www.phys.ttu.eduPhysics and Astronomy | Physics and Astronomy |

TTU Texas Tech University Directory Raiderlink A-Z Index MenuDepartment of Physics and Astronomy Menu Search TTU Physics and AstronomyNEWS AND FEATURES [2024/04] Dr. Unnati Kashyap was recently selected as a member of NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer ( IXPE ) User’s Committee! The IXPE is NASA’s first mission to study the polarization of X-rays, and only 7 astrophysicists make up the committee. Dr. Kashyap is the only postdoctoral fellow on the current committee. | Learn More | [2024/03] For the first time, an international team of nine astrophysicists including Texas Tech’s Dr. Maccarone and Dr. Tetarenko has measured the speed of the fast-moving jets in space that are crucial to star formation and distribute the elements needed for life! This groundbreaking discovery has just been published in Nature . Congratulations to Tom and Alex on this outstanding scientific achievement! | Learn More | [2024/03] Please join us in congratulating Dr. Myoung-Hwan Kim and doctoral student Zach Brown for being selected as winners of the TechConnect 2024 Innovation Award ! The award will be presented at the Annual TechConnect World Innovation Conference & EXPO this June in Washington, DC. They were also selected for the pitch track as well as the booth/expo showcase , where only 15% of the participating teams are selected. [2024/03] We are so excited to see that Physics & Astronomy alumna Madeline Lockhart (BS ’20) has been named the College of Arts and Sciences’ 2024 Rising Innovator ! Madeline is pursuing a PhD in Nuclear Engineering at NC State, where she is a Nuclear Nonproliferation and International Safeguards (NNIS) Fellow! | Learn More | [2024/03] Last week’s performance of "Waves and Particles" at the Talkington School for Young Women Leaders was a hit! Read all about the recent collaboration between Physics & Astronomy faculty Drs. Sung-Won Lee & Joe Romano and the Schools of Music and Theater & Dance in Texas Tech Now. | Learn More | Photo | [2024/03] Congratulations to Dr. Myoung-Hwan Kim, who has been selected as a Summer Faculty Fellow at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. for the second consecutive summer! [2024/03] Please join us in congratulating our PhD students Imtiaz Ahmad and Sandeep Puri , who were each awarded a very competitive Texas Tech Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship ! Congratulations as well to their respective PhD advisors, Dr. Kim and Dr. Duncan!. [2024/02] The TTU System has received a 6,000-acre land gift from the 3 Rivers Foundation ! We’re thrilled about the significant research, educational and community engagement opportunities this property will provide our institutions and surrounding communities. | Learn More [1] , [2] | [2024/02] Dr. Ungar and Dr. Gillespie won the Faculty and Staff Wellbeing & Success Mini-Grant . Congrats Melanie and Andrew! [2024/02] Dr. Chatzakis was selected to receive a Global Exchange Research Seed Grant from the TTU Office of International Affairs! Dr. Chatzakis is one of only two recipients of the Faculty Exchange Award. | Learn More | [2024/02] Please join us in congratulating physics major Odin Schneider for winning the Best Presentation Award in the Physics and Astronomy section at the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium ! [2024/01] Texas Tech profiled physics major Amaris McCarver, who recently won the Robert S. Hyer Research Award from the Texas Section of the American Physical Society! Congratulations again, Amaris! | Learn More | [2024/01] Please join us in congratulating physics major Elizabeth Veraa for winning first place for her research poster presentation at the 2024 Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Tulane University! | Learn More [1] , [2] | [2024/01] Congratulations to doctoral student Imtiaz Ahmad for winning an APS Graduate Student Travel Award in the Division of Condensed Matter Physics! Imtiaz is one of only 20 winners of this competitive award. Congratulations to Corey Bradshaw (BS ’20, MS ’23) and doctoral student Shwetha Nagesh , whose papers were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , respectively. [2024/01] Dr. Corsi was featured in Texas Tech Now regarding her recent DOE-ASCR (Advanced Scientific Computing Research) grant and her research project associated with this grant; Resilience-enabling services for science from HPC to edge”. | Learn More | [2024/01] Dr. Thacker recently had a paper published that presents a historical analysis of the development, implementation, research and assessment of an evidence-based introductory algebra-based physics course that has been taught at TTU for over 20 years! | Learn More | [2023/12] Our department was featured in Texas Tech Now! " The consistently diligent work of the faculty of Texas Tech University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy is paying off in terms of prestige and recognition !” | Learn More | [2023/12] Congratulations to all the Physics and Astronomy graduates! Learn More [ Video1 ], [ Video2 ], [ Commencement Program ] [2023/12] Our Society of Physics Students chapter has been designated a 2022-23 Distinguished Chapter by the American Institute of Physics. | Learn More | [2023/11] Dr. Fausnaugh has been invited to serve on one of the Survey Definition Committees for an upcoming NASA mission, the Roman Space Telescope . This is the "High Latitude Time Domain Survey," which is a large program designed to find Type Ia supernovae for cosmology.| Learn More | [2023/11] Dr. Thacker has been elected to be a PERLOC councilor (Physics Education Research Leadership and Organizing Council) staring after the 2024 Winter meeting. [2023/10] Our department ranked 201-300 th (56-72 nd among U.S. universities) in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 202 3 | Learn More | [2023/10] A team of scientists, including Dr. Michael Fausnaugh , has used multiple space and ground-based telescopes to observe an exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst, GRB 230307A, and identify the neutron star merger that generated an explosion that created the burst. This groundbreaking observation has just been announced by NASA and published in the Nature . | Learn More [1] , [2] , KLBK news , Texas Standard | [2023/10] Two of our students won awards at the Texas Section of APS Meeting ! Amaris McCarver (UG) received the Robert S. Hyer Research Award for excellent undergraduate research! Sandeep Puri (GS) won the outstanding graduate student oral presentation award. Congrats! [2023/09] Dr. Myoung-Hwan Kim has been named the 2023 Emerging Inventor of the Year for Texas Tech University. The award is sponsored by the Office of Research Commercialization. Dr, Kim will be honored at the Inventor Celebration on October 19 th . | Learn More [1] , [2] , [3] | [2023/09] Dr. Thacker received an NSF grant for the projectEvidence-based Materials for Teaching Quantum Information Science and Technology ” for three years. The total funding of the award is $299,390. Congratulations, Dr. Thacker! [2023/09] Dr. Luis Grave De Peralta , Emeritus Faculty, has published a new book, Relativistic and Non-Relativistic Quantum Mechanics: Both at Once” in English and Spanish . | YouTube | [2023/08] Drs. Michael Fausnaugh (Assistant Prof.), Yun Suk Eo (Assistant Prof.), and Hanna Moussa (Associate Prof. of Practice) join us in Fall 2023. Welcome to the department! [2023/08] Dr. Corsi has been promoted to the rank of Full Professor, effective Sep 1 st , 2023. Congratulations, Dr. Corsi! [2023/08] Dr. Owen was featured in Texas Tech Today regarding his recent NSF award and research related to this grant. | Learn More | KLBK news | [2023/08] Physics major Karina Kimani-Stewart has been accepted by the FUTURE at Caltech program , whose goal is to " support the ambitions of aspiring young women in physics ". Congratulations, Karina! [2023/08] Dr. Maccarone recently received three NASA grants (totaling ~$100K) for the proposals entitledCorrelated Radio/MM-X-ray Timing of Cygnus X-1 ”,The...