Category: Uncategorized

Summary

There’s a lot of information below about how wait-lists are implemented in the physics department. The policies are pretty much the same as they have been for the past few semesters. Here’s a brief summary for those who already know how our wait-lists work:

If your desired section(s) of PHYS 131 or 132 are full when your registration slot comes, sign up for the wait-lists by filling out a Google form. You may not sign up for the wait-list until after your registration time has begun.

To sign up for a wait-list, click on the appropriate link:

PHYS 131 wait-list sign-up
PHYS 132 wait-list sign-up

Details

Registration for Fall 2022 classes is starting. The physics department is offering three sections of PHYS 131 and one of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section of PHYS 131 and 132 will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 18 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

As in past semesters, we will have wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. (Do continue to try to add the sections you want for as long as your registration window is open. If a seat opens up, we can’t stop somebody else from beating you to it.) Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

• A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
• A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.  Any student on the wait-list who is already registered for a section will NOT be offered a seat in another section if one becomes available.
• The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “junior scholar / athlete” or “sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course. Please check all sections that will fit your schedule.
• If a student needs to change their list of “desired sections”, they may simply sign up on the wait-list again, with an updated list of desired sections, without losing their place in line.  Students on the wait-list will always be offered seats based on their earliest sign-up time and their latest list of desired sections.
• Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the advising period for incoming first-year students.
• Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
  • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections.
  • If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
  • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.
• When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify them by email. The student will have 24 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, they will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.

If you have any questions, ask Matt Trawick, the current physics department chair.

Once again, here are the links to sign up for the wait-lists:

Wait-list for PHYS 131
Wait-list for PHYS 132

Summary

There’s a lot of information below about how wait-lists are implemented in the physics department. The policies are pretty much the same as they have been for the past few semesters. Here’s a brief summary for those who already know how our wait-lists work:

If your desired section(s) of PHYS 131 or 132 are full when your registration slot comes, sign up for the wait-lists by filling out a Google form. You may not sign up for the wait-list until after your registration time has begun.

To sign up for a wait-list, click on the appropriate link:

PHYS 131 wait-list sign-up
PHYS 132 wait-list sign-up

Details

Registration for Spring 2020 classes is starting. The physics department is offering two sections of PHYS 131 and three of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section of PHYS 131 will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 18 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

For PHYS 132, the limits will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 17 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

As in past semesters, we will have wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. (Do continue to try to add the sections you want for as long as your registration window is open. If a seat opens up, we can’t stop somebody else from beating you to it.) Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

• A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
• A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.
• The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “junior scholar / athlete” or “sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course. Please check all sections that will fit your schedule.
• Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the registration period for incoming first-year students.
• Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
  • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections.
  • If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
  • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.
• When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify him or her by email. The student will have 48 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, they will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.

If you have any questions, ask Ted Bunn, the current physics department chair.

Once again, here are the links to sign up for the wait-lists:

Wait-list for PHYS 131
Wait-list for PHYS 132

Wait-list information for introductory physics courses, Fall 2021.

Summary

There’s a lot of information below about how wait-lists are implemented in the physics department. The policies are the same as they have been for the past few semesters. Here’s a brief summary for those who already know how our wait-lists work:

If your desired section(s) of PHYS 131 or 132 are full when your registration slot comes, sign up for the wait-lists by filling out a Google form. You may not sign up for the wait-list until after your registration time has begun.

To sign up for a wait-list, click on the appropriate link:

• PHYS 131 wait-list sign-up
• PHYS 132 wait-list sign-up

 

 

Details

Registration for Fall 2021 classes is starting. The physics department is offering three sections of PHYS 131 and one section of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 16 (for 131) or 18 (for 132) students during sophomore registration,
• 22 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

As of now, we are assuming that covid distancing measures will still be in place. If that is not true, the final caps will be 24, not 22 students, and the caps during sophomore registration will be 18 for both 131 and 132.

As in past semesters, we will have wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. (Do continue to try to add the sections you want for as long as your registration window is open. If a seat opens up, we can’t stop somebody else from beating you to it.) Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

• • A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
  • A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.
  • The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “junior scholar / athlete” or “sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course. Please check all sections that will fit your schedule. (For PHYS 132, there is only one section, so the last item does not apply.)
  • Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the registration period for incoming first-year students.
  • Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
    • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections.
    • If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
    • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.
  • When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify him or her by email. The student will have 24 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, he or she will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.

If you have any questions, ask Ted Bunn, the current physics department chair.

Once again, here are the links to sign up for the wait-lists:

• Wait-list for PHYS 131
• Wait-list for PHYS 132

Summary

There’s a lot of information below about how wait-lists are implemented in the physics department. The policies are the same as they have been for the past few semesters. Here’s a brief summary for those who already know how our wait-lists work:

If your desired section(s) of PHYS 131 or 132 are full when your registration slot comes, sign up for the wait-lists by filling out a Google form. You may not sign up for the wait-list until after your registration time has begun.

To sign up for a wait-list, click on the appropriate link:

• Wait-list for PHYS 131
• Wait-list for PHYS 132

Details

Registration for Spring 2019 classes is starting. The physics department is offering two sections of PHYS 131 and four sections of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 16 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

As in past semesters, we will have wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. (Do continue to try to add the sections you want for as long as your registration window is open. If a seat opens up, we can’t stop somebody else from beating you to it.) Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

• • A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
  • A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.
  • The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “junior scholar / athlete” or “sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course. Please check all sections that will fit your schedule.
  • Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the registration period for incoming first-year students.
  • Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
    • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections.
    • If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
    • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.

• When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify him or her by email. The student will have 48 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, he or she will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.

If you have any questions, ask Ted Bunn, the current physics department chair.

Once again, here are the links to sign up for the wait-lists:

• Wait-list for PHYS 131
• Wait-list for PHYS 132

Summary

There’s a lot of information below about how wait-lists are implemented in the physics department. The policies are the same as they have been for the past few semesters. Here’s a brief summary for those who already know how our wait-lists work:

If your desired section(s) of PHYS 131 or 132 are full when your registration slot comes, sign up for the wait-lists by filling out the forms at these sites:

• Wait-list for PHYS 131
• Wait-list for PHYS 132

You may not sign up for the wait-list until after your registration time has begun.

Details

 

Registration for Fall 2018 classes is starting. The physics department is offering four sections of PHYS 131 and one section of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 16 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

As in past semesters, we will have wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. (Do continue to try to add the sections you want for as long as your registration window is open. If a seat opens up, we can’t stop somebody else from beating you to it.) Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

• A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
• A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.
• The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “junior scholar / athlete” or “sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course. Please check all sections that will fit your schedule.
• Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the registration period for incoming first-year students.
• Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
  • • • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections.
      • If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
      • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.
• When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify him or her by email. The student will have 24 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, he or she will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.
• • If you have any questions, ask Matt Trawick, the current physics department chair. Once again, here’s where you go to sign up for the wait-lists:
    • Wait-list for PHYS 131
    • Wait-list for PHYS 132

Summary

There’s a lot of information below about how wait-lists are implemented in the physics department. The policies are the same as they have been for the past few semesters. Here’s a brief summary for those who already know how our wait-lists work:

If your desired section(s) of PHYS 131 or 132 are full when your registration slot comes, sign up for the wait-lists by filling out the forms at these sites:

• Wait-list for PHYS 131
• Wait-list for PHYS 132

You may not sign up for the wait-list until after your registration time has begun.

 

 Details

 

Registration for Spring 2018 classes is about to start. The physics department is offering two sections of PHYS 131 and four sections of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 16 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

As in past semesters, we will have wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. (Do continue to try to add the sections you want for as long as your registration window is open. If a seat opens up, we can’t stop somebody else from beating you to it.) Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

• A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
• A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.
• The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “junior scholar / athlete” or “sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course. Please check all sections that will fit your schedule.
• Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the registration period for incoming first-year students.
• Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
  • • • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections.
      • If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
      • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.
• When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify him or her by email. The student will have 24 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, he or she will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.
• • If you have any questions, ask Ted Bunn, the physics department chair.

    Once again, here’s where you go to sign up for the wait-lists:

    • Wait-list for PHYS 131
    • Wait-list for PHYS 132

Summary

There’s a lot of information below, which you should read, but if you’re in a hurry, here’s the quick summary. If your desired section(s) of PHYS 131 or 132 are full when your registration slot comes, sign up for the wait-lists by filling out the forms at these sites:

• Wait-list for PHYS 131
• Wait-list for PHYS 132

You may not sign up for the wait-list until after your registration time has begun.

 

 Details

Registration for Fall 2017 classes is about to start. The physics department is offering four sections of PHYS 131 and one section of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 16 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

As in past semesters, we will have wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. (Do continue to try to add the sections you want for as long as your registration window is open. If a seat opens up, we can’t stop somebody else from beating you to it.) Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

The rest of this post contains details about the wait-list policies. (They’re the same as last semester.) At the very bottom, you will find links to sign up for the wait-lists (but note that you can’t sign up until your registration time has arrived).

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

1. A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
2. A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.
3. The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “rising junior scholar / athlete” or “rising sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course. “Rising sophomore” means that you will be a sophomore in the coming semester. For PHYS 131, please check all sections that will fit your schedule. For PHYS 132, there is only one section, so you don’t have to provide the section.
4. Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the registration period for incoming first-year students.
5. Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
   • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections.
   • If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
   • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.
6. When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify him or her by email. The student will have 12 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, he or she will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.

If you have any questions, ask Ted Bunn, the physics department chair.

Once again, here’s where you go to sign up for the wait-lists:

• Wait-list for PHYS 131
• Wait-list for PHYS 132

The UR physics department is trying to offer a section of physics 131 in summer 2017.  (Update: 12/20/2016: We’re definitely gonna do it!)  Here’s how it will work:

• The course will be offered during the regular six-week May term, May 8 – June 16.  Update 12/20/2016: Due to issues beyond our control, we need to run it May 15 – June 23.
• Update 12/20/2016: The class will meet five days a week, MTWRF, 4:30-7:15pm.  It needs to meet for 2.75 hours per day to match the number of hours in 131 during the regular semesters.
• It will be taught by Dr. Alina Cichocki, who has taught 131 here before and was well liked.  The class will use the same textbook and labs as our other 131 sections.
• It will cost about $1600.  Your financial aid could apply, but apparently only if you take two courses, not just the one.  (Sorry!  We wish we could make it free, but we don’t run this place!)
• It is generally discouraged to take credit courses at the same time as summer research, and you would need your research advisor’s permission to enroll.  (Consider the time commitment, which probably includes ~2+ hours of studying/homework per day beyond class time.)

This class will definitely be offered this summer, barring an instructor medical crisis, building fire, or an unforeseeable thing like that.  A quick survey showed about a dozen students who are at least somewhat interested, which is well above the minimum of four registered students that we would need to keep the course from being cancelled.  Registration will be open in March.

I will continue to use this post for major updates on this topic, and I will also append a FAQ if there are obvious questions that get asked.

Registration for Spring 2017 classes is happening now. The physics department is offering two sections of PHYS 131 and four sections of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 16 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

As we did last semester, we will have wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. (Do continue to try to add the sections you want for as long as your registration window is open.  If a seat opens up, we can’t stop somebody else from beating you to it.)  Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

The rest of this post contains details about the wait-list policies. (They’re the same as last semester.) At the very bottom, you will find links to sign up for the wait-lists (but note that you can’t sign up until your registration time has arrived).

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

1. A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
2. A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.
3. The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “rising junior scholar / athlete” or “rising sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course. “Rising sophomore” means that you will be a sophomore in the coming semester. For PHYS 132, there is only one section, so you don’t have to provide the section.
4. Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the registration period for first-year students.
5. Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
   • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections.
   • If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
   • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.
6. When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify him or her by email. The student will have 12 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, he or she will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.

If you have any questions, ask Matt Trawick, the physics department chair.

Here’s where you go to sign up for the wait-lists for PHYS 131 and PHYS 132.

Update, 8/23/2016:  As of 5pm today, all 131-132 wait-lists will be closed.  All 131-132 sections will be re-opened as first-come, first-serve for adding and dropping on Bannerweb.

Registration for Fall 2016 classes will begin soon. The physics department will be offering four sections of PHYS 131 and one section of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 18 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

As we did last semester, we will have wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. (Do continue to try to add the sections you want for as long as your registration window is open.  If a seat opens up, we can’t stop somebody else from beating you to it.)  Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

The rest of this post contains details about the wait-list policies. (They’re the same as last semester.) At the very bottom, you will find links to sign up for the wait-lists (but note that you can’t sign up until your registration time has arrived).

 

 

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

1. A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
2. A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.
3. The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “rising junior scholar / athlete” or “rising sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course. “Rising sophomore” means that you will be a sophomore in the coming semester. For PHYS 132, there is only one section, so you don’t have to provide the section.
4. Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the registration period for first-year students.
5. Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
   • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections.
   • If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
   • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.
6. When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify him or her by email. The student will have 12 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, he or she will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.

If you have any questions, ask Matt Trawick, the physics department chair.

Here’s where you go to sign up for the wait-lists for PHYS 131 and PHYS 132.

Three University of Richmond students who have done original research in astrophysics have presented their results at the recent 227th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

The American Astronomical Society January meeting brings together thousands of astronomers, astrophysicists, media, and members of the public. At this year’s meeting in Kissimmee, Florida, in January 2016 two UR students, juniors Joseph George and Evan Jones, presented posters, while senior Haonan Liu presented a talk.

Liu has worked with Professor Ted Bunn for several years on optimizing interferometers to explore the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background. His talk was entitled “Fisher Matrix Optimization of Cosmic Microwave Background Interferometry.”

Jones has worked with Professor Jack Singal for several years on a few different projects. His poster dealt with his expoloration of a support vector machine learning algorithm to predict the redshifts of galaxies and was entitled “Shape Information for Photometric Redshifts with a Support Vector Machine Algorithm.”

George is a Computer Science major who has worked with Professor Singal as well. His poster was on the topic of new statistical routines for the analysis of large survey data sets and was entitled “Population Studies of Quasars in Infrared and X-Ray Light.”

Check out the American Institute of Physics‘s list of undergraduate physics programs that graduate the most majors:

This is the first time we’ve made the list.

Everyone in the department has worked hard to build our program, but particular credit has to go to the two previous department chairs, Jerry Gilfoyle and Con Beausang.

 

Registration for Spring 2016 classes will begin soon. The physics department will be offering two sections of PHYS 131 and four sections of PHYS 132. As in the past, some seats in these courses will be reserved for students in each year. To be specific, the seating limits on each section will be

• 6 students during senior registration,
• 12 students during junior registration,
• 18 students during sophomore registration,
• 24 students during first-year registration.

The reason for this is that prospective physics majors need to be able to take these courses early, so we can’t let all the seats be taken by juniors and seniors.

This semester, for the first time, we will have formal wait-lists for these courses. If all the sections that fit your schedule are full when your registration time comes, you can sign up for the wait-list. Then, after first-year registration is complete, any available seats will be filled off the wait-lists.

The rest of this post contains details about the wait-list policies. At the very bottom, you will find links to sign up for the wait-lists (but note that you can’t sign up until your registration time has arrived).

 

PHYS 131-132 Wait-list policies

1. A student may only sign up for the wait-list after that student’s registration time has begun.
2. A student who is enrolled in one section of the course may not sign up for the wait-list for other sections.
3. The student must provide name, email address, ID number, registration group (e.g., “junior scholar / athlete” or “sophomore”), and desired section(s) of the course.
4. Students will be admitted off the wait-list beginning at the end of the registration period for first-year students.
5. Students will be offered admission off the wait-list in the order they signed up. To be specific,
   • If any seats are available in any sections listed by the first student on the list, then that student will be offered a seat in one of those sections. If a student has listed multiple sections, and seats are available in more than one section, then the chair will choose which section to offer the student.
   • The same procedure will be applied to each student in order.
6. When a student becomes eligible to be admitted off the wait-list, the chair of the physics department will notify him or her by email. The student will have 12 hours to accept this invitation by replying to the email. If the student does not reply within that time, he or she will be dropped from the wait-list, and the next eligible student will be admitted.

If you have any questions, ask Ted Bunn, the physics department chair.

Here’s where you go to sign up for the wait-lists for PHYS 131 and PHYS 132.

Another framed certificate has been added to the Richmond Society of Physics Students wall of fame in the physics department. It joins previous awards for being an outstanding chapter in 2013-14, 2012-13, and several previous academic years.

The new award is the 2014-15 Blake Lilly Prize, which “recognizes SPS chapters and individuals who make a genuine effort to positively influence the attitudes of school children and the general public about physics.” In addition to the certificate, the award included a bound copy of the famous Feynman Lectures. The outreach activities of the Society include the Physics Olympics.

Faculty member Jerry Gilfoyle brought five students from Richmond to tour the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) in Newport News, VA this summer. Dr. Gilfoyle does nuclear physics research research at JLab using one of the large particle detectors to detect the debris from collisions of high-energy electrons (from the one-mile-around accelerator) with atomic nuclei. The picture shows the students from left Kristen Gell, Peter Humby from the University of Surrey, Nate Watwood, Omair Alam, and Haonan Liu.  The group spent the day walking through tunnels, stepping over beam lines, and climbing to the top of the three-story high CLAS12 detector that is under construction.

 

Last summer one of the University staff, Liz Malaugh, spent a month teaching at a school in Ghana. Facilities were limited so she used some of the labs from our Physics Olympics to teach the kids some physics. The Physics Olympic labs are portable, affordable, and accessible to young kids. They don’t require a lot of high-tech sensors or data acquisition equipment to teach some basic science. In the picture below some of the students are working on building an aluminum-foil ‘boat’ for That Sinking Feeling. The boat is placed in a tub of water and weights are added until it sinks. The design that can hold the most weight wins. Notice the cool hats the students are wearing. There are more pictures and descriptions of the trip here.