East Tennessee State University Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geology Department News Summer 2006

Student Activities

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  Physics Major Sabrina Hurlock (shown above) is working this summer with Dr. Beverly Smith analyzing optical images of interacting galaxies obtained with the SARA telescope. This research is sponsored by a NSF Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) grant.
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  Sabrina married Dan McGuire on July 1, 2006. Dan is a teacher at Science Hill High School.
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  Physics Major Ryan Deskins is working this summer with Dr. Gary Henson. This research is sponsored by a grant from the NASA Tennessee Space Program.
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  New ETSU graduate Sean Mathews (Physics Major, graduated May 2006) (shown above with his diploma) is working this summer with Dr. Mark Giroux on searching for analogs of the Local Group of Galaxies in the Sloan Digitized Sky Survey. This research is funded by an ETSU Research Development Grant.
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  New ETSU graduate Amanda Moffett (Physics Major, graduated May 2006) is working this summer with Dr. Beverly Smith on GALEX observations of galaxies. This research is funded by a NASA grant.
   
   
   
   
   
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  New ETSU graduate Danny Lamb (Physics Minor/Math Major, graduated May 2006) (shown above) is working this summer with Dr. Beverly Smith on computer modeling of interacting galaxies. This research is sponsored by an NSF RUI grant.
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  Berry College undergraduate Ryan Bessey (left above) and Vassar College student Alex Burke (right above) are working this summer with Dr. Richard Ignace on modeling stellar emission lines. They are funded by the SARA Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) program. Alex's project is entitled `X-Ray Emission from Clump Bow Shocks in Massive Star Wind Flows', while Ryan is working on Forbidden Line Profiles from Massive Binary Colliding Winds'.
• ETSU Physics Major David Simpson is working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the summer.
• Physics Dept graduate Rachel Baker (Physics Major class of 2005) will be starting the Masters in Education in Teaching program at ETSU in Fall 2006.

• ETSU Physics Majors Alumni Daniel Hall and Twyla Smith got married June 10, 2006 (see picture to left). They both graduated from ETSU December 2003, and subsequently obtained master degrees in Engineering from Virginia Tech.

   

   

   

   

  
  Physics alumni at Twyla and Daniel's wedding. From left to right: Jackie West (Class of 2002), Mike Houchins (2001), David Chamberlin-Long (2002), Daniel Hall (2003), Twyla Smith Hall (2003), Jennifer Salyer Houchins (2004 Math Major, Physics Minor), and Kristin Stone (2005). Jackie is currently a graduate student in Physics and Astronomy at Appalachian State University, Mike is a grad student in Material Science at Clemson, David recently finished a masters in Applied Physics at Virginia Tech, and Jennifer just finished her masters in Applied Math at Clemson. Jennifer's thesis was titled `Parallel Implementation of Finite Element Code using PETSc'. Kristin will be starting a job as a Field Engineer for Schlumberger Oil Services in New Mexico later this summer.

Another photo from Twyla's and Daniel's wedding. From left to right: Dr. Beverly Smith, Dr. Mark Giroux, Dr. Gary Henson, Kristin Stone, Dr. Donald Luttermoser, Jackie West, David Chamberlin-Long, Mike Houchins, Jennifer Salyer Houchins. For a larger picture, click here.

A collection of students and former students, taken at the July 25, 2006 Dept Pizza Lunch.
Back row, left to right:
Alex Burke (REU student from Vassar College), Ryan Deskins (ETSU Physics major), Ryan Bessey (REU student from Berry College).
Front row, left to right:
Sabrina Hurlock McGuire (ETSU Physics major), Amanda Moffett (2006 graduate), Kristin Stone (2005 graduate).

Faculty Activities

Dr. Gary Henson flew on the NASA `Weightless Wonder' in August 2006 as part of the Hands-On Regional Museum's `Zero G Zoomers' team. The team participated in NASA's Reduced Gravity program for Museums and Science Centers. Hands-On, partnered with Greeneville High Shool teachers and students and with ETSU through Dr. Henson and the Engineering Technology department to perform an experiment on soap bubbles in a weightless environment. Dr. Henson led the science efforts in writing their proposal `The Sustainability of a Spherical Soap Film in Microgravity'. The team was testing to see if soap bubbles will last longer in the absence of gravity since the soap film should not thin out as rapidly as it does under normal gravity. The team designed a totally enclosed apparatus under computer control which would create soap bubbles to be filmed during the flight. Mr. Bill Hemphill and Dr. Paul Simms (ETSU dept. of Engineering Technology) were invaluable as the engineers behind the apparatus which successfully flew August 10 and 11. The bubbles did indeed last longer in microgravity, floating as freely as the experimenters themselves! For more information, read the August 16, 2006 article in the Johnson City Press.
        

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News from the past...
Fall 2005 - Spring 2006
Summer 2006
Fall 2004 - Spring 2005
Summer 2004
Spring 2004
Fall 2003
Summer 2003


Last updated: 8/16/06 by B. J. Smith.