Oklahoma State University Physics Department News

Astrophysicist Dr. Neil Tyson Visits OSU

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:42:00 -0500

Dr. Neil Tyson, world famous astrophysicist, discusses the impact of science, his inspirations and much more with KOSU General Manager Kelly Burley. Dr. Tyson was part of the Friends of the OSU Library speaker series.

Outstanding achievements recognized at 2009 Awards Convocation

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 13:21:00 -0500

Dr. John Mintmire's appointment to Regents Professor was recognized at the 2009 Awards Convocation. [More...]

2009 Staff Awards and Recognition

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:44:00 -0500

Congratulations to Physics department staff members Melissa Edwards and Randy Henigman for completing five years of service with OSU.

Outstanding Arts and Sciences Faculty, Staff at OSU Recognized

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:54:00 -0500

Mike Lucas, who oversees the physics and chemistry instrument shop, was recognized at the Fall 2009 College of Arts and Sciences Convocation. [More...]

Researchers Receive NSF Grant, Will Travel To Antarctica

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:55:32 -0500

Dr. Alex Simms, assistant professor in the Boone Pickens School of Geology, and Dr. Regina DeWitt, assistant research professor in the physics department, have received a $199,978 grant from the National Science Foundation to continue a research project on sea level changes in Antarctica. Next spring, Simms and two graduate students will travel to the continent to collect samples of beach deposits. [More...]

Dr. Aihua Xie Elected Division Vice-Chair of APS

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 08:49:42 -0500

Dr. Aihua Xie has recently been elected as Vice Chair of the Division of Biological Physics of American Physical Society. In the next two years, she will lead the APS division of Biological Physics as Chair-elect in 2010 and Chair in 2011. [More...]

Faculty Promotions

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:31:34 -0500

Dr. John Mintmire has been appointed Regents Professor and Dr. Eduardo Yukihara has been promoted to Associate Professor.

Dr. DeWitt Receives NASA Grant

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:11:35 -0500

Dr. Regina DeWitt, an assistant research professor in the department of physics, has received a $496,000 grant from NASA. The two-year award funds further development of a miniature optical dating instrument (ODIN), which can be used for dating the surface of Mars.

Dr. Yukihara Receives OCAST Funding

Thu, 14 May 2009 08:59:42 -0500

Dr. Eduardo Yukihara has been awarded funding from OCAST for his research on Novel Nanophosphors for Dose Mapping in Radiotherapy. "This proposal improves treatment of human disease by addressing a technological gap in obtaining high-precision measurements of dose distributions in radiotherapy, with significant impact on quality control and dose verification in radiotherapy modalities such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), stereotatic radiosurgery and proton therapy. The project goal is to develop novel nanophosphors with a unique combination of luminescence and dosimetric properties currently unavailable in any single phosphor."

Dr. McKeever Discusses Dosimetry Research

Wed, 6 May 2009 09:08:56 -0500

Dr. Stephen McKeever, VP of Research and Professor of Physics, discusses his Radiation Dosimetry research in a video clip posted to YouTube.

BBC Film Crew Visits the OSU Observatory

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:38:12 -0500

A British Broadcasting Corporation crew visited OSU's Mendenhall Observatory on April 20 and 21, 2009, to shoot segments for a five-part BBC series on the Solar System. The series, hosted by Professor Brian Cox of the University of Manchester, will appear internationally in 2010. Dr. Cox serves as BBC's "Carl Sagan". For one program segment, Dr. Cox described Saturn's rings and moons as their images were projected onto the dome. During their stay, the crew videotaped all aspects of the observatory in action, including observations of Saturn.

Awards Banquet 2009

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:46:30 -0500

Congratulations to all of our outstanding undergraduate and graduate students:
Markus Vasquez - Outstanding Junior
James Hazelton - Outstanding Senior
Tyler Collums - Outstanding Recitation T.A.
Ayon Patra - Outstanding Lab T.A.
Feng Gao - Outstanding Experimental R.A.
Sumanta Das - Outstanding Theoretical R.A.
Yanzhi Meng - Outstanding Theoretical R.A.

Dr. Xincheng Xie Honored As New APS Fellow

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 08:11:58 -0600

Dr. Xincheng Xie has been honored as a 2008 Fellow of the American Physical Society. Dr. Xie is cited "for important contributions to the theoretical understanding of two-dimensional electron systems, tirelessly working for the advancement of physics in China, fostering collaborations between young physicists in China and the United States, and co-organizing a number of important international workshops and conferences".

Dr. Emslie Appointed Regents Professors

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:49:10 -0600

Dr. A. Gordon Emslie, Professor of Physics and Dean of the Graduate College was appointed Regents Professor during the annual Fall Convocation.

OSU Physicists Join The LHC Research Project

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:57:19 -0500

Faculty and Graduate Students from the High Energy Physics group at Oklahoma State University are working with scientists from around the world on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Project. An interview with several members of the group appeared in the September 18 issuse of the Stillwater NewsPress. For more information read the complete NewsPress article.

OSU Students Build And Launch A Sensor Into Space

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:41:00 -0500

Students from OSU’s Radiation Physics Laboratory built and successfully launched a cosmic radiation detector this summer that reached the edge of outer space. Carried by a helium-filled balloon 12 feet in diameter, the detector flew for more than two hours and reached 104,000 feet in altitude. The device recorded radiation levels at the varying altitudes information that will be used by NASA to develop instrumentation for space flight.

This is really amazing, said Carl Johnson, a physics graduate student who designed and constructed the device. Our detector actually flew to the edge of outer space and then back to ground, and the whole time it worked perfectly.

In addition to the radiation sensor, the balloon carried a high-resolution camera, sensors for temperature, pressure and humidity, and a GPS module to determine altitude and geographic position. The balloon and instrumentation launched from the Stillwater campus and landed about 10 miles away in Perry. OSU engineering graduate and undergraduate students Joe Conner, Xander Buck and Ryan Paul conducted the launch.

Funded through a NASA EPSCoR grant, this project was overseen by Drs. Eric Benton and Eduardo Yukihara of the OSU Physics Department and Dr. Andy Arena of OSU department of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Art Lucas of Lucas Newman Science and Technologies also assisted on the design and development of the radiation detector.

Benton said the purpose of the grant is two-fold.

The purpose of the grant is not only to develop instrumentation for use in space flight but also to promote student interest in science and engineering through experiments with high-altitude balloons, he said. The best part about the project is that the detector was built from everyday materials and launched into near space from right here in our own backyard. This proves you can accomplish really amazing things with simple materials.

The detector serves as a prototype for radiation detectors that will be included in the Near Space Standard Science Platform, a program used by science students at high schools and colleges around the country conducting research on high-altitude balloons.

Dr. Girish Agarwal Elected Fellow of The Royal Society

Tue, 20 May 2008 19:30:00 +0000

OSU Physics faculty member Dr. Girish Agarwal, a leader in quantum optics, has been recognized for exceptional contributions to society with his election to the Fellowship of The Royal Society.

Awards Banquet 2008

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:12:00 +0000

Congratulations to all of our outstanding undergraduate and graduate students:
James Hazelton - Outstanding Junior
Noriyuki Masada - Outstanding Senior
Adam Ezekiel Murdock - Outstanding Recitation T.A.
Ranjan Singh - Outstanding Lab T.A.
Garret Jeffrey Sykora - Outstanding Experimental R.A.
Aziz Kolkiran - Outstanding Theoretical R.A.
James Kelly - Special Award
Awards Banquet 2008 Photo Gallery

Two Physics Faculty Named APS Fellows

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:20:00 +0000

OSU Physics Department faculty members Dr. Bruce Ackerson and Dr. Steve McKeever were honored as Fellows of the American Physical Society at its March meeting in New Orleans. Ackerson was cited for "theoretical and experimental advances in the physics of colloidal liquids and crystals," while McKeever, who also serves as vice president of research at OSU, was cited "for major contributions to solid-state radiation dosimetry using thermally and optically stimulated luminescence from wide band-gap insulators, including the development of novel luminescence techniques for radiation measurement." A total of four physics faculty members from OSU have received this honor in the past four years.

OSU Research Video Clips on YouTube

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:31:00 +0000

Research projects videotaped by Cindy Schaefer, University Research Services, have been posted to YouTube. The video clips, including one featuring Dr. Gil Summy and the Bose-Einstein Condensation Lab, are now online.

OSU Honors Special Achievement At Fall Convocation

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Kaladi Babu received the Regents Distinguished Research Award and Dr. Peter Sherwood was appointed Regents Professor. [More...]

Workshop on Radiation Monitoring for the International Space Station

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000

The 12th Annual WRMISS will be held on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA on Sept. 10-12, 2007. [More...]

OSU Breaks Ground On Interdisciplinary Science Research Building

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:39:38 +0000

The official ground breaking for the new Interdisciplinary Science Research Building was held on July 26th. The high-tech, 124,000-square foot OSU Interdisciplinary Science and Research Building will provide laboratory spaces for a range of disciplines and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2010. The building, which will be three floors plus a basement, will contain custom-designed facilities for research in biodiversity, biophysics, photonics, synthetic chemistry and advanced materials. [More...]

New Regents Professors Appointed

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Peter M. Sherwood, Professor of Physics and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences was appointed Regents Professor effective July 1. [More ...]

Awards Banquet 2007

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 18:39:59 +0000

Our annual awards banquet was held on April 19th. Congratulations to all of our outstanding undergraduate and graduate students:
Cory Slavonic - Outstanding Senior
Cooper Bell - Outstanding Junior
Edward Manda - Outstanding Sophomore
Pavan Pillalamarri - Outstanding Recitation T.A.
Ishan Talukdar - Outstanding Lab T.A.
Carl Johnson - Outstanding Experimental R.A.
Steven Gabriel - Outstanding Theoretical R.A.
Junwen Li - Outstanding Computational R.A.
Abdel Bachri - Outstanding Service
Benjamin Grossmann - Outstanding Service
Clark Mitten - Daniel S. Stevens Scholarship
Trevor Word - Daniel S. Stevens Scholarship
Timothy Perk - Earl A. Lafon Scholarship

State's Most Advanced Telescope Added To OSU Observatory

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Oklahoma's largest, most technologically advanced telescope was installed at OSU's H.S. Mendenhall Observatory the week of February 9-15. The telescope will be used to discover planets orbiting other stars, track asteroids which threaten to collide with Earth, and measure the changing brightness of objects whose light output varies with time. [More...]

Celebrating Books by OSU Authors 2007

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:00:10 +0000

On February 1, the OSU Library will host "Celebrating Books by OSU Authors". The event will honor OSU employees who have authored, co-authored or edited a book in 2005 or 2006. Included in this group is Dr. Peter Shull, co-author of "Exploring the Universe with Voyager III". The reception is 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Peggy V. Helmerich Browsing Room. [More...]

Physics Professor Receives International Accolades

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0000

"Girish S. Agarwal, Noble Foundation Chair and Regents Professor of physics at OSU, was honored at the International Symposium on Quantum Optics (last) summer for his career contributions to the field of physics involving light and its interaction with matter."

Research Week 2007

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Frank Wilczek, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2004, will be visiting OSU during Research Week 2007. He will be in Stillwater from February 20-21 and will be giving a Public Lecture the evening of Tuesday, Feb 20th followed by a Keynote address at the Research Symposium on the morning of Wednesday, Feb 21st. He will also be meeting with physics faculty and students on Tuesday afternoon. More details concerning his visit will be available soon.

SPS Fall Picnic 2006

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:00:00 +0000

The Society of Physics Students hosted their annual Fall Picnic at Couch Park. SPS Fall 2006 Picnic Photo Gallery

Awards Banquet 2006

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Congratulations to all of the outstanding graduate students honored at this years awards banquet. Awards Banquet 2006 Photo Gallery

Research Week 2006

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000

The Hands-on Demonstration of Interesting Physical Phenomena presentation was a great success. Research Week 2006 Photo Gallery

Professor Nandi Elected Fellow of The American Physical Society

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Election to Fellowship in the APS is limited to no more than one half of one percent of membership and is peer recognition of outstanding contributions to physics. The citation, which will appear on the Fellowship Certificate, reads as follows: "For contributions to the theories of grand unification, supersymmetry, neutrino properties, and collider physics." Prof. Nandi's name and Fellowship citation will appear in the March 2006 issue of APS News.

Nobel Laureate Dr. William D. Phillips To Present Public Lecture

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. William D. Phillips, Group Leader of the Laser Cooling and Trapping Group Atomic Physics Division at NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), and recipient of the Physics Nobel Prize in 1997, will present a public lecture titled "Time, Einstein, and the Coolest Stuff in the Universe" on Monday, April 11, 2005 at 7:00 PM in NRC 106. Listen to the KOSU interview with Dr. Phillips (WMA, 2.43MB)

OSU Radiation Dosimetry Badges In The News

Fri, 19 Aug 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Stephen McKeever, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer, and a team of researchers in physics were featured in both the Oklahoman and Tulsa World this week in stories about OSU-developed radiation measuring devices that were worn by astronauts during the recent Discovery Space Shuttle mission. The sensor absorbs radiation into a special sapphire and stores it until it can be measured by being exposed to light. It is being tested to see how much radiation astronauts are receiving during space trips. McKeever's team included Ramona Gaza, who graduated from OSU in December with a doctorate in physics and now works at NASA, and Dr. Eduardo Yukihara, a member of the Physics Department faculty.

Public Lecture by Dr. Clifford M. Will

Tue, 15 Feb 2005 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Clifford M. Will, Professor of Physics at Washington University, St. Louis will present a public lecture titled "Was Einstein Right?" on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 at 7:30 PM in NRC 106.