Newsworthy...
Physics Grads are movers and shakers! Nearly all of our graduates are going on to graduate study or industrial employment. Highlights: Three students have been accepted to the University of Oregon's Industrial Master's program, one graduate has been hired at Boeing, and one graduate will be attending the University of Oregon Mechanical Engineering PhD program. Way to go grads!
Our third annual PhysFest (Feb. 24 and 25, 2012) was a great success. Our SU Physics faculty, staff, and students enjoyed getting to know 21 
high school seniors who were thinking about going to SU and possibly majoring in physics or in a related field with a possibility of adding physics as a second major. We had physics experiments, a nice dinner, and talks by faculty. All participants were hosted by current Physics majors giving them a sneak peak into campus life. PhysFest participants were fortunate to by able to attend Michio Kaku's presentation, "Physics of the Future" at Town Hall. The result of all that experience and inspiration? Five PhysFest participants will be joining SU as Physics Majors in Fall 2012. Thanks to Associate Professor Paul Fontana for directing this wonderful program!
The Seattle U Physics Department has the largest grant ever given to a department or individual in the College of Science and Engineering, a $582,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a physics major scholarship and career guidance program. The scholars are called Boscovich Scholars, and selection will be based on academic performance and whether there is any unmet financial need after other financial aid is given. These scholarships can provide up to $10,000 a year in unmet financial need. The Director of the Boscovich Scholarship program is Associate Professor Paul Fontana.
Congratulations to Seattle U physics majors Derrik Hanson, Adrian Kirn, and Bernice Terrell-Martinez for being inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honor society, in the fall of 2011. This honor is based on academic achievement in courses.
The Seattle University Physics Department has been awarded several grants from federal agencies and from private foundations recently, and has more research grant support per faculty member than any other department at Seattle University. In the summer of 2009, Professor Mary Alberg and Associate Professor Paul Fontana each received research grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). More recently, Associate Professor Joanne Hughes Clark has won an NSF research grant for astonomical data gathering and analysis, for her dwarf galaxy and dark matter work. And Assistant Professor Woo-Joong (Andy) Kim has won a research grant from the Research Corporation for his quantum vacuum/Casimir Effect/quantum conductance experimental research here in the Physics Department. Each grant includes support for undergraduate student collaborators.
SU Physics alumni and alumnae:
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