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Daniel Steck of the Oregon Center for Optics & Department of Physics at the University of Oregon visited the Department of Physics for a week in November.  Dr. Steck delivered the public lecture titled, "Chaos, Quantum Mechanics, and Colling Atoms with laser Light" on Thursday, November 10, 2011 to a full house in 115 Shideler Hall.  A reception was held after the talk in for students, faculty and guests to mingle.  Dr. Steck also gave the Wednesday Seminar in 46 Culler Hall titled, "Controlling the Motion of Ultracold Atoms."   During his visit, Dr. Steck also presented two short courses for faculty and students.  The first, "Optical Lattices and the Casimir-Polder Effect," was on Monday; the second, "Dynamics Under Continuous Position Measurements," was held on Thursday afternoon.

Physics emeritus James Poth, 78, passed away on September 12, 2011.  A private burial was held at the Oxford Cemetary.  A memorial service was held on October 8, at the Faith Lutheran Church in Oxford.  Full Obituary

Physics emeritus Dave Griffing, 85, passed away June 12, 2011 at the Knolls of Oxford after a battle with stomach cancer.  A memorial service was held on July 19 at the Oxford Presbyterian Church.  Full Obituary

Traditionally, the last weekly Physics seminar is dedicated to recognizing student accomplishments in Physics for the academic year.  The annual Awards Presentation, held April 27, included Culler Awards given to outstanding physics students in introductory courses from all majors, physics scholarship announcements, and recognition for outstanding research and teaching.  Two new scholarships were awarded for the first time, and another new scholarship was announced by Miami Physics alumnus Russell Starkey, who set up the award for incoming freshmen. List of awards and recipients

Three members of the Physics faculty were selected to receive Shoupp Awards for 2011-12, for two research projects designed to establish collaboration with business and industry.  The research projects and awards are as follows:  Samir Bali, “Measurement of the Refractive Index and Attenuation Coefficient of Turbid Media,” $10,000;  and Herbert Jaeger and Michael Pechan, “Linear Generator For Novel Fixed-Shaft Wind Turbine,” $20,000.   e-Report article

Matthew Ciccone graduated in May 2011 with a BS in Physics.  Matt was a featured student on the home page of Miami University's website.  He had the following to say about his "Miami Experience."

     "During freshman year, I took an honors course in physics, called Energy and the Environment. I never believed I was very good at math or physics, but taking that course, I realized how interesting it was. I knew majoring in physics was going to be a challenge, but it was the right decision for me."  full story

The Annual George Benson Memorial Lecture was Wednesday evening, March 30, 2011.  Miami alumnus Dr. Norman Salem of Martek Biosciences Corporation discussed, "What does physics have to do with nutrition, omega-3 fatty acids, and brain development?"  Dr. Salem graduated from Miami University in 1972 with a BS in Physics.  Poster

The Annual George and Carolyn Arfken Scholar-in-Residence for 2011 was Evgeny Tsymbal of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.  Hosted by Khalid Eid, Dr. Tsymbal visited the week of February 15-18, and gave the Wednesday Seminar and a public lecture on Thursday evening titled "Magic of Magnetism: From a Compass Needle to Data Storage."  There were two short courses given during his visit. On Thursday, February 17, Dr. Tsymbal discussed "Physics of Spin Dependent Tunneling."   On Friday, February 18, he discussed "Electronically-Driven Magnetoelectric Phenomena at Interfaces."  Abstracts

Society of Physics Students visit uranium enrichment facility
On January 21, SPS was treated to a tour of gaseous diffusion and gas centrifuge facilities at USEC Inc., a leading supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.  Companies like USEC are continually on the look out for students with quantitative-modeling and problem-solving skills such as those obtained by training in physics.  With energy being a long-term national issue, companies like USEC may represent a promising career path.

SPS thanks Angie Duduit and department alumnus and former VP of American Centrifuge Russ Starkey for helping to organize the tour, Sandy Fout for giving the presentation and tour, along with American Centrifuge engineers Greg Corzine, Don Weber, and Jason Bolling.  Bob Lykowski assisted but is not pictured.  SPS vice-president Eric Todd organized the details for the students. 

Physics/Mathematics major Megan Marshall was named 2010-11 Astronaut Scholar from Miami University.  The  $10,000 scholarship was awarded in a presentation on November 22 at 7:00pm in Room 1000 in the Farmer School of Business.  The award was presented by Astronaut Fred Gregory, veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and a member of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.  For more information on the scholarship, visit the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's website.  e-Report article

Paul Urayama, associate professor of physics, has been awarded a $141, 556 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a cellular biophysics program that will involve undergraduate students in all stages of the research process.  e-Report article

Megan Marshall was one of eleven Miami University students who were recipients of the 2010 Provost's Student Academic Achievement Award. The $1,000 award is given annually to students who have completed their junior year, have an outstanding record of academic achievement and have made significant intellectual contributions to the university. e-Report article

Past SPS chapter-president Peter Harnish along with faculty mentor Prof. Bali are featured in the Spring 2010 issue of The SPS Observer (on page 10), in an article called "Using Lasers to Probe Nearly Everything."   The same issue also has a photo on page 18 of graduate student Emmy Mills dining with Vera Rubin, an American astronomer known for the galaxy rotation problem. 

The SPS Observer is the magazine of the Society of Physics Students, an organization for all students interested in physics.  Contact Megan Marshall (2010-11 president) or Prof. Urayama (faculty advisor) for information on joining SPS.

Professor Samir Bali, his father, Adjunct Professor Lalit Bali, and three of their students received notice in July that their paper, "Measurement of the refractive index of highly turbid media," was accepted for the VJBO.  Originally published in Optics Letters, the editor-in-chief of the VJBO saw the article and accepted it for inclusion.

After 3.5 years as a student worker in the Physics Office, Melissa Schrade graduated.  A farewell lunch buffet was held in her honor on Friday, April 30.  Attended by faculty, staff, and students, Melissa was presented with a token of thanks for outstanding service to the department.  With a degree in Systems Analysis, Melissa will work for Westfield Insurance Company in Cleveland.

Khalid Eid, Assistant Professor of Physics, is one of five faculty members receiving the Shoupp Award for research for 2010-11.  The awards are named in honor of the late William E. Shoupp, a charter member and chair of the Miami University Research Advisory Council.   e-Report

The annual Physics Department Awards Ceremony was held on April 28, 2010.  Approximately $34K was awarded in scholarships, and 45 students were recognized with Culler Book Awards for outstanding performance in entry-level classes. Also awarded was the AAPT Award for Teaching Excellence and the Outstanding Faculty Award.  List

The American Institute of Physics (AIP) has released its latest findings on enrollment of and degrees awarded to physics majors around the country. Among universities with master’s programs in physics, Miami University ranked first in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded annually and second in the number of master’s degrees awarded annually. Miami averaged 15 physics bachelor’s degrees, and eight physics master’s degrees, per year for the classes 2005 to 2007. Full e-Report

The 2010 George C. Benson Memorial Lecture was given by Miami Alumnus Craig Benson.  Mr. Benson earned his Masters in Physics in 1988 and his M.B.A in Operations Research in 1989 both from Miami.  Mr. Benson is a senior scientist at Wyle Laboratories Advanced Non-Destructive Inspection Division, specializing in eddy current and ultrasonic methods, and robotic deployment of these methods to inspect military aircraft engines and aircraft structures.  Mr. Benson is the son of Letitia Benson Patterson and George Benson, for whom this lecture series was established.  Benson Lecture Flyer
 

The Physics Department sponsored a one-hour, hands-on workshop for Physics graduate students/senior undergrads titled, “Using Library Resources for the Prospectus and Thesis”.   The workshop was held on Tuesday, March 23 in Brill Science Library, led by librarian Meghan Gamsby. Each student was able to login to a computer provided by the library, and follow Meghan directly on the computer.
 

Engineering Physics senior Lauren Regueyra has been awarded a Minority Biophysicists Travel Grant to attend the 2010 Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco, February 20-24, 2010.  Travel awards for up to $1000 are nationally competitive with the selection of awardees based on scientific merit.  Lauren's abstract entitled "Pressure effects on the solvent denaturation of NADH" is based on research performed with Prof. Urayama.  Lauren is also a 2009-2010 CAS Dean's Scholar and a 2009 Undergraduate Summer Scholar.

To celebrate the Miami Bicentennial, the Physics Department featured displays titled, "Physics: A Miami Perspective" on the first floor of Culler Hall during the afternoon.  Displays included historical documents, pictures, course catalogs, and a timeline from 1809 to 2009 (and beyond).  The event was in conjunction with the annual Arfken Lecture which followed that evening, after a reception buffet in Room 115.  The displays were maintained through the end of the year.

The 2009-10 Arfken Scholar-in-Residence, Julio Gea-Banacloche of the University of Arkansas, visited the Miami Physics Department the week of November 2-6.  Short courses were offered Nov 2nd & 5th titled, "Entanglement in Cavity QED, the Giant Kerr Effect, and Quantum Information Processing."  Dr. Gea-Banacloche gave the Wednesday Seminar, "Energy Constraints for quantum computation," and delivered a Public Lecture titled, "Fate and the Physicists" on Thursday evening of that week.  Poster

Joseph R. Priest, Emeritus, 1929-2009.  Joe Priest, emeritus, colleague, and friend, lost his hard-fought battle with cancer on Friday, September 25, 2009.  Services were held at St. Mary's Church in Oxford, Ohio. An effort is underway to establish the Mary Jean and Joseph R. Priest Scholarship.  Visit our gift page for information on how to contribute.  Full obituary.

As a result of the University's Review of Graduate Programs in fall 2008, the Physics Department's MS Program was ranked in the top tier of programs at Miami.  This was based upon a combination of student placement, scholarly productivity, and graduate and undergraduate synergy.  The department was awarded two additional teaching assistantships as a result of the ranking.

Carol Crannell (BA1960) passed away on May 10, 2009. She earned a PhD from Stanford University and held positions over the course of her career at CalTech, MIT, Catholic University of America and NASA-Goddard.  She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Hall Crannell, and three daughters, Annalisa, Francesca, and Tasha and families. Hall shared with us that Carol always credited the Physics Department of Miami University for giving her the foundation on which she built a successful career.

The 2009 Physics Department Awards Ceremony was held Wednesday, April 29th.  Presentations included scholarship recipient announcements, Culler Book Awards, AAPT Outstanding Teaching Awards for graduate students, and the Outstanding Faculty Award as voted by the senior class.  The Outstanding Faculty Award was presented to Herbert Jaeger via Skype, as Dr. Jaeger was on leave in Germany.  List

The annual Society of Physics Students' Spring Picnic was held on April 24 at Peffer Park.  The weather was perfect for a change, and students played kickball, cornhole, and frisbee.  Faculty turn-out was light due to prior commitments, but all who were there enjoyed great covered dishes brought by faculty, staff, and grad students, and hamburgers & hot dogs expertly grilled by members of SPS.

This year's George Benson Memorial Lecture was April 2, 2009 with Miami University Alumnus Gerald Smith ('57), professor emeritus of Pennsylvania State University.  Dr. Smith is founder of Positronics Research, Llc. and  gave a lecture titled, "Antimatter: History, Science and Opportunities."  During his visit, he also gave the Wednesday seminar and enjoyed the opportunity to interact with faculty, students, and administrators.  Benson Flyer

Janet Hurn, a senior instructor in physics at Miami University Middletown, who also serves as director of the Miami University Center of Online Learning, has received one of the  University System of Ohio's first Faculty Innovator Awards. These awards are given to 10 faculty members and teams recognized for work they have done to introduce digital course materials in the classroom. Hurn and other honorees were recognized by Chancellor Fingerhut and Governor Ted Strickland on March 24, 2009. Full article

Retired Physics professor Glenn Julian is having an art exhibition at the Knolls of Oxford from March 10th through May 12th featuring his recent works.  An opening reception was held on Thursday, March 19th in the Commons Art Gallery.  For more information about the exhibit, call 513-524-7990.  Announcement poster

Dr. John Snider, professor emeritus, passed away at the age of 84.  He received his AB and MA in Physics from Miami in 1949 and 1951, respectively.  He received his PhD from Ohio State in 1957 and taught at Miami until his retirement in 1992.  He served as scout leader and was a member of the Boy Scouts for over 40 years, and was active in lay capacities at the Oxford Methodist Church for 50 years. Memorial contributions may be made to the John and Genny Snider Scholarship Fund, Miami University Panuska Development Center, Oxford, OH  45056.

The 2008-09 Arfken Scholar-in-Residence was Eugenia Etkina of Rutgers University. Her public lecture was titled, "Physics on Rollerblades."  She also gave the Wednesday seminar titled, "Can Students Develop Scientific Habits of Mind in an Introductory Physics Course?"

Dr. Etkina was on hand in the Physics Department for several days to interact with faculty and students.  On both January 14th and 16th, she gave a short course titled, "What does cognitive science tell us about teaching physics." 

Paul Urayama and his research team is receiving attention for their unusual method of studying life at exteme pressures.  Published in the Journal of Microscopy, they are using capillaries to simulate conditions--an alternative to the high-cost pressure resistant chambers currently used for such research.  e-Report Article

Sara Savage has been awarded a Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research award.  Sara is a zoology major working with Prof. Urayama on techniques for fluorescence-based calcium ion sensing under high hydrostatic pressures.  The Grants-in-Aid of Research program is a prestigious, highly competitive national grants award program for undergraduate and graduate students, with application deadlines in March and October annually.  For information, visit http://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/giar/ .

Jon Schueger, Physics Graduate Student, received an award from the Dayton Section of the Institute of Navigation (ION) for demonstrating excellence in the field.  His research involves the design of a novel system for the Air Force.  e-Report Article

Professor Jan Yarrison-Rice was named Sigma-Xi Researcher of the Year, and gave the annual Sigma Xi Lecture on Tuesday, November 18th in Pearson Hall.  Her lecture was titled, "Nanotechnology: Here, there, and Everywhere."  e-Report Article    Seminar Flyer

Glenn Julian, emeritus, received the Crystal Apple Award from Michigan State University in a special presentation ceremony in East Lansing on November 14, 2008.  Nominated by a former student now affiliated with Michigan State, the College of Education Crystal Apple Award is a way to honor an educator as being representative of excellence and commitment. Teachers, professors, administrators, and counselors - active, retired or deceased - from preschool through the university level, are eligible to receive the award.

Burcin Bayram, assistant professor of Physics, is author of a recently published study of the first experimental observation of collisions between atoms using a novel laser technique.  Full Story from E-Report

Paul Scholten, emeritus, was awarded the Howard Maxwell Award from the Ohio Section of the American Physical Society.  The Howard Maxwell Award for Distinguished Service is presented to those members of the Section who have rendered outstanding service to the Section. It is named in honor of Howard Maxwell of Ohio Wesleyan University who rendered nearly two decades of such service.  Dr. Scholten was a member of the Physics faculty from 1978-2008.

Captain Jim Lovell, former astronaut, presented Physics major Richard Wagner with a scholarship from the Astronaut Foundation.  Full Story

Philip A. Macklin, professor emeritus, passed away at the age of 82.  Dr. Macklin spent nearly 40 years as a physics professor at Miami, and served as chairman of the department from 1972 to 1985.  After his retirement in 1993, he stayed current by attending weekly physics seminars, and he sponsored the Philip and Cora Macklin Physics Scholarship for undergraduates.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Cora, and is survived by their three children and five grandchildren.

www.muphysics.org website launched.