Have a safe and happy holiday!
December 21 – January 1: Holiday Break - University is closed.
North Texans Bust Out Telescopes For Closer Look At Jupiter And Saturn’s Astronomical Conjunction
CBS News Originally Posted: December 20, 2020 A rare celestial event may be the only holiday light show North Texans were focused on Monday night, Dec 21: The two largest planets in our solar system aligned in a way that hasn’t been seen for centuries. Jupiter and Saturn appear to merge into a single source of light, an astronomical conjunction. “Jupiter moves faster because it’s closer to the sun, and it’s catching up with Saturn,” said Dr. Krista Smith, an assistant professor of physics at SMU. “And so we will see them together in the sky.” The last visible conjunction this close happened nearly 800 years ago. “It’s pretty neat to be able to see something that’s rare for us to be able to see,” [...]
SMU student earns prestigious international fellowship to study in China
North Texas E-News Originally Posted: December 17, 2020 Jared Burleson was studying in Jiangsu, China, the summer after his first year at SMU, taking advantage of the study abroad benefits that come with being a President’s Scholar, SMU’S highest academic merit award. While waiting in line for tea at a local shop, he overheard two men speaking English, then recognized one of them as Nobel Prize-winning physicist Michael Kosterlitz. Jared introduced himself, and began chatting with the world-renowned scientist who was in China with another colleague to encourage international scientific collaboration. “I had never heard of the physics community in China,” Jared says. “I was inspired by my conversation with them to continue studying Chinese and someday work with the particle physics research community in China.” [...]
Watch the December Commencement Convocation Live
December 19, 1pm: December Commencement Convocation - The ceremony will be in Ford Stadium at 1 p.m. for students and their guests. We encourage all others to join us online for the live broadcast.
SMU senior Jared Burleson selected as a Schwarzman Scholar
SMU News Originally Posted: December 11, 2020 Congratulations to SMU senior Jared Burleson for his selection as a Schwarzman Scholar. Jared is a senior pursuing double majors in Physics and Mathematics with a minor in Chinese. He plans to observe how Chinese physicists are working with the government on new collider physics experiments. Jared plans to work as a research physicist and utilize an understanding of public policy to advocate for collider physics experiments and government funding. Jared has previously conducted research with the ATLAS Experiment at CERN and with the EIC at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Click here for more about the program and to see the directory of scholars who make up Schwarzman’s Class of 2022. 154 students were chosen from more than 3,600 [...]
Science in the City at SMU takes participants to the dark universe
SMU News Originally Posted: December 10, 2020 Science in the City is a free, family-friendly public event series that connects the Dallas-Fort Worth community with local researchers working at the frontiers of their field. SMU partners with The Dallas Morning News and other research and educational institutions every year to share the great science and technology occurring on our campus. This year, Jodi Cooley and Stephen Sekula, who are both physics professors at SMU, explained the nature of gravity using the simple idea of a trampoline. They also illustrated why objects in space such as planets or stars are attracted to one another. And why it is that we can “see” black holes, even though their pull of gravity is so strong that even light can’t escape it. Learn [...]
Bryson DeChambeau, with a scientist’s mind in a linebacker’s body, takes on Augusta National
SMU golfer and physics grad Bryson DeChambeau didn’t win the Master’s, but his scientific approach to the game and recollections of his problem-solving abilities from SMU physics professor Jodi Cooley received great coverage in the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and in the November Sports Illustrated cover story.
Science in the City at SMU this Saturday
Date: Saturday, November 14 Time: 1 p.m. RSVP here It’s virtual and free – learn about our dark universe Science in the City is a family-friendly public event series that connects the Dallas-Fort Worth community with local researchers working at the frontiers of their fields. SMU partners with the Dallas Morning News and other research and educational institutions every year to share the great science and technology occurring on our campus. This year’s free, half-hour SMU event is specially designed for middle school and high school students, but adults are welcome, too! FROM A TRAMPOLINE TO THE UNSEEN: WHAT A RUBBER SHEET CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE DARK UNIVERSE Saturday, November 14 at 1 p.m. with SMU - RSVP now. Afraid of physics? You’ll change your [...]
Celebrate Dark Matter Day
Department of Physics Event Date: October 31, 2020 Time: 8am-5pm (US Central Time) Where: https://www.physics.smu.edu The Society of Physics Students at SMU is organizing a “Virtual Dark Matter Particle Hunt” for October 31, 2020, from 8am-5pm (US Central Time). During those hours, you can join in the hunt for what makes up dark matter. Visit the the SMU Department of Physics website, https://www.physics.smu.edu, and click around the site, being on the lookout for dark matter particles embedded in the web pages! Students, faculty, staff, and members of the SMU community are encouraged to participate in searching for Dark Matter and learn about the importance of Dark Matter to our universe. LEARN MORE
Prevent the flu at SMU
SMU health officials urge students, faculty and staff to take preventive measures to protect their health against the flu. Because flu can spread by contact with people who are ill, SMU health officials recommend getting a flu shot when they become available. FREE flu vaccinations are available for all students starting September 21. For your safety, we will be administering shots at flu shot stations outside the Health Center. NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED! Getting a flu shot this year will be far more important than ever this year due to COVID-19. READ MORE