2000
|
Volume 2, Issue 1 2000 |
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Special Points of Interest:
Department of Physics and Astronomy The University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1479 Phone: 319-335-1686 Fax: 319-335-1753 Email: cheryl-reardon@uiowa.edu Visit the Alumni Web Site! http://www.physics.uiowa. edu/alumni/ |
Letter from the DEOI am pleased to bring you the second annual newsletter of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. This will be my last year as DEO. While I look forward to returning to teaching and research, my four years as DEO have been very rewarding. The success of our department is a result of the combined efforts of many devoted individuals. Being DEO provided me with an appreciation of the many contributions made by our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and board members. Their contributions make the Department an excellent environment for research and education.
This year was another good year. Faculty research remains a source of pride. Annual external funding is approximately $10 million, which is the highest per faculty member funding in the Big 10. Some highlights include: Professor Flatté's research on superconductors was featured in the cover story of the March issue of Physics Today and Professor Goree's work on Mach cones in dusty plasmas was featured on this year's APS calendar and directory. Professor Goree will also participate in the Plasma Kristall Experiment which will be the first physical science experiment on the International Space Station. The documentary, "Flights of Discovery," on James Van Allen's career, narrated by Tom Brokow, was completed this year. It is always great to see the success of our students. Selected highlights include Mr. Jason Hiner winning the University's Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, Mr. Suat Ozkorucuklu receiving second prize of the George Michail Memorial Poster Award at New Perspectives 2000, a graduate students' conference at Fermi National Laboratory. For the second consecutive year a Physics and Astronomy graduate was selected as a College of Liberal Arts alumni fellow. Jim Hansen joins James Van Allen as our two alumni fellows. A combination of gift funds and departmental funds was used to renovate our commons room, which provides a place for students to work and socialize with faculty and staff. I sincerely appreciate everyone's contributions to the physics and astronomy gift fund. This year I am also pleased to announce significant gifts that fund new scholarships. These include a new scholarship for first year graduate students in the name of Dwight Nicholson, established by contributions from Mei-Mei Shen and Gordon Sun, a new scholarship to help with undergraduate travel and research by Charlie Wert, and a significant unrestricted gift that will be used for a student scholarship by Henry Swift. We are grateful to the individuals who have established these new scholarships and continue to be appreciative of alumni and friends who have continued to support our many other scholarships which directly impact our students. |
The fall meeting was a complete success. The Board members had excellent suggestions and feedback on ways to improve the Department. Faculty and staff were receptive to the input and implemented many of the suggestions generated at this meeting. Due to the success of the fall meeting, the board also held a spring meeting in April.
Several of the Board's suggestions have been used to improve the Department in the following ways: implement a career development seminar series and mock interviews for students, conduct round table exit interviews with students, develop a student ambassador program, and develop strategies to help improve academic advising skills of faculty.
More information on the Advisory Board is available on the internet at http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/advboard/. If you have suggestions or comments that would be useful to the Board, email them to advisory@newton.physics.uiowa.edu.
