Congratulations Recent Grant and Award Recipients:

Prof. Samir Aouadi, Prof. Punit Kohli (Dept. of Chemistry), and Prof. Peter Filip (Center for Advanced Friction Studies) for approval of their National Institutes of Health grant, "Combating Restenosis with Surface Nano-Texturing."

Mr. Bob Baer for approval of his Undergraduate Technology Fee grant, "Physics Undergraduate Instructional Lab Computers."

Prof. Mercedes Calbi for approval of her National Science Foundation CAREER grant, "Kinetics of Adsorption in Nanoporous Structures." 

Prof. Mesfin Tsige for approval of his Petroleum Research Fund grant, "Surface Properties of Fluorinated and Semifluorinated Alkanes."

Mr. Bob Baer and Dr. Leo Silbert for award of the Graduate Technology Enhancement Grant, "Physics Computer Lab Equipment Upgrade."

Prof. Aldo Migone and Prof. Mercedes Calbi for approval of their National Science Foundation grant, " Polyatomic Adsorbates on Carbon Nanontube Bundles."

Prof. Vivak Malhotra for his two grants from the Illinois Clean Coal Institute, "Value-Added Products from FGD
Sulfite-Rich Scrubber Material" and "Integrated Pressure Modulation for Fine Coal
Cleaning and Dewatering."

Dr. Samir Aouadi, for the approval of his grant "Investigation of Glassy Alloys Deposited by Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering - Metaglass Coatings."

Emeritus and research professor Dr. F. Bary Malik for receiving the 2007 John Wheatley Award sponsored by Forum on International Physics. Dr. Malik will travel to the American Physical Society March 2007 meeting in Denver, CO.  He is being recognized “For his extensive contributions to developing physics and inspiring physicists in emerging nations through insightful personal collaboration, continuing education of graduate students, creation of research centers and groups in developing countries, organization of international meetings and attracting resources in the USA and internationally to sustain all these activities for over thirty years.”

Dr. Andrei Kolmakov for the approval of his grant proposal "Visualizing the Interplay Between Electronic Excitations and Surface Chemistry of Functioning 1-D Metal-Oxide Nanostructures" with the American Chemical Society's Petroleum Research Fund.

Profs. Naushad Ali and Shane Stadler  for receiving a grant from the Department of Energy titled: "Understanding compound phase transitions in new Heusler alloy colossal magnetocaloric materials."  The grant covers four years of research including the support of graduate students and a postdoctoral researcher.

Prof. Mark Byrd, for receiving a National Science Foundation CAREER grant for his project titled: "Practical Quantum Error Prevention Protocols Involving Quantum Systems With More Than Two Orthogonal States" 

Ms. Kathleen Lask, Physics undergraduate, for receiving a Barry Goldwater fellowship. Kathleen is in a very special group: there was only one other recipient in SIUC, and a total of only 11 recipients in the state of Illinois.

Prof. Samir Aouadi, for receiving an Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grant from SIUC for the project titled: "Wear and Biocompatibility of Nitride-Based Nanocomposite Coatings for Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement."

Prof. Naushad Ali, for receiving a grant from the Research Corporation for the project titled: "Investigation of giant magnetocaloric effects in Ni-Mn-Ga based Heusler alloys".

Prof. Vivak Malhotra, for receiving a grant from the United States Department of Energy for the project titled: “Value-added products from FGD Sulfite-Rich Scrubber Materials”

Prof. Shane Stadler, for receiving a National Science Foundation CAREER grant for his project titled: “Seeking Half-Metallic Alloys”  Full Story - SIUC News

Prof. Aldo Migone, for his election as Fellow of the American Physical Society “for his contributions to the experimental study of the thermodynamics of one- and two- dimensional films adsorbed on carbon nanotubes, graphite and boron nitride”. Full story - SIUC Southern Spotlight

Mr. Bob Baer and Prof. Frank Gaitan, for receiving a Graduate Technology Enhancement Grant from SIUC for "Physics Computer Lab Core Equipment Upgrade."

Prof. Andrei Kolmakov for receiving a grant from CATERPILLAR for the project titled: "1D Semiconductor Nanostructures as a Platform for Chemical Sensor Arrays." 

SIUC Physics in the news:

Spring '08 SIUC Perspectives - Dr. Mercedes Calbi, "Skilled at Working Small," article on Dr. Calbi's research and NSF CAREER award.

July 2006.  Daily Egyptian article - Drs. Shane Stadler and Naushad Ali "SIUC researchers working on enhancing cooling methods."
http://newshound.de.siu.edu/summer06/stories/storyReader$212

July 2006.  SIUC News Release - Dr. Mark Byrd: "Researcher wins grant for quantum computer study" http://news.siu.edu/news/July06/070606tjc6138.jsp

July 2006. Nanowerk Spotlight - Dr. Andrei Kolmakov: "Towards the nanoscopic electronic nose." http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=678.php
 

Spring 2006. SIUC Perspectives - Dr. Samir Aouadi: "Smooth Sailing." http://www.siu.edu/~perspect/06_sp/implants.html

April 2006. SIUC News release - Dr. Shane Stadler: "SIUC scientist receives $480,000 grant from NSF." 

http://news.siu.edu/news/April06/041706tc6081.jsp
http://spotlight.siu.edu/04192006/StadlerNSFgrant.html

Jan 2006. SIUC Southern Spotlight article - Dr. Aldo Migone:  "Aldo Migone honored for work."
http://spotlight.siu.edu/01182006/AldoMigonehonored.html

October 2005. SIUC News - Dr. Samir Aouadi: "New coating may extend life of artificial joints."
http://news.siu.edu/news/October05/100405kj5112.jsp
 

OLD NEWS

New Telescope for Astronomy Observations.

A new telescope is available for SIUC Astronomy (Physics 103) observations Fall semester 2006.  The telescope is a 10" Meade LX200R.  It has onboard GPS, and computerized GOTO and tracking functions.   The telescope is to be utilized as the primary instrument for Astronomy observations.  Public observations to be announced for this fall.  If you desire a group observation for your local group or class, please contact the Physics department, physics@physics.siu.edu, or 618-453-2643.   

NEW COMPUTATIONAL CLUSTER BUILD

A new Linux cluster is being assembled by Dr. Mesfin Tsige (new faculty to Department in Fall 2005) and Bob Baer (Physics Dept. Computer / Electronics Specialist) The cluster consists of 24 dual processor Intel Xeon nodes networked through gigabit ethernet.  It will be used to support Dr. Tsige's computational research in molecular dynamics simulation of polymer and liquid crystal surfaces and interfaces at the nanometer scale.  Pictures are available here: http://www.physics.siu.edu/facilities/tsigecluster.html.  

More information on additional department computational resources here: http://www.physics.siu.edu/facilities/computational.html

A Visit to the Physics Department

Second Graders' Field Trip Pictures.  - Field trip on Dec 7, 2005 to SIUC Physics department of the Murphysboro General John A. Logan Elementary School 2nd graders. 

APPLIED PHYSICS Ph.D. APPROVED

The Illinois Board of Higher Education approved (on 2/01/05) a new Ph.D. program in Applied Physics for Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

The new doctoral program is considering applications for admissions.  Information on the program available here: http://www.physics.siu.edu/programs/phdprog.htm