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What's New

Department Donates Telescope to CAA

This past February the Physics and Astronomy Department gave the Cedar Amateur Astronomers (CAA) a surplus 34-year-old telescope which the University had kept in storage. The 16-inch Celestron telescope was reconditioned by the CAA and has been set up at the CAA's Palisades Dows Observatory at the Palisades Dows Botanical Preserve located southeast of Cedar Rapids.

Astronomy faculty members have taken many students on tours of the Dows observatory.

From March through October, the CAA in cooperation with the Linn County Conservation Department, provides free monthly observing programs at the Dows Observatory. You can find additional information at the CAA web site http://www.cedar-astronomers.org/.

Department Hosts IAAPT Meeting

In November, the Department hosted the annual meeting of the Iowa Chapter of the American Association of Physics Teachers (IAAPT). Although primarily for science educators at the high school and college levels, the daylong conference was for anyone interested in science education.

The meeting included presentation topics, such as "Learning gains in physics in relation to students' mathematics skills," "Use of a bicycle lab for mathematical and graphical analysis of linear motion," "Using digital oscilloscopes in introductory physics labs," and "The beauty and physics manifest in single crystals of novel materials." Participants were also treated to a tour of the Department's recently updated instructional laboratories. Prof. Craig Kletzing and Dale Stille were selected as IAAPT co-secretaries.

Advisory Board Update

Scheduled changes have occurred in the departmental Advisory Board. We'd like to thank departing Board members, Randy Clark (grad student), Tom Hasenberg (JDS Uniphase), Leslie Sauerbrei (Viador), Peter Sauerbrei (Kinetix), Mei-Mei Shen (Affymetrix), Steve Spangler (professor), and Bob Sternowski (Rockwell Collins). Their work has been greatly appreciated. We welcome incoming Board members, Ken Gayley (professor), Jason Martin-Hiner (grad student), Alan Tribble (Rockwell Collins), and Scott Wollenweber (GE Medical Systems). We hope they find their upcoming participation on the Board to be a rewarding experience.

The Advisory Board has been instrumental in providing us with a diverse and practical perspective on a variety of issues critical to our Department's development. We look forward to continuing to benefit from their collective wisdom and experience.

Applied Physics in Medicine Program

The Department is proud to announce that the first two students have entered into a new Applied Physics track tailored specifically for pre-medical students. With their help, and the help of their medical advisors, the Department has developed a carefully crafted curriculum to fit their special needs. The new program is designed to relieve most of the pressures of having to effectively double major in order to be a pre-med in the physics program. This will serve as the basis for a specialized track in Applied Physics in Medicine now being created. The original idea was possible because individual faculty may sculpt applied physics degree lines based on their students needs. Because of its increasing popularity, this new program is expected to be formalized as a "track" by the faculty within the next few months.

Employment Opportunities

The Department has several employment opportunities and is currently inviting applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position to begin Fall 2002. The position is for an experimental materials/optical physicist with expertise in laser physics, MBE materials growth, optoelectronics, semiconductor physics, or a related field of research. A broad interdisciplinary effort in these areas exists at The University of Iowa as part of the Optical Science and Technology Center (http://www.ostc.uiowa.edu). Current research efforts in this area of the Department include materials growth, ultrafast optical spectroscopy, and materials theory. Related efforts within the OSTC include use of optical techniques to monitor biological, medical, chemical and environmental phenomena.

If you would like to apply for this position, send a CV, statements of research and teaching interests, and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to Chair, Faculty Search Committee, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1479. A Ph.D. is required by the time of appointment. For the fullest consideration, application materials should arrive by January 15, 2002.

To view a list of other employment opportunities, visit the Department's web site at http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/openings/.

The University of Iowa is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.