On Wednesday, May 11, faculty and staff members, along with their guests, gathered at the Memorial Union Ballroom for an awards dinner recognizing 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service to Michigan Tech. From the physics department, Bryan Suits (30 years), Donald Beck (35 years) and Robert Weidman (35 years) were recognized.
From Tech Today, by Human Resources
The Vice President for Research Office announces the 2016 REF awards and thanks the review committees, the deans and department chairs for their time spent on this important internal research award process. Among the recipients are:
Infrastructure Enhancement (IE) Grants
Will Cantrell, Physics/EPSSI – Refrigerated Water Re-Circulating System
Research Seed (RS) Grants
Jae Yong Suh, Physics
Congratulations to Raymond Shaw (Atmospheric Sciences, Physics) for winning the 2016 Research Award.
In the words of Ravi Pandey, chair of the Department of Physics, Shaw is “widely recognized in the national and international community of atmospheric scientists investigating cloud microphysical processes.”
His research is both detailed and big—from the minutiae of raindrops to understanding the patterns of cloud formation. As part of this research, he collaborates with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to lead a team of scientists to conduct holographic imaging of cloud droplets from an airplane laboratory. The research was published in Science last fall and was the subject of a Michigan Tech Research Magazine story.
“The unifying aspect of my research is the atmosphere,” Shaw says, adding that the process of research inspires him. “It’s like working on an incredibly diverse set of intertwined and nested puzzles. Every now and then a burst of insight allows us to solve a part of one of them.”
Shaw is also recognized for his teaching and says that teaching is another aspect of research. “Students learn at a deeper level when they dig into a research problem,” he explains.
“The advisor-grad student relationship is the closest thing I know to an apprenticeship, where the grad student masters a craft by working side by side with a mentor.”
He considers Alex Kostinski (Physics) his own mentor who has helped him on Michigan Tech’s campus from day one. Along with Pandey’s support and the insight from his students, Shaw says, “Perhaps it sounds quaint, but I do feel like being recognized with the MTU research award is a larger recognition of the colleagues and students with whom I have worked.”
Professor Yoke Khin Yap (Physics) held a workshop for ninth and tenth grade students from L’Anse High School on Monday. The theme of the workshop was “Introduction to Nanotechnology” and was part of the outreach and education activities in Yap’s research grant funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
This workshop was co-organized by Michigan Tech’s GEAR UP, a Pre-College Innovative Outreach Institute, with the assistance of Liz Fujita. The goal of the workshop was to help stimulate the interest of pre-college underrepresented groups (girls, students with disabilities, etc.). A total of 91 students and three teachers participated.
During the workshop, students were introduced to the concept of nanoscale and hands-on experience in making molecular structures. Following lunch, there was a discussion on the potential applications of nanoscale materials. “Since Michigan Tech is the only research-intensive university in the area, we regularly provide educational support to the local communities,” says Yap. This is one of the annual outreach events planned during the three-year NSF research project.
Students from Barkell Elementary School toured the Cloud Chamber on March 10, 2016, as part of the school’s Great Explorations program. The tour was hosted by Professor Will Cantrell and graduate student Sarita Karki.
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.
Raymond Shaw (Physics/EPSSI) is the principal investigator on a project that has received $120,339 research and development grant from the National Science Foundation.
Will Cantrell (EPSSI) is the Co-PI on the project “EAGER: Exploring Aerosol Indirect Effects in a Laboratory Cloud Chamber.”
This is the first year of a potential two-year project totaling $243,869.
Will Cantrell (Physics/EPSSI) is the principle investigator on project that has received an $84,673 research grant from the National Science Foundation.
The project is entitled “Clouds: A Synergistic Experimental and Simulation Approach.”
This is the first year of a three-year project totaling $263,283.
Physics graduate student Teresa Wilson is a Spring 2016 recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award as announced by the Graduate School.
