PURDUE UNIVERSITY

A NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY 2008

Inside The LHC 3 New Faculty Revolution 4 Faculty Honors A new era in 6 Physics News 10 Student Awards

11 Alumni News

Photo by Maximilien Brice, © CERN

View of the CMS () experiment Tracker Outer Barrel (TOB). This is one of two general-purpose LHC experiments designed to explore the physics of the Terascale, the energy region where physicists believe they will find answers to the central questions at the heart of 21st-century particle physics. (page 8) Q, s

Fromfrom the HeadHead

s you read this new issue of Physics Interactions, you’ll see that much has happened in the Department over the past year. The AUniversity and College of Science have both adopted new stra- tegic plans during the past few months, and we are now finalizing a new Department strategic plan. In constructing our plan, we have engaged the entire department to set priorities and goals, and decide on strategies. An important part of this process was the external review of the Department, which was conducted in April of this year. At that time, a committee of physicists from outside the University spent two days meeting with faculty, students, and staff. While the review committee had much good advice, they also strongly endorsed our plans for the future. It is thus appropriate that this issue of Physics Interactions is focused squarely on the future. One key to the future is the recruitment of new faculty, and we are very pleased to report that four new faculty members are joining our Department this year (see page 3). All are experimental physicists, with two working in the area of biological physics and two in condensed matter physics. These new additions join an already large and strong core of young faculty who have joined us in the past several years. Credits Important support and contributions to our future have also come from friends of the Department. We were very grateful for the donation of a new This newsletter is published annually by the Department of Physics at Purdue Univer- graduate fellowship by Patricia Schreiner (page 10). This new fellowship sity. Please address any questions to our will support deserving graduate students and be of great help in recruiting department at the phone number below. outstanding students to the Department. We are also excited to announce a Department Head Nicholas Giordano new campaign to create an endowed faculty position in Physics (see page Editors 13). Once it is fully funded, this endowment will help us recruit and retain Bill Fornes - Assistant to the Head top faculty. A number of our retired faculty already made generous com- Mike Focosi - Webmaster [email protected] mitments to this campaign, demonstrating their deep commitment to our Contact Information: Physics “family”. Department of Physics With our strong group of faculty, students, and staff, along with the sup- 525 Northwestern Avenue West Lafayette, IN port of our many friends, the future of the Department is very bright. 47907-2036 www.physics.purdue.edu -Nicholas J. Giordano (‘73) Telephone: (765) 494-2970 Fax: (765) 494-0706 Hubert James Distinguished Professor of Physics and Department Head An electronic version of this publication is available for downloading at: www.physics.purdue.edu/interactions

2 Physics Interactions ...... NewN .~~ ..r.Faculty .~~~J.~B Oana Malis, Assistant Professor of Brian Todd, Assistant Professor Physics, specializes in experimental of Physics, is an experimental condensed matter physics. Prof. Malis biophysicist who specializes in has research interests in the area of 1) measuring the constitutive semiconductor physics with an em- properties of single molecules, phasis on the science and technology using atomic force microscopy of optoelectronic materials. In particu- (AFM), optical tweezers, and lar she is exploring the properties of magnetic tweezers, 2) develop- complex semiconductor nano-struc- ment of constitutive equations to tures for mid-infrared light emission connect molecular scale proper- and detection. Her work involves semiconductor growth, ties with biological function in materials characterization, device fabrication, and device health and disease, and 3) inverse problems in imaging testing. She also has an active interest in new light emitting and measurement including the measurement of DNA mechanisms and novel semiconductor materials. Prof. Malis packaging forces by magnetic tweezers, and the deter- comes to Purdue from SUNY-Binghamton and holds a M.Sc. mination of cartilage proteoglycan catabolic state using from the University of Bucharest and a Ph.D. from Boston atomic force microscopy. Prof. Todd holds a BChE University. from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University. Michael Manfra, Associate Profes- sor of Physics, is an experimental condensed matter physicist whose research is focused on using mo- lecular beam epitaxy to understand the physics of interacting electrons Retired Faculty in lower dimensional semiconductor systems and nanostructures. Key areas of his research include quan- tum computation with topologi- cally protected solid-state qubits, ultra-high mobility carbon-doped hole systems, nanostructures in GaN semiconductors, and large area epitaxial graphene growth. Prof. Manfra comes to Purdue from Alcatel-Lucent and holds an A.B. from Harvard University and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Boston University.

Yulia Pushkar, Assistant Professor of Physics, is an experimental biophysi- cist. Her primary research interests are David Elmore Roberto Colella applying spectroscopic techniques to Years of Service: Years of Service: study biological and synthetic systems 1989 – 2007 1971 – 2008 capable of converting visible light into chemically stored energy and using high resolution (micro to nano) X-ray imag- ing for simultaneous detection of metals (such as Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn) in neuron cell cultures and brain tissues. Prof. Pushkar received a M.S. from Moscow State University and a Ph.D. from Free University Berlin.

Physics Interactions 3 Faculty Honors Professor Daniela Bortoletto was appointed Professor Sergei Savikhin was to the Advisory Committee for the NSF Di- promoted to Associate Professor rectorate of Math & Physical Sciences and with tenure. to the DOE/NSF Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) Subpanel.

Professor Fuqiang Wang was Professor Lynn Bryan was promoted to Full appointed a University Faculty Professor. Scholar.

Professor Martin Kruczenski received the Staff Honors Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Staff Honors Graduate Teaching. Martha Delaney received the Professional Achievement Award from the College of Science.

Professor Yuli Lyanda-Geller was awarded the Department of Navy Edison Patent Award. In addition to being a valued member of the de- partment, Professor Andy Hirsch is also president of the Wabash River Cycling Professor Norbert Neumeister received the Club. Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Professor Ken Ritchie, already an Associate Professor, was granted tenure.

4 Physics Interactions InIn MemoriumMemorium

Prof. Earle Fowler Prof. Frank Loeffler 10 June 1921 - 01 March 2008 05 September 1928 - 27 July 2008 Years of Service: 1972-1980 Years of Service: 1958-1997

Prof. Robert Mieher Prof. Donald Tendam 10 October 1932 - 04 December 2007 28 May 1916 - 17 February 2008 Years of Service: 1965-2002 Years of Service: 1940-1982

Physics Interactions 5 ParticlesFarticles of Information]nformation - Graduate ResearchResearch Detection of Explosives Using Neutron Elemental Analysis Eric Sword* produces a 10.8 MeV gamma-ray. The system makes use eutron elemental analysis pro- of a compact linear ac- vides a non-intrusive, non-de- celerator, which produces O.& Nstructive, rapid, and safe way 14 MeV neutrons using a to observe the elemental composition deuterium-tritium fusion re- 0.6 of a material inside a sealed container. action. Because the neutron [ This method can be used at a secu- capture reaction is maxi- ls rity checkpoint to scan an unknown mized for low-energy neu- E!: 0.4- Alcollok sample and determine if it is a hazard- trons, the 14 MeV neutrons ] Waler lml.rntria.l Explosive ous material, such as an explosive from the generator must 0 0.2 or chemical warfare agent, without lose energy before they are physically sampling the material. This useful. Monte Carlo statis- technique has proven its ability to tical simulations were used 0:0 OJ 0.2 0.3 0.4 o,.s 0.6 0.7 detect chemical warfare agents in a to optimize the moderating Ac1ual [NIH] successful series of double-blind tests components of the system, conducted at Edgewood Chemical and which include a depleted Figure 2: Comparison of expected elemental ratios to Biological Center using live chemical uranium neutron reflector those observed using neutron elemental analysis. warfare agents. My work focuses on and a paraffin wax neutron using neutron elemental analysis to guide. The neutron reflec- E to the energy of the observed detect explosive materials. tor uses neutrons from the generator gamma-ray, s is the thermal neutron Most explosive materials are com- to induce fission on238 U, producing cross-section for the radiative cap- posed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, additional neutrons at lower energy ture reaction leading to the observed and nitrogen. Because carbon, hy- traveling toward the scanned sample. gamma-ray, and e is the efficiency of drogen, and oxygen are ubiquitous The neutron guide uses elastic scatter- the gamma-ray detector as a function in common materials, the detection ing with hydrogen to reduce neutron of energy. This behavior has been of nitrogen as an initial trigger for energy, and redirect neutrons toward experimentally confirmed by measur- explosives is essential to reduce false- the sample. The computer model was ing the elemental ratio of nitrogen alarms. This is done using the (n, g) used to construct a prototype scanning to hydrogen, and comparing it to the neutron capture reaction, which system, shown in expected value based on the contents Figure 1. of the sample, shown in Figure 2. The system is capable of determin- This result shows that the tech- ing the elemental composition of an niques of neutron elemental analysis unknown material based on neutron are not only capable of detecting the capture signal ratios observed by the elemental components in a hazard- system. The example of determin- ous material, but also able to use this ing the elemental ratio of nitrogen to information to determine the elemental hydrogen is given by the equation content of the sample. In this way, a scanner using neutron interrogation is able to separate benign and hazard- ous materials based on the elements Figure 1: Prototype neutron interroga- observed, and their relative quantities. tion system optimized for the detection of explosive materials. where S refers to the signal observed,

* Eric Sword is a graduate student with Professor David Koltick and was supported in this work by an industrial fellowship with 2K Corporation. 6 Physics Interactions Visitors & Speakers

16th Hubert James Lecture College of Science Distinguished Lecture Professor Roger Blandford, Direc- tor of the Kavli Institute of Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University, delivered the 16th Hubert James Lecture on 10 April 2008. Blandford’s talk was entitled “Black Holes: The End of Time or a New Beginning?”

Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecture The Physics Department hosted Robert M. Hazen, Senior Staff On February 7, the Physics Department hosted Scientist at the Carnegie Institu- Professor Mildred Dresselhaus, a pro- tion’s Geophysical Laboratory and fessor at the Massachusetts Institute of Clarence Robinson Professor of Technology, for the College of Science’s Earth Science at George Mason Centennial Distinguished Lecture Se- University, for the Sigma Xi Distin- ries, held in celebration of the 100th an- guished Lecture on 11 September niversary. Prof. Dresselhaus’ talk was 2008. Professor Hazen’s lecture was “Right and entitled “The Potential of Nanostructured Left: Mineral Surfaces, Molecular Selection, and the Materials to Address the Challenge of a Sustainable Origin of Life’s Homochirality.” Energy Resource.”

2008 Nobel Laureate Yoichiro Nambu collaborated closely with Purdue physics faculty during the 1960s, publishing papers with Professors Peter Rosen, San Fu Tuan, Masao Sugawara, and Solomon Gartenhaus. In a case of “what might have been” Prof. Rosen actively recruited Prof. Nambu to join the Physics Department in 1966. Unfortunately for us, Prof. Nambu decided to stay at the University of Chicago.

Physics Interactions 7 c-,1o , The LHC Revolution The LHC () is expected to open a new era in particle physics.

By Prof. Daniela Bortoletto exploration of a new energy frontier ing just outside The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and promises to revolutionize particle Chicago. None- is expected to open a new era in physics. The main goals include the theless there are particle physics. The accelerator was search for the and new many signs that built by the European Organization for particles predicted by supersymmetry the Standard Nuclear Research (CERN) a scien- or theories predicting extra dimensions Model is far from tific organization of twenty European of space-time. complete. member states. The USA, Canada, The Standard Model of particles For example Top left: The silicon pixel wafers designed by the Purdue team for FPix. Japan, India and Russia are observer and interactions summarizes our we need an states that have contributed signifi- current knowledge of particle phys- explanation for ASICs readingout 41,600 pixels. Right: cant resources to the completion of ics. The theoretical foundation of the the very different the LHC. In a masses of elementary particles. The 27-km under- photon is massless while the electron ground tunnel mass is about 1/1836th that of the pro- located be- ton mass and the mass of the tween the Jura is about 172 times larger than the Mountains and proton mass. The key to explain mass the Alps in the in the standard model is the yet-to-be- countryside discovered Higgs boson. The LHC is near Geneva, expected to discover the Higgs, if it Switzerland, exists, even if it weighs 1 TeV. protons and We also know from astrophysi- heavy ions cal observations that Standard Model will be ac- particles only describe about 4% of the celerated at universe. The remaining 21% and 75% a velocity are described by dark matter and dark close to the energy, respectively. Supersymmetry speed of light. (SUSY), a theory that postulates a new The beam is symmetry between elementary par- steered by su- ticles of one spin with another particle perconduct- A photo of the LHC dipole magnets inside the tunnel over an aerial that differs by a half-unit of spin, pro- ing magnets image of the LHC near Lake Geneva. vides an excellent candidate for dark operating at Photographed by Fabienne Marcastel, © Cern matter, the neutralino. To understand cryogenic temperatures using super- Standard Model is confirmed at the per the true nature of dark matter particles fluid helium at 1.9 K. The head-on col- mille level by experiments at the Large we need to produce them at accelera- lisions will reach 14 trillion electron Electron-Positron Collider that operat- tors such as the LHC. volts (TeV), the highest energy ever ed in the same tunnel now used by the Finally, by colliding particles at achieved on earth. The experimental LHC until 2000 and by the Tevatron, a very high energies we can start prob- program of the LHC will open the proton-antiproton collider still operat- ing why gravity is so feeble. A novel

8 Physics Interactions research personnel, engineers, graduate students and under- Purdue Physicists graduate students is a member working on LHC of the Compact Muon Solenoid Professors: (CMS) Experiment being con- Virgil Barnes ducted at the LHC. The CMS Daniela Bortoletto collaboration involves 3600 Art Garfinkel people from 183 institutes in 38 Laszlo Gutay countries, spanning Europe, Asia, Matthew Jones the Americas and Australasia. David Miller To record the Universe’s tiniest Norbert Neumeister constituents the collaboration has Ian Shipsey built one of the largest scientific instruments. The 12,500-tonne The Purdue Particle Physics group CMS detector records a variety made extensive contributions to the of detailed measurements to sieve CMS experiment during the past out the events of interest. CMS’s decade. We had a leading role in the method of construction was design and fabrication of the 60 mil- The silicon pixel wafers designed by the Purdue team for FPix. unique, with “slices” of detector lion channel silicon pixel detector. We Bottom left: A photo of plaquette containing 10 electronic weighing as much as 2000 tonnes developed, fabricated and installed ASICs readingout 41,600 pixels. Right: A Photo of 2 half FPix disks being fully constructed on the a sophisticated radioactive source surface then lowered 100 meters system to calibrate the CMS calorim- explanation is that gravity, uniquely into the cavern. The main features of eters. We contributed to the design and among the forces, acts in extra dimen- CMS are a high-field solenoid housing fabrication of the massive muon end sions and therefore its effect is much a full silicon-based inner tracking sys- cap detectors. Finally, Purdue is also weaker in our three dimensions of tem (pixels and strips), a fully active, one of the seven centers in the USA space and one of time. If the fun- scintillating crystal electromagnetic operating a world wide grid computing damental scale of the gravitational calorimeter, and a compact scintilla- system to analyze the 100 megabytes/ interaction is a few TeV, gravitational tor/brass hadronic calorimeter. Out- second data produced by the LHC. effects could become comparable to The pixel detector was installed in electroweak effects and gravitons CMS on July 31 just before the CMS could be produced copiously at the detector was closed in preparation for LHC. Some of the gravitons might es- data taking. The first beams were seen cape into extra dimensions giving rise by CMS at the beginning of Septem- to a missing energy signature in the ber. Unfortunately a short between LHC detectors. Higher energies can two magnets on September 19 caused also recreate conditions that existed serious mechanical damage to 24 a fraction of a second after the Big dipole magnets and 5 of the quadru- Bang. This will allow us to probe the pole magnets when the liquid helium origins of matter and possibly under- enclosure between two of the magnets stand why there are different types of ruptured. The damaged section of the matter particles in the universe. Simulation of the creation of superpartner LHC will be repaired during a sched- particles at the LHC, as seen in the CMS uled winter shutdown and we expect to detector at CERN. What is Purdue’s Role in the LHC? see circulating beam in May 2009. Af- The Purdue Particle Physics group side the solenoid, there is a hadronic ter working on CMS for over ten years which includes professors Virgil ‘tail-catcher’ in the central region, and we were disappointed by the delay but Barnes, Daniela Bortoletto, Art Gar- an iron-core muon spectrometer sit- we are confident and excited about the finkel, Laszlo Gutay, Matthew Jones, ting in the return field of the powerful LHC and the ground breaking discov- David Miller, Norbert Neumeister and solenoid, with tracking chambers and eries it will allow. Ian Shipsey, as well as postdoctoral trigger chambers.

Physics Interactions 9 Q, s

Student Awards

Undergraduate Physics Department Awards the First Gary L. Wright Fellowship Richard W. King Award Alyssa Garrelts received the Outstanding Physics Junior and Senior Gary L. Wright Fellowship Katherine Wooley (Sr.) in Physics at the Department Joseph Clampitt (Jr.) of Physics Annual Awards Ceremony on April 24, 2008. Lijuan Wang Award Garrelts is a graduate student Women in Physics in the area of biophysics Zohar Aliya working under the direction of Professor Ken Ritchie. Spira Award for Summer Research The Wright Fellowship was From left to right - Physics Department Head Nick Jhan Harp Giordano, 2008 Wright Fellow Alyssa Garrelts, and established by Mrs. Patricia Patricia Schreiner Zachary Sylvan Schreiner of West Lafayette in honor of her husband, who began his studies at Purdue as a physics major. College of Science The Wright Fellowship was announced by Purdue University on April 9, 2008, Outstanding Student Award as part of Purdue’s Access and Success Campaign. John Doyle John Wright Alan Meert Katherine Wooley Graduate Awards H.Y. Fan Award for Outstanding Karl Lark-Horovitz Award for David G. Seiler Physics Scholarship Research in Condensed Matter Outstanding Research Emily Grace Sunanda Koduvayur Yongquan Xue

Kenneth S. and Paula D. Krane Lijuan Wang Award George W. Tautfest Award Physics Scholarship Women in Physics Outstanding student in high energy Joseph Clampitt Laura Biedermann physics Jacob Thomas Yu Zhen Jason Ulery Robert Gustafson Terence Tarnowsky William Watterson Jhan Harp Joshua Phillips • Elizabeth Proctor (BS 08) was selected as a Shalim and Paul Sargis Student Responder at the May 2008 commencement Memorial Scholarship ceremony. Timothy Klamo William Vogel • Katherine Wooley (BS 08) was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Margie and Don Bottorff Under- Fellowship to begin her graduate studies at Harvard graduate Physics Scholarship University. Charles Lee Coates

10 Physics Interactions Alumni NewsNews

assembly and shipping of the detector Where Are to Cornell.” Derek recalls. Derek received his B.S. in Decem- ber 1998, but continued at Purdue as a ·,~,.,,· <.~'. .,' --1'... They Now? graduate student until August of 1999 during which time he taught introduc- Derek Tournear became a Boil- tory physics labs along with working .1'. -. ,··,, .,,-..... ,;.:..· ermaker in 1995. He came to the on the CLEO III detector. In Septem- , I • . ) ~ . . '~ ~ physics department from the US Navy ber of 1999, he enrolled at Stanford ,, .... " .:··_·,· .. ~ e nuclear power program. He was de- University where he received a Ph.D. ,..... · ./. ,j termined to switch to engineering after in physics in 2003. While at Stanford, Derek studied Derek and Jaime Tournear at the DARPA high-energy astrophysics at SLAC. 50th anniversary celebration 2008. He worked on the GLAST (now Fer- mi) space telescope hardware and the After leading XNAV through a suc- Unconventional Stellar Aspect (USA) cessful Phase 1, Derek moved to the X-ray space experiment data analysis. Washington DC area to join DARPA Derek’s hands-on experience at Pur- as a program manager in 2007. He due helped with interfaces to engineers describes life at DARPA, “DARPA is working on space experiments under an exciting and unique place to work. construction. He recalled, “Stanford Everyone is on a fast track to push out was the first place I saw a major dif- as much cutting edge R&D as they can ference between the way physicists in their tenure here. You get exposed and engineers thought. At Purdue to a tremendous amount of fascinat- the scientists shared a practical view ing ideas from academia, industry and similar to engineers; at Stanford the national labs. DARPA is truly a place viewpoints could be further separated. where one can impact R&D, and in the The ability to see both sides helped on end deliver technology that can greatly more than one occasion.” benefit our Nation’s security.” Following graduation, the newly Dr. Tournear currently lives with Derek Tournear working in the CLEO III inducted Dr. Tournear took a post- his wife Jaime and daughter Savannah assembly lab at Purdue 1997 doctoral position and eventually a in Catlett, VA. staff scientist position with the space one year of physics. Thankfully he did and atmospheric sciences group at not follow that path. Los Alamos National Laboratory. At During his time at Purdue Derek LANL Derek worked on gamma-ray worked on the CLEO III silicon vertex optics based on channeling and was Where Are detector with Professor Ian Shipsey the LANL PI on the DARPA X-ray YOU Now? and Kirk Arndt. Derek was involved Navigation (XNAV) program. As Send us a note at early on in the project and helped the XNAV PI, he was responsible for [email protected] with designs and construction of the design, fabrication and test of an X-ray and tell us about it! detector. “Unfortunately I moved on sensor to allow autonomous naviga- to graduate school months before final tion in space.

Physics Interactions 11 ...... A~Alumni.~.~.!:.! ..News N~~~ 2008 Distinguished Science Alumni Award

owell Wenger is the dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Math- ematics at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) where he is Lresponsible for more than 90 faculty and 1,700 students. He has led the NSM faculty through major curricular changes to improve student learning in mathematics and to enhance research and honors opportunities for undergradu- ates. Before joining UAB, Lowell was a member of the physics faculty at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and held administrative positions of chair in the Department of Physics and associate dean in the College of Science. As a researcher, he has authored over 120 journal articles and presented his work at numerous national and international conferences. His work focuses on the calorimetric and magnetic properties of spin-glass, superparamagnetic, and other magnetic materials. In addition, he has studied the paramagnetic Meissner and Josephson effects in both conventional and high temperature superconducting materials. He is presently serving as a co-PI on an National Science Foundation- funded project titled “UAB ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award,” whose objective is to increase the number of female faculty in the science and engineering disciplines. Lowell is a member of the American Physical Society, Lowell Wenger Materials Research Society, and Sigma Xi, and of the Sigma Pi Sigma, and Phi Kappa Phi honorary societies. He was awarded a Fulbright-Hays Research Fel- • BS ‘71, Purdue University lowship in 1982, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in 1978, was a recipient • MS ‘73, Purdue University of a Board of Governors Faculty Recognition Award, and an inaugural Career • PhD ‘75, Purdue University Development Award while at Wayne State. (advised by Prof. Pieter Keesom) Lowell is originally from Middlebury, Indiana, and is a 1967 graduate of Middlebury High School. He and his wife, Andrea (MS ‘76, Consumer and Family Sciences), reside in the Riverchase area of Birmingham, Alabama.

Career Highlights 2003 - present Dean, School of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Alabama at Birmingham

1998-2003 Chair, Department of Physics, Wayne State University

1996 Became an associate dean, College of Science, Wayne State University

1982 Named a Fulbright-Hays Senior Research Fellow, Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium, Leiden University, The Netherlands

12 Physics Interactions 0

Physics Outstanding Alumni Award 2008 he Physics Department honored its 2008 Outstand- Ting Alumnus on October 31, 2008. Nitin Samarth was selected for his exceptional leadership in the physics community. Samarth, of State College, Pennsylvania, is a professor and associate head of the physics department at Pennsyl- vania State University. He com- pleted his undergraduate education in physics at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, India, in 1980 and earned his PhD from Purdue University in 1986. As a grad student, Samarth worked under Professor Jacek Furdyna on studies of electron paramagnetic resonance in CdMnTe, CdMnSe, and CdMnS. Physics Department Head Nick Giordano presents Dr. Nitin Samarth with the 2008 Physics At Penn State, his research focus Outstanding Alumni Award is on electronic spin phenomena in semiconductor nanostructures for Fellow of the American Physical Society Scholar Medal in physical sciences potential applications in spin elec- in 2003, won the George W. Atherton from Penn Sate in 2008. tronics (“spintronics”) and quantum Award for Excellence in Teaching at computation. Samarth was named a Penn State in 2007, and the Faculty Announcing the Centennial Physics Professorship Thanks to the generous contribu- lowing the Physics Department to attract professorship will also improve the tions of faculty, faculty emeritus, and secure the best and brightest scien- quality of student learning by enrich- and alumni, the Purdue University tific leaders to the department. Through ing classroom instruction through Physics Department is proud to the enormous potential this professorship novel approaches and by serving as a announce its new venture to endow holds, we have the opportunity to expand role model, mentor and visionary. The the recently established Centen- and enhance our faculty base to an im- prestige, recognition and honor that a nial Physics Professorship. Special measurable extent. named professorship carries is invalu- thanks in particular go to Mrs. H.Y. The Centennial Physics Professorship able. (Manya) Fan, Prof. Andrew Hirsch, will be recognized both internally and We are already a third of the way to Prof. Everett Klontz, Robert S. externally, nationally and internationally, our goal of $1.5M, the Physics De- Vickers and Prof. Nicholas J. Gior- within the scientific and academic com- partment invites you to invest in this dano for their contributions. As an munities. The professorship will lend professorship, enabling us to recruit endowment, the Centennial Physics further credence to a faculty member’s and retain extraordinary faculty mem- Professorship will last in perpetuity research, to the Physics Department and bers who will push the boundaries of and act as a key component in al- to the University. The recipient of this discovery at Purdue.

Physics Interactions 13 Alumni NewsNews From the Director of Development Greetings from the Purdue Physics Department! Celeste Bottorff (BS 1975) received the 2008 Lettie Pate Since its inception in 1904, Purdue Physics has been Whitehead Evans Award from the recognized as one of the top physics programs in the na- Board of Directors Network, Inc. tion. Such preeminence has only been possible because of the achievements and support from dedicated alumni and Patricio A. Perez (PhD 1984) is a friends like yourself. Thanks for representing your alma professor at Universidad de Santiago. mater so well! On June 25, 2007, 23 years after his This spring, President France Cordova announced her graduation from Purdue, he visited Access & Success campaign with the goal of $304 million campus and met some of his former over the course of seven years to support programs and professors in Physics. He also gave a scholarships at Purdue. Scholarships will be offered to more students than ever, seminar in the School of Health Sci- including out-of-state, international, and middle-income students. Students in a ences about his research on models for variety of disciplines and from a broad spectrum of backgrounds will not only be air pollution forecasting. able to attend Purdue, but also be able to graduate with fewer financial obliga- tions. It is only through your continued and generous gifts that we are able to Edward S. Michlovich (PhD, provide scholarships, enhance our program, and attract world-class faculty to the 1994) of the Center for Naval Analy- Physics Department. ses was awarded the Military Opera- Please know that you are always welcome to visit the Physics Department. It tions Research Society’s 2007 David would be great to personally meet you and hear about the many things that have Rist Prize for his study “Countering happened since you left campus. Please contact me if you have questions or Radio Controlled Improvised Explo- need any assistance regarding your philanthropy to our physics department. sive Devices.” Hail Purdue! Mario Paniccia (PhD 1994) was named R&D Magazine’s 2008 Scien- Javier Magallanes tist of the Year. Director of Development 765.494.0669 Matthew G. Lyons (BS 1997) [email protected] and Chanda M. Robertson (LA 1998) welcomed a daughter on May 7, 2007

Have news to share? Send it to us! Have a question? Contact Javier Magallanes, Director of Development, at 765.494.0669 or [email protected]

14 Physics Interactions Recognizing Our Donors We recognize and thank our donors who made gifts to the department between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008.

Anonymous William and Diane Humer Becky and James Schmidt Roshan and Pushap Aggarwal Michael and Judith Humnicky Jody Schmitt Roger and Marcia Alig J. Russell Johnson Patricia Schreiner Virginia Ayres Matthew Jones David Seiler Virgil and Linda Barnes Marvin and Marie Kemple John and Marcia Seiler Robert and Edith Bauman Sergei Khlebnikov David Shaw William Becker Yeong and Kyung Kim Thomas Sherwood Robert and Sheila Beyer Evelyn and Gary Kinzel Edward and Frances Shibata Kul and Charlotte Bhasin Everett Klontz Ian Shipsey and Daniela Bortoletto Celeste Bottorff David and Rhoda Koltick Ceber Simpson Douglas Brown Lona Koltick John Sinai Julius Budos Kenneth and Paula Krane Richard and Marilyn Strebe Warren and Verna Bulman Tzee-Ke and Nancy Kuo William Struzinski Louis and Harriet Caplan Nicholas Lanier John Sutter Thelma Capps Yung-Rai and Ching-Fen Lee Joseph and Judith Tesmer Bartley Cardon Alan Linkous Stanislav Tsoi Rebecca Carl Frank and Rosa Liu Srinivasa and Vethsala Venugopalan David and Janet Cassidy Andrew and Shoko Livingston Alberto Verteramo Yong Chen Sherwin Love Fuqiang Wang Hai-Yang and Yann-Chiou Cheng Paul and Donna Luehrmann Xie Wei Philip and Angela Cole Yuli Lyanda-Geller Lowell and Andrea Wenger Roberto and Adele Colella David Lyon David White Gabor Csathy Kirby and Melissa McCord John Whitenack Robert Davis Ronald McHenry Charles and Katherine Wiley Vijai Dixit John and Cheryl Mennel Norman Doctor Stephen Meyer Corporate Gifts Anthony Dunn David and Isobel Miller Medtronic Foundation MGEP Stephen and Christine Durbin Barney and Leslie Molldrem Immaculate Heart of Mary Jimmie and Margaret Eller Melvin Moriwaki and Y. Cheng Leong Church-School David and Janet Elmore Steven Moss Lockheed Martin Mtg Gift Prog Patrick and Kathleen King Evans Hisao Nakanishi IBM International Foundation Phillip Findley Norbert Neumeister U.S. Cellular Corporation John Finley David Nisius and Susan Fischer Cherry Tree Elementary PTO Terry Forbes Aare and Judith Onton Incorporated Luis Gainza Allison and Matthew Parlee South Bend Symphony Orchestra Arthur and Doris Garfinkel Norman Pearlman Boeing Gift Matching Program Solomon and Johanna Gartenhaus Gerald and Doris Peterson Coca-Cola Foundation MGP Gordon and Pauline Gerbick Wallace and Louise Phelan Procter & Gamble Company Nicholas and Patricia Giordano Stephen Popik ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co. John and Yixia Gotwals Arthur Pozner American Chemical Society Zbigniew and Maureen Grabowski Earl and Susan Prohofsky Julia and Ty Gray Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte and David Nolte Memorial Gifts Thomas and Kathleen Gruenwald Luis Quinones-Rodriguez Paul and Barbara Rittmann Laszlo and Eva Gutay Anant and Vasantha Ramdas in memory of Louis Balazs Philip and Marilyn Hemmig Kenneth Ritchie Gordon and Pauline Gerbick Dennis Henry Paul and Barbara Rittmann in memory of Kenneth Gerbick Andrew and Carolyn Hirsch Leonid Rokhinson Jimmie and Margaret Eller Jiangping Hu John and Donna Schaibley in memory of Ralph Lefler

Physics Interactions 15 Q, s

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