In this “Honors Edition” of the Friday Newsletter, we look at students who have won departmental, university, or national and international awards and honors for their excellence!
Contents
CHAIR’S WEEKLY MESSAGE
“With Honors”
SMU students make it easy to beam with pride. As I took a walk around the campus on Monday evening, I saw a steady stream of students masked, dressed to the nines, and headed into McFarlin Auditorium. It was time for the annual SMU Honors Convocation.
I could not participate in-person for this event – I am still waiting to get fully vaccinated – but I was able to watch the event on the live stream. It was a huge pleasure to see not only several of our physics majors walk across stage to the tune of their list of honors, but to see one of our students – Jared Burleson – called out in the keynote speech for the evening.
Full disclosure: I am Jared’s research supervisor. In academia, this a little like being someone’s parent. It’s easy to be proud of your own mentee. But don’t take it from me – take it from Prof. Joe Kobylka, Chair of the Department of Political Science and Supreme Court expert extraordinaire, who featured Jared as a centerpiece of his speech. You can watch the highlight reel below for the details, but I’ll paraphrase his point: “[The story of Jared and me] is an SMU story.“
We all take pride in the students who go that extra mile to learn more, discover more, and achieve more. I’ll be the first to admit I was not one of those learn more/discover more/achieve more students in college … it was all I could to just to keep up with my work load. It brings me joy to see students not only keeping up with their academic work, but going beyond in athletics, service, music, drawing, and … yes … sleeping at alligator farms (keep reading this newsletter).
Every story in this edition about an award-winning student is an SMU story. Look at their biographies. These are more than just caricature STEM students. These are multidimensional human beings who have not only excelled in physics, but done so in their own context.
This gives us much to celebrate, and I am glad we can share it with you.
Sincerely,
Stephen Jacob Sekula Chair, Department of Physics |
DEPARTMENT VIEWS
The Spring Colloquium (May 3) will feature Prof. Pierre Ramond (UFL), Distinguished Professor and 2020 Dirac Medal and Prize Recipient
We are very excited to remind the community that the final event of the Spring 2021 Department Speaker Series will feature Distinguished Professor of Physics Pierre Ramond (University of Florida), who will present a Colloquium entitled “The Unfinished Standard Model.” Most recently, Prof. Ramond was a co-recipient of the 2020 Dirac Medal and Prize for his role in the initiation of Superstring Theory. We will announce more details in the coming weeks, but meanwhile please save the date!
The final event of each major term is intended to be an intellectually rich event for both the department and the SMU Physics Community. We welcome all members of our university and department communities to join us for these events.
Department Speaker Series Event on April 19 features Dr. Kimmy Wu (SLAC Panofsky Fellow)
The Department Speaker Series is proud to welcome Dr. Kimmy Wu (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory), Panofsky Fellow at SLAC. She will present a seminar entitled “Improved constraint on primordial gravitational waves with delensing,” in which she will discuss the detection of primordial gravitational waves in the light left over the from Big Bang, the Cosmic Microwave Background. In particular, she will show results from the first demonstration in an improved constraint on primordial gravitational waves with delensing using data from BICEP/Keck, the South Pole Telescope (SPT), and Planck. Join us at 4pm on Monday for this event!
Miss a Colloquium or Seminar? Don’t Panic … They’re Recorded!
You can catch up on the Spring 2021 (and Fall 2020!) Physics Speaker Series by checking out your favorite subjects from archives! Explore supermassive black holes, the new Electron-Ion Collider planned for construction in the U.S., new ideas about dark matter or other novel particles or forces, or the basic research needs for future scientific instrumentation in HEP … all from your personal devices! Enjoy our archive of the Physics Speaker Series Talks below.
Turn off or protect electronics in your regions of the Fondren Science Building (April 17-18)
Work continues this weekend to address a long-standing and important electrical issue that needs to be resolved in the area around SMU. This is likely to result in, at minimum, “electrical service fluctuations” of a short but meaningful duration this weekend and next weekend. The community is asked to prepare ahead of time for such events by verifying un-interruptable power supply (UPS) batteries are operating at nominal capacity on sensitive equipment, or shutting off equipment (computers, instrumentation, etc.) entirely in advance of the scheduled events.
FACULTY NEWS
If you have something to share please feel free to send it along. Stories of your activities in research, the classroom, and beyond are very welcome!
STAFF NEWS
Staff In-Office Schedule for Week of April 19
The in-office staff schedule for the week of April 19 is nominally as follows:
- Monday: Lacey
- Tuesday: Lacey
- Wednesday: Michele
- Thursday: Michele
- Friday: Michele
Lacey will be out-of-the-office and on vacation from April 21-April 27, so please plan accordingly. You can reach staff during regular business hours using Microsoft Teams, email, or phone.
Full staff in-office calendar for April:
STUDENT NEWS
If you have something to share please feel free to send it along. Stories of students in research, the classroom, internships or fellowships, awards, etc. are very welcome!
On April 21, the SMU Society of Physics Students (SPS) presents “The Sweet Structure of the Proton”
Have you ever wondered what the structure of the proton looks like but do not have a billion dollar collider sitting around to find out? Well, we can learn a lot about the structure of the proton by using M&M’s, icing, and sugar cookies. How? You’ll just have to stop by our next SPS event to find out.
On Wednesday, April 21, the SMU SPS will be outside of the Fondren Science Building from 8 AM to 4 PM. They will provide goodie bags with the sweet tools needed to construct an edible proton and neutron. Stop by and learn about what particle physicists know about the structure of the proton and leave with some very taste treats. We encourage any SMU undergraduates, graduates, professors, or members of the community to come to their table.
The SPS will be following all SMU and CDC guidelines on health measure for COVID-19, including requiring all participants to wear masks and remain socially distanced (6 feet between people) at all times. We hope to see y’all there for our first, and only, in-person outdoor event of the academic year.
FEATURE: Celebrating our Students’ Honors
In this issue, we are thrilled to profile graduate and undergraduate students who have won awards this year at SMU. These include departmental awards, university honors and award, national society members, and national/international awards and honors. Congratulations to our students for their excellence and for the recognition they have richly earned.
In the Physics Department, undergraduate awards are determined by nominations from the faculty to the Physics Undergraduate Committee. The committee then deliberates the nominations and makes the final awards. The process is similar for the graduate student departmental awards, with nominations going to the Physics Graduate Committee for consideration and final decisions.
Highlights from SMU Honors Convocation
Many of our students were able to participate in-person during the annual Honors Convocation on Monday, April 12. Here is a small highlight reel we put together noting the students from our program who were honored that evening!
Graduate Student Awards and Honors
Eric Guzman – Computational Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
Ph.D. student Eric Guzman was awarded one of only four inaugural Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Graduate Fellowships. This new program, created by the SMU Center for Research Computing and the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, provides a $25,000 assistantship to students in the penultimate year of their doctoral program. Students who apply for this new program are expected to have, as a central component of their doctoral work, high-performance computing and data analysis including algorithm development, implementation, and optimization.
Eric Guzman is a fourth-year graduate student. His research focus is theoretical cosmology with interests that lie at the intersection of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and machine learning. He is currently working on developing deep learning neural networks to extract information from observations of the CMB with a goal of constructing a machine learning toolkit for the analysis of data from upcoming next-generation CMB surveys.
Congratulations, Eric!
Macon Magno – Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
The Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award is given annually to a graduate student whose dedication and skill in the academic instructional environment enhances the classroom experience for the students. Nominees should have served as a teaching assistant in the most recent summer, fall, and spring terms. Recipients of this award go above and beyond the call of duty in helping students to learn, improving the content of the course, or developing new ideas to improve outcomes for students.
This year’s award winner is first-year doctoral student Macon Magno. We asked him to share a little bit about himself:
My journey to SMU starts with me growing up in Johnson City, Tennessee. I graduated from East Tennessee State University in 2018 with a B.S. in Physics and Applied Math along with a minor in Astronomy. After that, I graduated from Texas A&M University-Commerce in 2020 with a M.S. in Physics. Currently, I am a first-year graduate student at SMU. Right now, my life at SMU is primarily filled with classes. I have not had time to do any research, but I plan on working with Dr. Bob Kehoe’s group during the summer of 2021. After completing my education at SMU, I would like to keep teaching in some way whether it be through a professorship or teaching opportunities. A few interesting things about me is that my favorite book is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and I like to be outside whenever it is nice out.
Congratulations, Macon!
Jing Xiaoxian – Lighter Sams Oustanding Graduate Research Award
The Lightner Sams Outstanding Graduate Research Award is a new award, given annually to recognize high levels of achievement in the research environment. The only criterion for this award is excellence. Recipients of this award have contributed to the knowledge of humanity through their unique contributions that emerge as a natural part of the doctoral research process.
This year’s winner is doctoral student Jing Xiaoxian. Jing’s work focuses on the theoretical study of nuclear structure, with an emphasis on how experimental data can be used and combined to constraint knowledge of the parton distribution functions. Jing has several research milestones so far, but one of his main accomplishments has been to establish constraints on the CTEQ parton distribution functions using deep-inelastic scattering on deuteron targets, work which is available in arXiv:2102.01107 [hep-ph].
We asked Jing to share a little bit about himself:
I grew up in Wuxi City in China and joined Nanjing University studying Applied Mathematics. After I got my master’s degree in Dynamic Systems, I came to SMU to study Physics. Currently, I’m a fifth-year Ph.D. student working with Prof Pavel Nadolsky. My research mainly focuses on the fast analysis of the QCD Global PDF fitting. When I finish my studies at SMU, I’ll apply the analytical skills I learned in the industry. I adopted a one-year-old cat from the shelter last winter and named him “meow meow meow”. I believe coming up with a proper name is probably the most difficult part in programming or raising a pet. I’m trying to learn French on Duolingo, but it’s such a painful experience since I have a terrible memory.
Congratulations, Jing!
Undergraduate Awards and Honors
Hamilton Research Scholars
We want to open this part of the newsletter with a focus on research, especially Physics Majors and Minors who received Hamilton Research Scholar support this academic year. The Hamilton Research Scholar program was created by the vision and generosity of Jack and Jane Hamilton, who founded the Program in 2008. Devoted to the legacy of their parents, Diane Buford and Dan Hamilton (’71, ’79) continue the Program to this day. The Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute (DCII) manages this crucial research instrument and provides both stipend and material support for undergraduates to engage in the frontiers of academic research.
The Physics Department has been very fortunate to attracted excellent students who are able to be supported by this program, which has grown increasingly competitive with time as more faculty mentors and students apply for funding. This year, we celebrate our four Physics Major or Minor Hamilton Research Scholars.
Tyler Blake – Jeff Chalk Award for Excellence in Physics
The Chalk Award is given in honor of former SMU physics professor Dr. Jeff Chalk to a student who embodies Dr. Chalk’s passion for promoting the learning of physics. Professor Jeff Chalk earned his PhD in Physics from University of Colorado in Boulder and served as a member of the SMU Physics Faculty for over 30 years. During that time, he had a tremendous influence on the teaching of physics and on the lives of students who took his classes. 
He was especially famous for dramatic demonstrations of core physics ideas. “He drinks liquid nitrogen!” exclaimed one student in a teaching evaluation. Jeff had a passion for physics that informed his teaching and inspired learning in his students. We look for students majoring or minoring in Physics at SMU who share that passion.
The Department of Physics selected Tyler Blake as one of two winners this year for the Jeff Chalk Award for Excellence in Physics. We asked Tyler to share a little bit about himself:
Growing up in nearby Arlington, SMU was always in my sights. I was able to visit several times and sit in on a freshman class. I appreciated not only the university’s reputation as an institution of higher learning, but also the actual beauty of the campus. Physics was my favorite class in high school, and I had read that several faculty at the school were involved in planning for the potential supercollider that was to be built in the Dallas area. When choosing a college, I visited several and found that nothing compared to SMU.
I am an avid archer, and actually tried to start an archery team at SMU my first year. When not enough Mustangs shared my passion for the bow, I founded a board game and cards club. Prior to the pandemic, the club enjoyed much success in part because I supply great snacks at each meeting.
Currently, I am considering a career in medicine or research. I feel majoring in biophysics and working with the tremendous faculty at SMU is certainly preparing me for any professional path I chose to follow.
Congratulations, Tyler!
Jared Burleson – Jeff Chalk Award for Excellence in Physics, Robert and Nancy Dedman Outstanding Senior Student, Schwarzman Scholar
One student each year is selected by vote of the Department Chairs to be named the Robert and Nancy Dedman Outstanding Senior. This year, that honor falls to President’s Scholar, Physics and Math Major Jared Burleson. In addition to this top honor in the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Jared also received earlier this academic year one of a limited number of competitive Schwarzman Scholarships. This will allow him to pursue a public policy Masters Degree at Schwarzman College at the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The Department of Physics also selected Jared as one of two winners this year for the Jeff Chalk Award for Excellence in Physics.
We asked Jared to share a little bit about himself:
I am a senior originally from North Richland Hills, Texas, which is only 45 minutes away from SMU, but SMU was never a school that was on my radar until I visited my junior year of high school. I met with Dr. Jodi Cooley in the physics department and was immediately impressed by the opportunities for students at SMU. I really liked that she spoke about research as a partnership between students and professors. After receiving the SMU President’s Scholarship, the university’s top merit-based scholarship, I decided to come to SMU to double major in physics and mathematics. Along the way I picked up a minor in Chinese, which was inspired by my study abroad experience to China during the summer of 2018. I have been very active on SMU’s campus. I currently serve as the President of the SMU’s Chapter of the Society of Physics Student’s and have been a four-year member of the Meadows’ Chorale, a choral ensemble.
I have presented my research, conducted most recently with Prof. Stephen Sekula, at multiple American Physical Society regional and national conferences and have been funded by the ATLAS Experiment and the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) CERN program at the University of Michigan during the summer of 2020. In August, I will (COVID permitting) be traveling to Beijing to pursue a 1-year masters in Global Affairs with an emphasis in Public Policy and in particular Science and Technology Public Policy. I am interested in understanding the relationship that scientists have with government officials and the role that scientists play in advocating for science policy. Upon completion of this program, I will return to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with an emphasis in collider physics research. I plan to become both a research particle physicist and a science policy advocate, working with government officials to advise on physics projects and policy.
Congratulations, Jared!
Stephanie Gilchrist – Wiley Scholarship in Physics
The Wiley Scholarship in Physics is an award based on merit given to students at the sophomore level or above who are majoring in physics, with attention to women focused on science and engineering. This scholarship was made possible by a generous endowment provided by Mrs. Katharine Sams Wiley.
One of our two Wiley Scholarship awardees this year is 
Stephanie Gilchrist. She is a junior at SMU (class of 2022), originally from Orland Park, Illinois. She is a Dedman College Scholar majoring in Biophysical Sciences on the pre-health track, as well as working towards a minor degree in Spanish. Her goal is to combine her passions for physics, medicine, and language in a single career path. In addition to her academic excellence, she has conducted research in the Physics Department in partnership with Prof. Stephen Sekula, where she worked a statistical analysis Python program to quantify the muons detected using an instrument in the basement of Fondren Science Building. She aims to continue doing physics research this summer, this time on the Electron-Ion Collider, and aspires to explore the different applications of physics complementary to her other interests. In her free time outside of class, she enjoys reading fiction, trying new restaurants, and going for runs on the Katy Trail here in Dallas.
Congratulations, Stephanie!
Ryan Guess – Inductee to the Robert Stewart Hyer Society at SMU
The Robert Stewart Hyer Society of SMU invited only the highest-GPA students to apply. Nominees must have a GPA of 3.85 or greater. The Hyer Society admits only the top 4% of all students at SMU, and membership confers recognition of the high academic performance of the student.
We are proud that Physics Major Ryan Guess was inducted into the Hyer Society this year. Ryan has an outstanding track record in academic courses at SMU, especially in Physics courses. He is extremely well-regarded by his faculty mentors, and has made strong contributions to research at SMU. We asked Ryan to tell us a little about himself:
I am a third year physics major with minors in mathematics, chemistry and biology. I play bass drum in the Mustang Band, where I am also a section leader and marching tech. For the past couple of years, I have worked in Professor Jingbo Ye’s research lab on projects for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and I am planning to continue working in his lab as well as start working with Dr. Pavel Nadolsky this summer. Born in San Antonio, I went to high school in Southlake. I also lived in Germany for 3 years. I am a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Congratulations, Ryan!
Abigail Hays – Wiley Scholarship in Physics
The Wiley Scholarship in Physics is an award based on merit given to students at the sophomore level or above who are majoring in physics, with attention to women focused on science and engineering. This scholarship was made possible by a generous endowment provided by Mrs. Katharine Sams Wiley.
One of our two Wiley Scholarship awardees this year is Abigail Hays. She is a Junior (SMU’22) and a dual major in Physics and Mechanical Engineering. She is originally from Houston, where her family lives, including her parents, two younger sisters, and their “‘small pack of animals.” (her words!) Abigail enjoys music, cooking, and reading by the window on a rainy day. Over the past few years, she has been involved with numerous organizations on campus. These include the Society of Physics Students and Mustang Rocketry, where she serves currently as the education and outreach officer and the president, respectively. On top of her involvement with organizations, she also enjoys being involved in her community. She enjoys participating in campus-wide days of service, and she volunteered at the SPCA North Texas animal shelter for several months. Previously, she has served as a tutor in the ALEC, where she tutored for a wide variety of classes in STEM, including physics. Currently, she is a research assistant for the fluid mechanics lab run by Dr. Paul Krueger, head of the mechanical engineering department. In the lab, she helps write code, set up projects, collect data, and assists in the analysis of any data taken.
Congratulations, Abigail!
Amy Hermann – Undergraduate Scholarship in Physics
The Undergraduate Scholarship in Physics is awarded annually to recognize merit and financial needs on the path toward the successful completion of the undergraduate degrees in Physics.
This year’s recipient is Amy Hermann. She is highly regarded by her faculty instructors and we are proud to be able to award this scholarship to her. We asked Amy to tell us a little about herself:
I grew up in Garland, Texas and attended Garland High School. At my high school, my physics teacher was very influential in developing my passion for Physics and connecting me with SMU. Now, I am a proud Physics major with minors in Spanish and Statistical Sciences. While I’m not entirely sure about life after SMU, I am really interested in optics and I hope to continue my education through a post-Graduate program outside of Texas. In my free time, I serve as a National Youth Officer for the Boy Scouts of America where I plan programs, develop membership initiatives, and represent youth voices in the organization. Prior to the pandemic, I regularly enjoyed SCUBA diving and even earned my Advanced Open Water SCUBA Certification.
Congratulations, Amy!
Jason Keyzer – The Frank C. McDonald Memorial Award in Physics
The Frank C. McDonald memorial award is based on merit and given in memory of Dr. Frank C. McDonald, chair of the Physics Department from 1941-1962. Prof. McDonald was remembered by his students for engaging them in the struggle to understand physics concepts and solve problems using those concepts. It wasn’t about memorizing equations; it was about understanding what they meant in order to solve new problems or create new knowledge. This award is given to students who embody that spirit.
This year’s recipient is Jason Keyzer. We asked Jason to tell us a little bit about himself:
I am a Junior Physics and Math Double Major, as well as a Music minor. Outside of classes, I’m involved with several things such as, undergraduate physics research with Professor Jingbo Ye, the Mustang Band, and the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education (serving as a counselor).
I’m originally from the Clear Lake area (a suburb of Houston) and grew up very close to Johnson Space Center. The presence of this significant NASA campus permeated into my education, so the importance of science was impressed upon me by my educators from an early age. Years later after visiting SMU, I knew that this was where I wanted to continue my exploration of science, and I’ve been here learning ever since. I have an internship this summer with a NASA contractor in Houston, and after I finish my education here, I hope to find a job with a NASA contractor (whether that is the one I interned for or not).
Here are two potentially interesting facts about me: (1) I’ve slept at an Alligator farm for a week and (2) I’m a Texas All-State Trombonist and Singer.
Congratulations, Jason!
Noah Pearson – Robert S. Hyer Scholarship in Physics and Inductee into the SMU Hyer Society
The Robert Stewart Hyer Society of SMU invited only the highest-GPA students to apply. Nominees must have a GPA of 3.85 or greater. The Hyer Society admits only the top 4% of all students at SMU, and membership confers recognition of the high academic performance of the student.
The Physics Department separately awards each year a scholarship in honor of the first president of SMU, physicist Robert Stewart Hyer. Our department awards this honor to a student who performs at the highest academic level.
This year, we are thrilled to announce that Noah Pearson is the recipient of our departmental award, as well as a new inductee into the Hyer Society at SMU. We asked Noah to tell us a little about himself:
I grew up here in Dallas and came to SMU after graduating from TAG at Townview in the Dallas Independent School District. I’m majoring in physics with a minor in math and have been privileged to participate in undergraduate research under the mentorship of Dr. Joel Meyers and Dr. Cynthia Trendafilova. Also during my time at SMU, I played 1st trumpet in the marching band, dabbled in paleontology by working in the paleo lab, volunteered in various service organizations like Mustang Heroes, and participated in a few other student organizations on campus. After graduation, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in physics. Besides school, I have a keen interest in natural history, which has germinated modest collections of fossils, rocks/minerals, and meteorites. I also have been drawing ever since I could hold a crayon, so I like to think I’m a decent artist as well, and hope to make more time for it in the future.
Congratulations, Noah!
ALUMNI NEWS
If you are an alum of the doctoral, masters, majors or minor programs in Physics at SMU, or have worked in our program as a post-doctoral researcher, and wish to share news with the community, please send your story to the Physics Department and we’ll work with you to get it included in a future edition.
THE BACK PAGE
Thank-you for your support
Tuesday, April 13 was SMU Giving Day and featured a one-day giving challenge with goals for different campaigns, including support for the Department of Physics. We are excited to report that we raised over $1,600 in direct donations during this campaign. We are so humbled and grateful for the generosity of the community, and are excited that many of these donations are expected to be matched by an independent donor to the university, growing the final impact of these individual gifts.
If you missed the SMU One-Day Giving Challenge, fear not! You can select a fund that matches your interests in supporting students and/or research. There is no such thing as a small gift … all gifts come from the heart, and mean a lot to us. Your giving provides support especially for research and research-related travel for students, enhancements to faculty teaching and research, and for departmental awards that recognize outstanding student achievements.
Click the button below to see the many ways you can support students and research, and then follow the link from the title of a giving fund to begin the giving process.
