The Elizabeth and Richard Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena
A multitude of our undergraduates have recently returned from a spring trip to CERN. This trip was kindly funded by our alum Werner Vogt and chaperoned by Professor Borysow!
Miguel Levy (Physics/MSE/CQP) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $82,445 research and development contract from the Air Force: Office of Scientific Research.
The project is titled “Materials Processing for Heterogeneous Integration of Optical Isolators: Phase 2.”
This is a two-year project.
Dr. Jacek Borysow presented Dr. Carly Robinson with the first Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena Distinguished Alumna Award. Dr. Robinson graduated with a BS in Physics from Michigan Tech in 2007, received her PhD from the University of Colorado, and is currently a Senior Product Strategist/Science Advisor with the U.S. Department of Energy.
In Spring 2016, Physics students and Associate Professor Petra Huentemeyer visited CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, as well as the Max Planck Institute (MPI).
The visit was partially sponsored by the Society of Physics Students (SPS) and the Henes Center for Quantum Phenomena.
Local students will soon see big improvements in the physics department
Elizabeth and Richard Henes see great potential in Michigan Tech’s physics department. Five years ago, a Tech professor impressed them by using a mouse trap to demonstrate quantum mechanics.
“There are only certain states, like energy [or] velocity which are allowed for the molecule. A mouse trap has only 2 states. One when the spring is loose and one when it is, how do you call it, set. Mr. Henes said thank you for the lecture and handed us a check for seven hundred thousand dollars,” said Jacek Borysow, a Physics Professor at the University.
Read more and watch the video at ABC 10 UP, by Amanda L’Esperence.
Michigan Technological University’s Physics Department sees itself poised on the brink of greatness. Richard and Elizabeth Henes agree. Longtime and generous supporters of Michigan Tech, the couple has donated another $700,000 to the University to upgrade research facilities in Fisher Hall, including infrastructure improvements.
“This latest gift will help Michigan Tech continue to build an outstanding physics department that is working at the cutting edge of modern physics,” said University President Glenn D. Mroz. Building and improving our facilities helps attract and retain researchers at the forefront of their fields, he explained. Both goals are priorities of a $200 million capital campaign now under way.
