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Home / News / ArchiveEun-Suk Seo, Fellow of the APSDecember 8, 2010. The American Physical
Society (APS) has awarded the distinction of Fellow to Eun-Suk
Seo, for leading the development and utilization of particle detectors
for balloon and space-based experiments to understand cosmic ray origin,
acceleration and propagation, especially as Principal Investigator of the
Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass balloon-borne experiment over Antarctica. Jack Moore TributeNovember 12, 2010. Concidence, Electrons, and Molecules: a Tribute to the Contributions of Jack Moore is being held today starting at 9:00 a.m. in the Marker Seminar Room of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The Featured Speaker is R. Stephen Berry of the University of Chicago, presenting "Electron Correlation in Atoms: The Demise of Hartree-Fock?". Invited speakers are: Michael Coplan, Kenneth Jordan, Jason Sanabia, Alan Migdall, Robert Continetti, and Nicholas Spencer. Seventh Annual Symposium of the Burgers Program for Fluid DynamicsNovember 10, 2010. The Seventh Annual Symposium for the Burgers Program for Fluid Dynamics will be held Wednesday, November 17, 2010. The location will be the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building, rooms 1107 and 1111, at the University of Maryland College Park from 1:00 - 5:30 p.m. The Burgers Program Lecturer, W.J. Briels, Computational Biophysics Group, Twente University, The Netherlands, will be speaking on Memory and Transient Forces in Soft Matter. Additional information is found on the Burgers website. Sixteenth Annual Shih-I Pai LectureOctober 8, 2010. The Sixteenth Annual Shih-I Pai Lecture will take place on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. The guest lecturer James A. Yorke, Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics and Physics, and the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, will speak on “CHAOS”. The Lecture will be from 4:00 to 5:00 pm in room 1410 of the Physics Building. A reception will precede the lecture from 3:15 – 4:00 pm in the Math Rotunda. Eighth Monroe H. Martin PrizeOctober 8, 2010. The Monroe H. Martin Prize presents an award for an outstanding paper in applied mathematics (including numerical analysis) by a young research worker who is under the age of 36 prior to the deadline of October 31, 2010. The work must be by a single author and have been published or accepted for publication in the open literature. The work must not have been performed in connection with the completion for any degree and the candidate must not now, nor ever have been, affiliated with the University of Maryland. For further information, please contact Frank W. J. Olver. IPST Faculty and Students to Participate in Hands-On Research in CameroonJuly 14, 2010. Professors Rajarshi Roy (IPST, Physics) and Brian Hunt (IPST, Math) and three graduate students, Bhargava Ravoori, Shelby Wilson, and Adam Cohen, will head to Cameroon August 2-13, 2010 for the Hands-On Research in Complex Systems Schools. Dr. Roy, one of the founders of the Hands-On Research Program, says the emphasis of the program is on conducting modern physical, chemical and biological research inexpensively. Working closely together – 4 or 5 participants with 2 instructors – leads to subsequent exchange visits and scientific collaborations. The program brings together some 100 faculty and graduate students from around the world to be part of the two week initiative. Previous programs have been held in Brazil and India. Dave Thirumalai named Distinguished University ProfessorJuly 8, 2010. Devarajan (Dave) Thirumalai, the Institute for Physical Science and Technology and the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, was awarded the title of Distinguished University Professor by University of Maryland College Park President C.D. Mote, Jr. on July 1, 2010. This is the highest academic honor that the university confers upon a faculty member and is reserved for a small number of exceptionally distinguished scholars. It recognizes his work in the area of biophysics and the application of theoretical techniques to chemistry and biology. James Drake received 2010 James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma PhysicsJune 24, 2010. James Drake, the Institute for Physical Science and Technology and the Department of Physics, has been named the 2010 recipient of the APS James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics. The prize recognizes outstanding contributions to plasma physics, and is the highest honor bestowed to plasma physicists by the APS. His citation and prize will be presented at the annual meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, November 8-12, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. Responsible Conduct of Research TrainingJune 3, 2010. The Institute for Physical Science and Technology, the Chemical Physics graduate program and the Joint Quantum Institute will be hosting Responsible Conduct of Research Day on June 4, 2010 from 10 am to 4 pm, conducted by Charles W. Clark, National Institute of Standards and Technology; Fellow, Joint Quantum Institute; and Affiliate Professor with the Institute for Physical Science and Technology. The 2007 America COMPETES Act directed NSF to require that all funded undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars undergo training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR). The implementation of this requirement became effective January 4, 2010, when all institutions submitting proposals to NSF were required to certify that there was a training plan in place for undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars supported by NSF to conduct research. This is an updated, condensed version of Case Studies in Scientific Ethics (CHPS 714) which was presented during Winter Term 2010. Olver, Lozier, and Clark edit new book on Mathematical FunctionsMay 12, 2010. NIST Handbook of Mathematical Functions edited by Frank W.J. Olver, Daniel W. Lozier, Ronald F. Boisvert, and Charles W. Clark. Published by Cambridge University Press and NIST on May 12, 2010, with xv + 951 pages. Available in Hardback (ISBN 978-0-521-19225-5) and Paperback (ISBN 978-0-521-14063-8). This book is a completely revised and rewritten version of the highly successful Handbook of Mathematical Functions with Formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables, edited by Milton Abramowitz and Irene A. Stegun that was published in 1964, and is still in print. Of the editors, Frank Olver is Editor-in-Chief and Mathematics Editor, and is Professor Emeritus in the Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST) and the Mathematics Department; Daniel Lozier is General Editor and was awarded his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics by IPST and the Mathematics Department; Charles Clark is Physical Science Editor and is an Affiliate Professor in IPST. The new book also appears for free on the web. Jeffrey Bub honored in Foundation of PhysicsMay 11, 2010. The journal Foundation of Physics, Volume 40, Number 4, April 2010 has published a Festschrift honoring Jeffrey Bub, Institute for Physical Science and Technology and Department of Philosophy, based on the papers presented at the conference that was held for his 65th birthday, New Directions in the Foundations of Physics, at the American Center for Physics in College Park, on April 13-15, 2007. Stuart Antman to Serve on Presidential Search CommitteeMarch 11, 2010. President C.D. (Dan) Mote Jr., President of the University of Maryland College Park, announced in February that he will retire on August 31, 2010. Distinguished University Professor Stuart Antman, Institute for Physical Science and Technology and the Department of Mathematics, has been appointed by Chancellor William E. Kirwan to the search committee. The search committee will conclude with its recommendation of finalists for consideration by Chancellor Kirwan and the Board of Regents; with the board making the final decision. Michael E. Fisher Receives 2009 BBVA Foundation of Frontiers of Knowledge AwardFeb. 23, 2010. Michael E. Fisher of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology and Department of Physics was awarded the 2009 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences. He has explained phenomena ranging from why water evaporates to the functioning of molecular motors in cells. The jury singled out his “fundamental contributions to statistical mechanics.” The Basic Sciences award honors outstanding contributions in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Fifth Annual Systems Biology WorkshopFeb. 23, 2010. The University of Maryland and the National Cancer Institute hosted the fifth in a series of systems biology workshops on January 26, 2010 at the University of Maryland College Park. Organizers Wolfgang Losert (UMD), Jim McNally (NCI), and Dave Levens (NCI) said the aim of the workshops has been to transmit scientific information between the NCI and UMD in biophysics, systems biology, bioengineering, and bioinformatics. IPST Faculty Members Obtain NSF Major Research Instrumentation AwardFeb. 23, 2010. Millard Alexander, Christopher Jarzynski, Dev Thirumalai and John Weeks have recently obtained an NSF Major Research Instrumentation award of $445,000 for the Acquisition of a High-performance Computer Cluster for the Computational Study of Complex Chemical Systems: from Small Molecules to Biological Nanomachines. The money will be used to purchase a large number of linked cluster computers administered by the University’s High-Performance Computing Consortium. Alexander, Jarzynski, Thirumalai and Weeks are theoretical Chemists with joint faculty appointments in the Institute for Physical Science and Technology and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Rajarshi Roy named to CMPS/CLFS Merger Working GroupFeb. 23, 2010. On the recommendation of the deans of both colleges, a working group has been formed to look into 1) the merits of merging CMPS and CLFS, and 2) if they find the initiative worthy, to agree on a plan for moving forward. The Provost expects that the members will receive input from their colleagues so that the collective views of the faculty of the two colleges will be represented. Rajarshi Roy, Professor and Director of IPST, has been named to the committee as a representative from CMPS. Others named to this working group are: Norma Andrews (CLFS), Mike Brown (CMPS), Larry Davis (CMPS), Bonnie Dorr (CMPS), Mike Doyle (CLFS), Dean Kitchen (CMPS), Barbara Thorne (CLFS), Stuart Vogel (CMPS), and Jerry Wilkinson (CLFS). External Review of IPST Scheduled February 25-26, 2010Feb. 23, 2010. The Five Year review of IPST began with an Internal Review in the fall of 2009. The External Review by the Committee will be on February 25-26, 2010. Members of the External Review Committee are – William A. Eaton, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Barbara Lee Keyfitz, Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University; Joel L. Lebowitz, Department of Mathematics, Rutgers University; and Harry L. Swinney, Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin. Scientists discover a new type of interaction between urea and RNADec. 2, 2009. In the November 30, 2009 issue of the Chemical & Engineering News, Volume 87, Number 48, page 29, the team led by Dave Thirumalai (IPST, UMCP) and Alexander D. MacKerell Jr. (UMBC) now reports all-atom molecular dynamics simulations that reveal how urea hydrogen bonds and stacks with RNA’s bases, making normal interaction between bases impossible. Scientific ethics course to be taught by IPST facultyDec. 2, 2009. Ethical conduct by scientists and students is generally assumed; however recently a number of very serious events have shown that informal oral tradition is often insufficient for informing scientists of the proper ethical standards for their work. In response to this, and general National Institutes of Health (NIH) requirements that graduate students working in NIH laboratories receive training in scientific ethics, a new course is being offered – Case Studies in Scientific Ethics (CHPH 714) – which will be taught Winter Term 2010 by Charles Clark. The availability of this course was mentioned to the National Science Foundation (NSF) review panel that visited the Joint Quantum Institute Physics Frontiers Center on November 9, 2009 and the panel was enthusiastic about the offering. For more information, visit the new Ethical Conduct of Research portal on our site. Intranet for IPST a realityDec. 2, 2009. IPST now has an Intranet, which Wikipedia lists as a a private computer network used to securely share any part of an organization's information within that organization. IPST will use the intranet to share documents with faculty and staff, such as APT materials, the IPST directory (with home phone numbers and addresses), and the Internal Review Report. Additional uses are in the planning stages. The IPST Intranet is password-protected, using your University log-in and password. Users will be given access to certain documents, specific to their needs. You can access the link on our website via http://www.ipst.umd.edu/intranet, or through the Business Office page.
Fifteenth Annual Shih-I Pai Lecture Devarajan Thirumalai receives Humboldt Research AwardOct. 8, 2009. Devarajan Thirumalai has been elected the recipient of the Humboldt Research Award after having been nominated for this award by the German scientist Prof. Dr. Matthias Rief, Technische Universität München, Garching. This award is conferred in recognition of lifetime achievements in research. In addition, the awardee is invited to carry out research projects of his own choice in cooperation with specialist colleagues in Germany. We hope that thereby the international scientific cooperation will be further promoted. Dio Margetis receives NSF Career AwardDio Margetis of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology and the Department of Mathematics has been awarded an NSF Career Award for the project Thermodynamic and kinetic approaches for expitaxial material systems. These five year awards are among the most prestigious that a junior faculty member can receive in the nation. Dr. Margetis was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor earlier this year.
Sixth Annual Burgers Symposium
Maryland Biophysics Symposium Katepalli Sreenivasan named College Park ProfessorKatepalli R. Sreenivasan of IPST has been appointed College Park Professor by University of Maryland President C.D. Mote. Jr., effective October 1, 2009. This is a tribute to Professor Sreenivasan’s outstanding contributions and accomplishments in Science and Engineering. Charles W. Clark elected Chair Elect of the Physics Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science - 2009Charles W. Clark, Adjunct Professor and Affiliate of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, and Fellow of the Joint Quantum Institute, was elected to the position of Chair Elect of the Physics Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). International Meteorological Organization Prize Awarded to Eugenia KalnayThe 54th IMO Prize, WMO's most prestigious prize, was awarded by the 61st session of the WMO Executive Council, June 3-12, 2009, to Eugenia Kalnay, of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies. Election to Royal Society of Chemistry and Humboldt Research Award - 2009Professor Devarajan Thirumalai, of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has just been elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has also received a Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists in recognition of his past accomplishments in research and teaching. John D. Weeks elected to the National Academy of Sciences, April 28, 2009John D. Weeks, Distinguished University Professor, Institute for Physical Science and Technology and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences April 28, 2009. The election was held April 28, 2009 during the business session of the 146th annual meeting of the Academy. 2008-09 Undergraduate Research Mentor of the YearAt the opening session of Undergraduate Research Day on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, Dr. Arthur La Porta was awarded the 2008-2009 Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year Award. Dr. La Porta, who has a joint appointment in IPST and the Department of Physics, was nominated by his student Matthew Barr who said, "Working under Professor La Porta has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my college education. He has put together a lab in which an undergraduate student can feel a sense of pride from playing an important role in real research". Professor Fisher Awarded Ph.D. Honoris Causa by Weizmann InstituteThe Weizmann Institute of Science has conferred upon Professor Michael E. Fisher the title of Ph.D. honoris causa. Professor Fisher joins an illustrious group of men and women who have been honored by the Weizmann Institute in recognition of their outstanding contributions to science or society. The ceremony of conferment will take place at the 61st Annual Meeting of the Institute's International Board on Monday, November 9, 2009 in Rehovot, Israel. 2009 Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics, American Physical SocietyDr. Stephen G. Brush has been awarded the 2009 Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics. The award to Dr. Brush was "For his pioneering, in-depth studies in the history of nineteenth and twentieth century physics." 2008 Nicholson Medal for Human Outreach, American Physical SocietyDr. Katepalli Sreenivasan has been awarded the 2008 Nicholson Medal for Human Outreach. The citation that will appear on the certificate reads as follows: “For his commitment to mentoring students and junior colleagues and his significant contributions to fostering international collaborations and promoting the advancement and education of early career scientists from the developing world.” The Nicholson Medal will be presented at the APS March 2009 meeting in Pittsburgh, PA. 2008 Members Elected to the Amerian Philosophical SocietyRoald Sagdeev, Director, East-West Center for Space Science, and Distinguished University Professor of Physics, has been elected to the American Philosophical Society. R&D 100 Award for New NIST/UMD Neutron DetectorMichael Coplan, Associate Director of IPST, and Director of the Chemical Physics Program, and Charles Clark of NIST, and Adjunct Professor of the Chemical Physics Program, have been selected to receive a 2008 R&D 100 Award for their work on a new high sensitivity, high bandwidth neutron detector developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland (UMD). CREAM STATUS (Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass)Eun-Suk Seo, Physics
and IPST, heads the Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass (CREAM) experiment,
which received recognition on Spaceref.com,
the Palestine Herald and NSF.gov on January
7 as the experiment reached a new milestone in conducting scientific observations
from balloons by launching and operating three long-duration flights within
a single Antarctic summer. Seo leads a team of scientists from Maryland
's Institute for Physical Science and Technology, NASA and the NSF.
The investigation searches for characteristic changes in elemental composition
and energy spectra of very high-energy cosmic rays that might be associated
with a particle acceleration limit in supernovae. |
The Shih-I Pai Lecture will celebrate its fifteenth year by featuring
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