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News/Events
Physics Gallery
A. Krause, K. Carroll, and K. Poole with incandescent bulb. Photo: Teresa Larkin.
Recent Happenings
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On October 1st, American University’s philosophy honors society,
Phi Sigma Tau, welcomed physics professor Nathan
Harshman as guest speaker
in the Simmering Thoughts lecture series. Professor Harshman spoke
on the topic of “Mathematics: Created or Discovered?,” encouraging
students, staff and faculty in the audience to challenge their previously
held beliefs about mathematics and to think critically about its heritage. Professor
Harshman asked the audience to consider whether they believed math to have
been created, discovered, or neither. Professor Harshman spoke about
several important numbers and mathematical concepts within the framework
of different schools of thought regarding the birth of mathematics. The
lecture was well attended and offered a fascinating look into the philosophical
and scientific theory behind mathematics.
- SPS has chosen officers for the year: Brian
Kelleher (president), Erek
Alper (vice-president), Bill Flynn (treasurer), and Adam
Goler (special projects).
- Associate Professor Teresa Larkin presented two talks at the summer
meeting of the American
Association of Physics Teachers held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
in July 2008: "Learning the ‘Write’ Way in the Physics Classroom
and Laboratory" and "Writing: An Active Learning Tool in Physics
and Engineering Education."
- Assistant Professor Jessica Uscinski joins
the department this fall. She received her PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics
from the University of Arizona in Summer 2008. She looks forward to seeing
students in PHYS-220 Astronomy and PHYS-370 Modern Physics.
- Bill Parsons (MS Applied Physics,
Johns-Hopkins '07, and JD, Virginia '84), has been appointed Physicist-in-Residence
for AY 2008-2009. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he is overhauling
the undergraduate advanced laboratory equipment and curriculum.
- On September 3rd, physics faculty, students, and friends celebrated the
reconstitution of the Department of Physics with the Year Zero Party. Angela
Wu, Chair of the Department of Computer Science, was recognized for her service
to the physics program as chair of the former CAP Department for two years.
Nathan Harshman presented a visual history of the past 100 plus years of
the McKinley Building. And, of course, there was cake!
- Assistant Professors Phil Johnson and Nathan
Harshman presented talks at
the 2008 Meeting of the Division
of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics (DAMOP) of the American Physics Society (APS) at Penn State in May 2008.
Undergraduate Bill Flynn (BS, double major in math and physics) joined them
for five days of talks and activities.
Recent Articles
Cracking
the Code:
Senior physics students Adam Goler and Michael Levin team up with
Professor Phil Johnson to research superconducting qubits
from fall '08 Catalyst
Erek
Alper and the Franklin Institute
from fall '08 Catalyst
Young
Astronomer Is One of Honors Program's
Award Winners
from March '08 American
Today
Starstruck
from February '08 CAS
Connections
New
Level of Coloring inside the Lines:
Physics and math student Amit Kapadia prepares Hubble images for public release
from fall '07 Catalyst
Phil
Johnson:
New physics professor studies
quantum computing
from spring '07 Catalyst
Not
Your Average Music Major:
Ignat Drozdov conducts DNA and cancer
risk studies at Yale University
from spring '07 Catalyst
Entangled
in Quantum Info Theory:
CAP and math student Greg Hutton explores quantum information theory
from spring '07 Catalyst
From Bath Water to Fuel:
Physics student Carter Dodd is building a device to create fusion
from fall '06 Catalyst
Black Holes, Photos, and NASA:
Physics student Johanna Teske interns at NASA
from spring '06 Catalyst
Not Your Normal Shipboard Mine Detector:
Physics student Christy Fernandez helps build better equipment for the navy
from spring '05 Catalyst
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