Physics

MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS - Miles from any other humans, Katie Linnenkohl and Owen Mitchem—both undergrads majoring in physics—trudge up a darkening path toward the hemispherical structure atop Pine Mountain near Bend, where they’ll spend the night scouring the sky for signs of a world around another star. Their mission: Capture evidence of a suspected planet lurking within the constellation Cassiopeia.

In UO’s materials characterization labs, researchers are pushing the boundaries of what can be observed through a microscope. Equipped with some of the most powerful electron microscopes on the West Coast, CAMCOR is arguably the University of Oregon’s most comprehensive and cutting-edge core science facility. Funded by the Office of Research and Innovation, it was the first institute in North America to install a multi-ion source plasma-focused ion beam, which can analyze and mill materials at the nanometer level.

Three College of Arts and Sciences researchers have received the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty members in the past year: Luca Mazzucato (biology, mathematics and physics), Brittany Erickson (computer science and earth sciences) and Julia Widom (chemistry). Known as the CAREER Awards, the organization recognizes and fosters rising stars by funding innovative research.

EARTH SCIENCES, PHYSICS - Staff and faculty members came together for the inaugural College of Arts and Sciences Awards and Hallmark Achievement Reception, which celebrated some of the achievements of faculty and staff. In addition to celebrating some of the college’s faculty members who have received accolades outside of the university, the ceremony featured the college’s first-ever awards that recognize the work of faculty and staff.

GLOBAL HEALTH, GLOBAL STUDIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE, PHYSICS - Where can a liberal arts degree take you? These College of Arts and Sciences seniors are charting their own course as they pursue careers in the specialty coffee industry, particle physics and public service.

PHYSICS - Professor Richard Taylor is interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 podcast Deep Calm with Michael Mosley. During the podcast, Mosley and Taylor discuss how fractals can improve our physiology.

PHYSICS - Artificial intelligence can predict disasters and detect fine art forgeries. But can it help students learn what they need to succeed in a rapidly changing workplace—and at what cost? This CAS Connection article features insight from Department of Physics Professor Richard Taylor.

PHYSICS - Kayla Nguyen, assistant professor in physics, has co-led the development of a new approach that allows scientists to see individual atoms and the way they fit together under an electron microscope, without the multimillion-dollar price tag that such ability typically commands. Nguyen's research was published in the Feb. 22 issue of the journal Science.

PHYSICS - Physicist Richard Taylor and environmental sociologist Richard York of the University of Oregon examine the beauty and benefits of fractal patterns in the natural world—and the need to protect that world from an ever-growing built environment.

PHYSICS - For the first time, scientists have detected neutrinos created by a particle collider, and University of Oregon physicists are part of the international team that made the advance.