Newsletter 2015
Featured Articles
Cal Poly and UC Berkeley Receive $6 Million Grant to Enhance Collaboration in Data Science
Cal Poly and UC Berkeley received a $6 million grant from a three-foundation partnership to further develop an open-source software that makes data science more collaborative and interactive. The software package, called Project Jupyter, already influences the way work is done in industries ranging from genetics to finance. Think Google Drive with a brain.
Donation from Professor Emeritus Supports Undergraduate Research
Randy Knight, physics professor emeritus, has donated $25,000 to the Physics Department to support undergraduate research for five years. The first $5,000 will fund two projects.
Department Welcomes New Faculty Member
Stephanie Wissel joined the physics faculty this year following a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA. Her research centers on finding neutrinos, cosmic rays and other energetic particles coming from the most energetic objects in the universe.
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Greetings From Department Chair Bob Echols
Hello friends of the Physics Department and welcome again to our annual newsletter. I started as department chair on September 1 when Matt Moelter passed me the baton. We have a busy fall quarter underway.
Thank You to Our Generous Donors
We are grateful for the continued support of our generous donors. Financial contributions from alumni, parents and friends play a critical role in providing students with a Learn by Doing education. Thank you.
Cal Poly Students Take Top Honors at CSU Research Competition
Five Cal Poly students took top honors at the recent 2015 California State University (CSU) Research Competition held May 1-2 at CSU San Bernardino. Shaker Von Price Funkhouser, an undergraduate physics student from La Quinta, Calif., won a first-place award for his work in proving an energy principle for charged black holes.
Technician Hilsinger Retires, Remembered for Excellence and Enthusiasm
Technician Jim Hilsinger retired from the Physics Department in 2015 after nearly 30 years of dedicated service and is dearly missed by all. Hilsinger always ensured that advanced labs ran smoothly.
NSF Grant Will Send Students to CERN
Physics Professor Themis Mastoridis has received a three-year, $225,000 grant from the National Science Foundation that will send student researchers to the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
Read more about Mastoridis's grant ›
Student-Faculty Research Flourishes in Department
Undergraduate research is thriving in the Physics Department. Current students Learn by Doing research with faculty mentors on projects as massive as black holes and as tiny as nanometer-thick liquid crystal films.
Read more about student-faculty research ›
Cal Poly Physics Department No. 2 in Nation for Graduates
Cal Poly’s Physics Department was ranked No. 2 in the nation for granting physics degrees in solely undergraduate programs, according to a recent report.