News

Congratulations to Ms. Xingting Gong, finalist for APS LeRoy Apker Award

Congratulations to one of our talented undergraduate students, Ms. Xingting Gong, who has been chosen as a finalist for this year’s APS LeRoy Apker Award for achievement in physics as an undergraduate.

Congratulations to Ann Hermundstad for her Burroughs Wellcome Fund Award!

Ann was awarded this grant for her work on emergent neural function and the natural world.

Congratulations Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Challenge Award 2015-2016 Recipients

Elizabeth J. Dresselhaus, Physics and Electrical Engineering

 Alex Y. Liao, Physics and Computer Science in SEAS  

Ashley N. Sartoris, Biochemistry and Physics 

Chunzi Song, Biochemistry and Biophysics

 

 

Spotlight on Physics Professor Randall Kamien in Simons Foundation E-News

Kamien has found that many problems in soft condensed matter theory can be formulated very naturally as geometry or topology problems. “We look at problems where often the solution is about drawing a picture or building a tinker toy model of what we’re trying to understand,” explains Kamien. “And then we have to understand why the tinker toy model is the right answer." Kamien is especially fond of working with liquid crystals: the kind used in many types of consumer electronics displays.

 

Physics Professor Vijay Balasubramanian Participating in World Science Festival in NYC!

The World Science Festival’s annual salon series offers in-depth conversations with leading scientists, extending the discussion of the Festival’s premier public programs to graduate students, postdocs, faculty and well-informed members of the general public.

 

Check out the Events list to find more information on this global science venue.

Physics & Astronomy Professor Alison Sweeney, Visits Springside Chestnut Hill Academy

Dr. Sweeney was brought to SCH through the Kleckner Scientist in Residence program, which brings a talented scientist to the school each year to work with students over a three-day period. This program is unique in that students get to actually work with scientists, exploring topics connected to that researcher’s area of expertise. The students learn about the scientist’s current work and passions, work with the scientist to collect and analyze data using new, state-of-the-art equipment supported by the program, and communicate with the scientist when doing follow-up labs.

 

Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Masao Sako Takes Us Way Back.

"Next time you take a sip from your water bottle, you might want to consider the fact that you are ingesting 14-billion-year-old molecules." 

To watch the 60-second lecture, please visit: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/series/frontiers/origin-elements

Congratulations to Professor Randall Kamien on Pushing New Topical Group, GSOFT Off the Ground!

In Spring of 2014, GSOFT was founded, the topical group on soft matter. The first official GSOFT meeting, held during the 2015 March meeting, generated a roughly 50% increase in the number of submitted soft matter abstracts over previous years. After existing for just one year, its now gained support from over 900 members.

Penn Researchers Help Make Maps of the Universe’s Dark Matter

Members of the Dark Energy Survey have released the first in a series of maps that show the concentration of dark matter in the cosmos. These maps, created with one of the world’s most powerful digital cameras, are the largest contiguous maps created at this level of detail and will improve researchers’ understanding of dark matter’s role in the formation of galaxies.