2008 News and Events

Physics Welcomes Five New Faculty Members

David Ballantyne, Assistant Professor (Theoretical Astrophysics)

Zhigang Jiang, Assistant Professor (Experimental Condensed Matter)

Pablo Laguna, Professor and Director of the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics
(Numerical Relativity)

Deirdre Shoemaker, Assistant Professor (Numerical Relativity)

Ignacio Taboada, Assistant Professor (Experimental Astrophysics)

Walt de Heer is appointed Regents' Professor

Professor Walt de Heer has been appointed Regents' Professor.

Georgia Tech is allowed to nominate up to two individuals per year to be named as Regents' Professors based on excellence in research and teaching and contributions to their profession and to Georgia Tech over a considerable period of time.

With this new appointment, we now have three Regents’ Professors on the faculty in the School.

Walt de Heer awarded Sigma Xi Sustained Research Award

Professor Walter de Heer also won a Sigma Xi Sustained Research Award for his 28 years of research “for his innovative experimental studies of novel materials”.

James Gole awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award

Professor James Gole was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

In his over 24 years with the School of Physics, Professor Jim Gole has introduced over 90 undergraduate students to the challenges and the excitement of research. He identifies promising students, involves them in research, and encourages their growth professionally and personally.

Of the 90 students mentioned above, about 40 came from the Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) program.

Rick Trebino awarded AAAS Fellow

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) awarded Professor Rick Trebino the distinction of Fellow "for distinguished contributions to the field of ultrafast optics, particularly for developing techniques and devices for measuring ultrashort laser pulses.”

APS Outstanding Referee Award given to Andrew Zangwill

Professor Andrew Zangwill was named an “Outstanding Referee” by The American Physical Society.

2008 was the first year of this very selective award and only 534 out of 42,000 APS active referees were chosen. Awardees are chosen for truly exceptional contributions to the physics community by their hard work and careful attention to the peer review process.

2008 Student Honors and Awards

2007 Gilbert F. Amelio Fellowship (outstanding research award for School of Physics Ph.D. students): Pamela Bowlan, Joanna Hass, Tai-de Li.

Henry S. Valk Graduate Achievement Prize: Yaroslav Dudin.

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Long-time Georgia Tech Physics Scientist Dies

Physics Research Scientist Charles L. Cleveland died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday, January 27, 2008. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, February 2nd at 1 pm at Sandy Springs Christian Church, 301 Johnson Ferry Road, NE, in Atlanta.

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