Physics and astronomy news
Goldwater scholarship honorable mention Physics student Jake Lampen received honorable mention from the Goldwater Scholarship program. Read more>> (April 2013)
Finding fun in astronomy Calvin students who were part of Professor Larry Molnar's interim course Astronomy in the Southwest presented an astronomy lesson for the middle school science class of Rehoboth Christian School, Rehoboth, New Mexico. Read article from the Navajo Times>> (January 2013)
In the Chimes. Junior Hannah Pagel studied asteroid collisions during summer 2012 with Professor Larry Molnar. Read more>> (October 2012)
In the news. Professor Molnar was interviewed in recent local news stories, about asteroids passing near the Earth in September 2012 and November 2011 and about climate change (July 2012).
Transit of Venus What is it? What's the history of it? Read information about this event and see the WZZM TV interview with Professor Larry Molnar and news story filmed here at our Calvin observatory on June 5. (June 2012)
Fresh Sight Marcia Beare, a blind student, is tackling premed with help from student and faculty colleagues, including Physics professor Loren Haarsma. Read more>> (May 2012)
Grants from the NASA Michigan Space Grant Consortium. Two students received $2500 Undergraduate Fellowships: Sam Van Kooten to study asteroids (entitled "Collisional History of the Koronis Zone"), and Dan Van Noord to study variable stars (entitled "Studies of Contact Binaries"). Prof Steve Steenwyk received a $5000 Seed Research Grant for "Pursuing Variable Stars of W Ursae Majoris type". (Last year Profs. Larry Molnar and Deborah Haarsma also received Seed Research Grants.) Congratulations to Sam, Dan, and Steve! Read more >> (February 2012)
Alum profile: Gerald Gabrielse '73 From Calvin to Harvard University to the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, you can get there from here! (Sept 2011)
Alum profile: Melissa Haegart Dykhuis '10 From West Africa to Calvin to the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, you can get there from here! (Sept 2011)
Grant Awarded to Matt Walhout. Professor Matt Walhout has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant for “RUI: Photoassociation Studies in Rare-Gas Atom Traps.' The award is $171,000 over three years, including salary for summer research students.
Using Electrophysiology to Study the Brain - Loren Haarsma's group is measuring nerve connections in mice (July 2011)
The Largest Galaxies in the Universe - Deborah Haarsma's group is studying galaxy clusters (June 2011)
Student profile: Luke Leisman '11 A senior Physics major with a love for literature and violin was profiled in The Banner, the official magazine of the Christian Reformed Church. (May 2011)
Student Profile: Rachel Boerner '11 - A champion athlete is also a physics major. In addition to this profile, read about Rachel's national titles in the 2010 Indoor 400 m dash , the 2010 400 m dash and 400 m relay, and the 2011 Indoor 400 m dash. Rachel Boerner is the first athlete in MIAA track and field history to get two individual national titles on the same day. (May 2011)
Student Essay: Peter Plantinga '12 - A double-major in physics and computer science, Peter writes about learning with mind, strength, heart, and soul during his years at Calvin. (April 2011)
Michigan Online Teacher of the Year, Andrew Vanden Heuvel '04, teaches in our department! Vanden Heuvel was also one of five finalists for the second annual National Online Teacher of the Year Award for K-12 online learning named by the two education nonprofit organizations that hold the competition, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL). Read more about Andrew's work in a Calvin News & Stories article , a Muskegon Chronicle article, and a Holland Sentinel article. (Spring 2011)
New Fellows of the American Physical Society Professors Stan Haan and David Van Baak (Spring 2011)
Gerald Gabrielse '73 has been awarded the prestigious Lilienfeld Prize in 2011 from the American Physical Society for his work in atomic physics. The Prize honors an outstanding contribution to physics, in this case "for novel methods that enable measurement of the electron magnetic moment and fine structure constant to unprecedented precision, and for exceptional skill in sharing the science with diverse audiences." On March 11, 2011, he will give one of the three Prize lectures at Calvin. Gabrielse is the Leverett Professor of Physics at Harvard University and chaired its physics department from 2000-2003; he has won several other prizes for his research and teaching. (Spring 2011)
An interim class Global Crisis taught by Professor Steven Steenwyk spotlighted climate change, water and food scarcity, habitat loss and more. (January 2011)
John Van Zytveld Summer Research Fellowship established- a new summer research fellowship, named in honor of an emeritus professor. (2010)
