PAMS Focus - May 2009

PAMS Focus is the bi-monthly electronic newsletter for alumni and friends of the NC State University College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS). If you have any suggestions or comments, please share them with us by e-mailing pams_info@ncsu.edu.

PAMS dedicates SAS Hall

NC State formally dedicated its new mathematics and statistics building on May 1. At a dedication celebration attended by more than 300 faculty, students, friends and alumni, Chancellor James L. Oblinger announced for the first time that the building would be named SAS Hall, in honor of the founders of the Cary, North Carolina-based software company. For more information on the dedication, please click here.

 

Chasing the whirlwind: NC State takes part in the world's largest tornado research project

Matthew Parker, associate professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences, and a team of NC State graduate students will spend part of their summer finding out what makes tornadoes tick as part of the VORTEX2 project - the largest and most ambitious effort ever made to understand tornadoes. Visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's VORTEX2 page here or, for more on NC State's role in the project, please click here.

More ways than ever to keep in touch with your College

NC State and PAMS are using our ongoing budget challenges as an opportunity to find new ways to stay connected with you while saving money (and trees). Here are three recent developments we'd like you to be aware of:

• The College now has a presence on Facebook. If you are one of the millions who uses this social networking site each day, please join our group.
• We also have a group on the professional networking site, LinkedIn. If you have a LinkedIn profile, please join us.
• Finally, our Summer 2009 issue of Scope magazine will be in an electronic format only. You will receive an e-mail announcement when the issue publishes, but you can always check out the College's Web site for the latest PAMS news and information.

We're just getting started with these technologies, and we hope to offer you more opportunities to stay connected with us and fellow friends and alumni. In the meantime, your feedback on any improvements we can make is greatly appreciated.

US-Korea Conference comes to Raleigh

The new Raleigh Convention Center will serve as host to the 2009 US-Korea Conference on Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship, which will be held July 16-19. NC State will have a large presence at this year's conference. Chueng Ji, professor of physics and president-elect of the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) will serve as conference chair, and other members of the university community are helping organize the event or serving as presenters. For more on the US-Korea Conference, please click here.

State Climate Office announces Young Weather Photographers Contest

Is your kid a big weather fan? If so, let him or her know about the North Carolina State Climate Office's second annual Young Weather Photographers Contest. By submitting his or her original photo of a North Carolina weather phenomenon, your child will have a chance to win a spot on the SCO Web site and a prize package! The contest ends June 30, so get those cameras out! For complete rules and submission instructions, please click here.