Miguel Megevand (Singh) 2013 Winners! Stephanie Jones, Coordinator Tess Leonard, Part-time Coordinator Adam Mullavey (Gonzalez) Undergraduate Research Award: Hannah Gardiner & Conrad Brandon Lohman, Research Stephen Pittman (Blackmon/Newhauser) Sprunger Specialist Ching Cheng Hsu (Cherry) Department Service award: Chase Brignac & Greg Tobin Edward Wilson-Ewing (Singh) Joseph Callaway Prize for an Outstanding Research Proposal in the Amir Javaid (Guzik) Graduate Seminar: Ashkan Balouchi Zhenyu Zhang (Plummer/Haber) Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Chris Johnson & Jisun Kim (Plummer) Ed Montiel Undergraduate Majors’ Faculty Teaching Award: Jonathan Dowling SPRING 2013 Undergraduate News P A G E 3 How many physicists does it take to make liquid 2014 Conference for nitrogen ice cream? Undergraduate Women in Physics Well, in our case, the The LSU Department of different careers in physics. answer is THREE. With Physics and Astronomy will We will also organize tours of the intention of helping our be hosting the South Central the local facilities and labora- new undergraduate 2014 Conference for Under- tories. students (both first- and graduate Women in Physics We are hoping to get be- second-year) acclimate to (CUWiP). CUWiP will take tween 80 and 100 participants their new academic envi- place January 17-19, 2014. from across the region. The ronment, Professors The CUWiP allows for un- local organizers are Gabriela experienced physics Deibel, Gaarde, and Stadler dergraduate women to meet Gonzalez and Mette Gaarde majors, and to ask them organized two ice cream and network with each other from Physics and Astronomy, questions about classes, socials for all physics and with professional and Theda Daniels-Race from the department, and majors. The first one was women in physics. Engineering. Student members career plans, or to just held in the Fall 2012 The conference will con- of the organizing committee make some social con- semester with a good turn- sist of three days of talks, are Bethany Broekhoven, Mia nections. Based on the out of ~35 students. By the workshops, poster sessions, Ferris (seniors), Hannah Gar- positive feedback from Spring, word had gotten panel discussions and so- diner (junior), Amy LeBleu out that the ice cream was the students, the events were deemed success- cials. We will have talks and (freshman), and Anamaria REALLY GOOD, and the poster sessions about Effler (grad. student). numbers increased to ful, and we plan to do research, and through work- around 45. The idea was to this again in Fall 2013. shops and panels explore give the students an oppor- tunity to meet some more See http://www.aps.org/programs/women/workshops/cuwip.cfm for more details. Graduate Honors & Awards Pagnotta, A Shining Star.. Ashley is posted on the department website. while at LSU,” says Pagnotta. Pagnotta Pagnotta is also the recipient of the “Pagnotta has a wonderful re- recent Ph. D. Charles E. Coates Outstanding Disser- search plan to test whether old graduate in tation Award for 2011-2012. While at novae fade on the time scale of a Physics from LSU, Ashley enjoyed being involved LSU century, with this dimming as part of in outreach programs like Saturday the controversial ‘Hibernation Science for local high school students Eddy Perez/University Relations Model,’” said Schaefer, her disserta- and Astronomy Public Nights. She is tion advisor. “Few graduates make Ashley Pagnotta, who recently completed her currently a postdoc at the American big waves in the scientific communi- Ph.
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