ΦYAST ΦLYER
The Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy
The University of Oklahoma
Volume 16, Number 2 · Summer, 2008 · Dick Henry, Editor; Debbie Barnhill, Production
Web site: http://www.nhn.ou.edu
BRUCE MASON RECEIVES LONGMIRE PRIZE FOR GOOD TEACHING
Associate Professor Bruce Mason was awarded the Longmire Prize for teaching at the April 7 colloquium of the Teaching Scholars Initiative held at the National Weather Center on the south end of campus. The Longmire Prize is awarded annually to individuals like Bruce who are not only recognized as excellent teachers, but who also are contributing to the scholarship of teaching through research. The award is made by the College of Arts and Sciences and is named for the late William and Jane Longmire who established the fund in order to improve teaching at OU. Bruce received a monetary award and a plaque. In addition, his name will be inscribed on a permanent plaque in Ellison Hall, the home of the College.
But wait, there’s more! Bruce has also recently
received the MERLOT Distinguished Teaching Award, an OU Good Teaching Award,
and the Regent’s Award for Superior Teaching. Bruce serves as editor of the
MERLOT Physics discipline. MERLOT’s mission is “putting educational innovations into practice.” You can read all about it at http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm
Bruce’s guiding principle is “physics is not a spectator sport.” Therefore, most of what he does in the classroom is aimed at getting students involved in the discussion through the use of applets, animation, and Socratic methods. Comments from students on his teaching describe his easy manner and dry humor, down-to-earth explanations and an “I’m on your side” attitude. Bruce is pictured nearby relaxing in his office after an exhausting dialogue with Socrates about teaching methods.
TED WEBB (1930-2008)
Ted Webb (BS Physics, 1951), a former vice president of General Dynamics, one-time head of engineering on the F-16 program, and strong supporter of our Department, died at his home in Fort Worth, TX, on January 15, following a long illness. Mr. Webb was 77.
The Cuba and Ted Webb Scholarship was established in the Department in 1997 by Mr. Webb and his wife through a generous gift. The $1500 scholarship is presented annually to an outstanding upper-division undergraduate student majoring in astronomy, astrophysics, physics or engineering physics on the basis of merit and need. In addition, the couple endowed an OU Presidential Professorship in their name.
HOMER L. DODGE PROFESSOR OF
HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS: HOWIE BAER
by Phil Gutierrez
The Homer L. Dodge chair in high energy physics has
now been filled by Howard (Howie) Baer, a high energy phenomenologist whose
most recent position was as a J.D. Kimbel Professor of Physics at Florida State
University. Howie received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of
Wisconsin at Madison under the supervision of Professor Vernon Barger in 1984.
Howie is one of the world’s experts on the
phenomenology of supersymmetry at hadron and linear colliders. He has authored over 140 peer reviewed articles and co-wrote a book with Xerxes Tata entitled “Weak Scale Supersymmetry: From Superfields to Scattering Events”. Howie’s expertise in collider physics will be of great value during the startup of the Large Hadron Collider later this year at CERN; he will provide the high energy experimentalist with valuable insights into methods of analyzing the collected data. Howie’s research interests also overlap Chung Kao’s work in collider phenomenology as well as those of certain members of the astrophysics group studying dark matter (he recently chaired the theory subgroup of the Dark Matter Assessment Group). In addition to his research, Howie brings a significant amount of teaching experience to OU. He has taught courses at all levels, from introductory physics and astronomy to advanced level graduate courses in particle physics, quantum field theory and general relativity. Howie and his wife Adrienne have two children, Madeleine and Jacob. He enjoys the outdoors, maintaining a cabin near Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
SUMMER 2008 REU STUDENTS
This summer’s participants in the NSF sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates began their two-month research program during the week of June 2. The program, which is locally managed by Kieran Mullen and Eric Abraham, has attracted many talented undergraduates in physics and astronomy to OU from around the country to work closely with some of our faculty in their research. The opportunity is designed to give budding scientists a first hand look at scientific enquiry, both experimental and theoretical in nature. Besides the welcomed assistance in faculty research, an added benefit of the REU program is that often some of these students will eventually return to OU to be come a part of our graduate program. Listed below are this year’s REU participants.
|
Non-OU Students |
|
|
|
|
Student |
Field |
Mentor |
Funding source |
|
Dupre, William |
TAM |
Parker |
Old NSF grant |
|
Grotewohl, Herbert |
E/TAM |
Jim |
Old NSF grant |
|
Schwartz, Jeffrey |
ECM |
Johnson/Bumm |
Old/New NSF |
|
Hennenberg, Linda |
Astro/Any |
Baron |
Old/New NSF |
|
Herrerra, Brianne |
HEP |
Kantowski |
Old/New NSF |
|
Kaplan, Steven |
EPP |
Abbott |
Old/New NSF |
|
Samuels, Margret |
CMP |
Johnson |
Old/New NSF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
OU Students |
|
|
|
|
Andrew Santos |
CMP |
Santos |
Old Provost Match |
|
Sara Barber |
Astro |
Romanishin |
EPSCoR |
|
Alea Smith |
Astro |
Romanishin |
New Match |
|
John Mitchell |
High Energy |
Kao |
New Match |
|
Erniie Sanchez |
CMP |
Johnson |
New Match |
|
Kevin Perot |
Astro |
Leighly |
Leighly Funds |
|
Caddel, John |
ECM |
Murphy |
Santos Funds |
|
James, Spencer |
Astro |
Baron |
|
|
Gaylord, Trey |
CMP |
Johnson |
Old NSF |
UNDERGRADUATES RECEIVE DESERVED RECOGNITION
The Department is justifiably proud of many of our talented undergraduate majors in physics, astrophysics, or engineering physics. Each year we set aside the last Thursday in the academic year to honor those individuals who have distinguished themselves academic. This year’s program took place on Thursday, May 1. Awards in Physics & Astronomy were presented by Prof. Sheena Murphy, while the Engineering Physics awards were handed out by Prof. Mike Santos. Of course Chair Ryan Doezema opened the event with a couple of jokes, something we all look forward to each year.
The list of recognized students along with their awards and majors are listed below (thanks to Stu Ryan for compiling the list). Just think of the number of homework problems tussled with that each name represents! Congratulations to each of these students for making us look like we know what we’re doing.
|
|
First Name |
Last Name |
|
College of Engineering |
|
|
|
Outstanding Senior in COE |
Michael |
Meier |
|
|
|
|
|
Homer L Dodge - Departmental Prizes |
|
|
|
Fowler Prize (Graduating Senior) |
Susan Marie |
Gosse |
|
Dodge Prize-Junior Year |
Jonathan Lyn |
Caddell |
|
Dodge Prize-Sophomore Year |
Christopher Alan |
Schroeder |
|
Dodge Prize-Sophomore Year |
Matthew Robert |
Whiteway |
|
|
|
|
|
Physics & Astronomy Awards |
|
|
|
J Clarence Karcher Award |
Daniel Robert |
White |
|
Duane E. Roller Award |
Christopher David |
Krycho |
|
Outstanding Scholarship by a Graduating Senior |
Ethan William |
Brown |
|
Outstanding Scholarship by a Graduating Senior |
Jason Bradley |
Garman |
|
|
|
|
|
Physics & Astronomy Scholarships |
|
|
|
Cuba & Ted Webb Scholarship |
Leah Elizabeth M |
Trafford |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Sara Diann |
Barber |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Daniel Ross |
Freno |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Joe Dan |
Mitchell |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Matthew Robert |
Whiteway |
|
|
|
|
|
Physics & Astronomy Recognition |
|
|
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Doosan |
Back |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Amanda Gray |
Baldwin |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Henry Len |
Bradsher |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Cynthia Erin |
Brown |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Ethan William |
Brown |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Dustin P |
Clouse |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Dustin Clark |
Combs |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Darren Wade |
Erdman |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Jason Bradley |
Garman |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Andre Markus |
Goran |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Susan Marie |
Gosse |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Michael |
Haas |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Nuria |
Hirsch |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Mary Catherine |
Hogan |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Jim A |
Hopkins |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Eric Anthony |
Imhof |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Spencer Dana |
James |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
David William |
Kelle |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Christopher David |
Krycho |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Virginia Lee |
Lambert |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Jessica Mary-Inez |
Mackiewicz |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Kevin Orion |
Perot |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Christopher Alan |
Schroeder |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Jonathan Conley |
Sharp |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Christina Marie |
Shultz |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Michael S |
Silagi |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Adam Roger |
Smialek |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Alea Dawn |
Smith |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Joshua Scott |
Smith |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Daniel William |
Solow |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Amanda Rosendall |
Truitt |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Daniel Robert |
White |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Engineering Physics Awards |
|
|
|
J Clarence Karcher Award |
Ryan |
Smith |
|
Duane E. Roller Award |
Andrew Martin |
Santos |
|
William Schreiver Award |
Joshua Kyle |
Reid |
|
Outstanding Scholarship by a Graduating Senior |
Eric Laurence |
Johnson |
|
|
|
|
|
Engineering Scholarships Engineeing Physics |
|
|
|
Roy B. Adams Scholarship |
Christian J |
Crowe |
|
Roy B. Adams Scholarship |
Ernest Serapio |
Sanchez |
|
Homer L. Dodge Scholarship |
Bryce Matthew |
Callies |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Christopher Edward |
Allen |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Zachary Thomas |
Dunn |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Cale Michael |
Gentry |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Robert Andrew |
Mc Clure Jr |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Brian Joseph |
Morris |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
John Philip |
Mueller |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Joshua Kyle |
Reid |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Andrew Martin |
Santos |
|
J Clarence Karcher Scholarship |
Jared Allen |
Seay |
|
|
|
|
|
Engineering Physics Recognition |
|
|
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Benjamin Nichols |
Abner |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Bruce Bennett |
Bacon Jr |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Aaron Edward |
Browder |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Jonathan Lyn |
Caddell |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Christopher Brian |
Frantze |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Robert Douglas |
Free |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Abraham John |
Frei-Pearson |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Stephen Phillip |
Glenn |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Mitchell Andrew |
Greer |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Eric Laurence |
Johnson |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Michael |
Meier |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Kelly Louise |
O'Roke |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Ricardo Hiroshi |
Patino |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Cody Wade |
Piersall |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Ryan |
Smith |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Alan Thomas |
Taylor |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Richard James |
Welch |
|
Meritorious Scholarship |
Jeffrey Scott |
Woidke |
BITS FROM NIELSEN HALL NETWORK
by Andy Feldt
A perusal of our archive of newsletters shows that it has been eight years since we have written about our computing environment. I think this is a sign of the stability of current hardware and software which has
allowed our computers and network to simply run very smoothly a very high percentage of the time.
The downside of
this stability is the fact that, until recently, there has been no push to
obtain newer equipment so that most of our research computers are now quite
aged. We have had two of our oldest Sun Ultras fail in the span of a month
recently. On the bright side, we are now beginning to support Intel
architecture systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux (currently version 5.1)
and a few brave souls have bought systems of this sort so that we can
experiment with managing this new operating system.
Also, since our last report, Eddie Baron and Karen Leighly have obtained a 32 processor Apple cluster and the HEP group has installed two Linux clusters totaling over fifty processors.
For those who like numbers, a few are given here:
Andy Feldt displaying a
“surely you’re kidding” expression.
32 - Sun workstations on NHN
42 - total workstations on NHN
340 - IP addresses assigned on our subnet
1 - terabytes of backed up data
20000 - e-mails/day initiating connection
1000 - e-mails/day actually delivered after filtering
20000 - hits/day to our web server
2 - gigabytes/day served by our web server
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