Six of our undergraduate students and one graduate student accompanied Drs. Felicia Manciu, Bill Durrer, and Eric Hagedorn to the Fall Texas Section APS/AAPT/SPS meeting at Texas State University San Marcos. Student presentations are as follows:

Mario Bencomo gave a talk entitled: “A Sensitivity Analysis of Dose Calibratory Linearity Assessment.” His research advisor during a summer research experience was Dr. Marvin Friedman at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, N.Y., N.Y.

Miguel Bencomo gave a talk entitled: “Metallic out-diffusion quantification in polymers by x-ray fluorescence.” His research advisor is Dr. Castro-Colin.

Jason Keith and Paul Springsteen gave a talk entitled: “Rediscovering Kepler’s Third Law using NASA Data.” Their research advisor is Dr. Efrain Ferrer.

David McPherson presented a poster entitled: “Femtosecond Electron Diffraction and Shadow Imaging.” This was based on research done during a summer program at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State.

Luis Pinales presented a poster entitled: “Spectroscopic analysis of urinary calculi and inhibition of their growth. His research advisor is Dr. Felicia Manciu. 

Former UTEP physics student, Jorge Munoz (currently pursuing doctoral work at Caltech) and supervisor Dr. Jorge Lopez were awarded the 2009 Robert S. Hyer Research Award of the Texas Section of the American Physical Society. This prestigious award was given for Jorge Munoz' undergraduate research at UTEP, under Dr. Lopez' supervision, on "isocaling and the high temperature limit" in nuclear physics. See: http://www.aps.org/units/tsaps/awards/hyer for more information. 

Dr. Eric Hagedorn was invited by the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to pilot a physics "College Readiness Activity." These activities are being piloted across the state of Texas as part of the THECB's "Texas College Readiness Project." 

The department celebrated IYA 2009 with a departmental seminar, entitled: The International Year of Astronomy 2009, on Thursday, October 22, 2009 given by by Dr. Mary Kay Hemenway from UT Austin. On Friday, October 23, 2009, Dr. Hemenway gave a public lecture entitled: The Galileo Scandal.. Thank you Dr. Hemenway! 

Alums, current students, faculty and staff joined for a great picnic dinner in Leech Grove the Friday before Homecoming (October 2nd). There was a lot to celebrate: new majors, new programs, a departmental facelift, and a very generous gift to the department from Dr. Klaus Wiemer (distinguished alum). 

"The Science Lab,"  a local school science supply business on North Yarbrough, generously donated a wonderful selection of lenses and gratings to the department.  These will happily be put to use in our Physical Science course for preservice elementary & middle school teachers (PSCI 2303).  Thanks again "Science Lab!" 

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has chosen Dr. Paul A. Mason to be a member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).