Department of Physics at Lehigh University

Spring 2014. We are still digging out from all the snow!!! Making up classes lost to the weather keeps us very busy. Nevertheless, the year got off to an excellent start. Our REU NSF grant was renewed for another five years. John Huennekens stepped down after more than 20 years as director, and Ginny McSwain took over his role. Applications are coming in already, but it is not too late to apply. We are looking forward to another exciting summer.

The department was awarded an internal grant for a new femto-second laser. This will complement existing instruments in the Physics Laser Laboratory that occupies the first floor of the Sherman Fairchild Laboratory. It will enable a wide variety of research for our faculty, including studies on nonlinear optical imaging, time-resolved spectroscopy, and laser-induced materials modification.

In early February, Joshua Pepper gave an exciting presentation at an ASA Packer Society Event at the Franklin Institute’s Fels Planetarium in Philadelphia. After a dinner and demonstration of the amazing possibilities of the planetarium, Joshua told society members, all long-time friends and benefactors of Lehigh, about How to Discover a Planet in Three (Not So) Easy Steps. The exciting talk was followed by a long Q&A section that continued through dessert.

Volkmar Dierolf