PAMS Focus - July 1, 2005

PAMS Focus is a periodic e-mail newsletter about activities, achievements and other news from the NC State College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences (PAMS). If you have any suggestions or comments, please share them with us by e-mailing pamsalumni@lists.ncsu.edu.

College to hold Alumni & Friends Weekend

The College is hosting a special weekend program, offering something for everyone, Sept. 23-24. The weekend kicks off with a Friday luncheon featuring a keynote presentation by Dr. Jack Horner, world-famous paleontologist and advisor to the Jurassic Park films. This is followed by a series of short classes on stimulating topics you select, and a Friday evening reunion social with live entertainment. Then on Saturday, participants will gather at a sports bar to watch the State/Carolina football game.

For more information and to register, visit www.pams.ncsu.edu/weekend . For more information about Dr. Jack Horner, see http://www.pams.ncsu.edu/weekend/horner.php

 

Meteorology grad wins football tickets

Barry Peterson (Meteorology, '97) won two tickets to the Sept. 24 State/Carolina game in a drawing announced in the College's alumni newsletter, Scope.

Hurricane forum, new model announced

The College hosted Congressman Bob Etheridge's June 1 forum, "Hurricanes: Forecasting to Save Lives," on Centennial Campus. Participants included county emergency managers, utility representatives, public agency representatives, broadcast meteorologists, students and faculty. Presentations covered a wide range of state-of-the-art forecasting and communications technologies.

Drs. Len Pietrafesa and Lian Xie of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (MEAS) announced a new predictive model at the forum. Their model is the first known attempt to include seasonal landfall predictions. For more information, visit: http://www.ncsu.edu/news/press_releases/05_05/130.htm

Statistics Department earns teaching Award

All members of the Statistics Department faculty were honored with the university's Departmental Teaching and Learning Excellence Award.  Established in 2000, these annual awards honor up to two of the university's 72 departments for exceptional collective accomplishments in teaching and learning.

Chemists receive prestigious Keck grant

NC State chemists recently received a $1 million gift from the W.M. Keck Foundation to further research on RNA-mediated evolutionary materials chemistry. This new field will influence advances in other fields such as materials science, nanotechnology and biotechnology. For more information, visit http://www.ncsu.edu/news/press_releases/05_01/027.htm

Bob's a girl . and she's pregnant!

Dr. Mary Schweitzer of MEAS followed up her discovery of soft dinosaur tissue with the determination that it is reproductive tissue designed to pull calcium from the bone to use in calcifying eggshells. This ties dinosaurs to birds, the only living creatures to have this special tissue. To learn more, visit: http://www.ncsu.edu/news/press_releases/05_06/133.htm

Schweitzer recently represented the UNC System at the Coalition for National Science Funding's 2005 exhibition and reception. The event is held for members of Congress and the White House staff and serves to encourage the provision of funding for the National Science Foundation, which provides support for many university research initiatives.

 

Partners III Open House

The College recently presented an open house at Partners III, a state-of-the-art research building on Centennial Campus. Chemistry and Physics research programs specializing in nanosciences occupy the new building, as does the Physics Department's Center for High-Performance Simulation.

Weir wins Holladay Medal

Bruce Weir was presented with the 2005 Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal of Excellence, which recognizes members of the NC State faculty who have made outstanding contributions to the university.  This is the highest award made by the university in recognition of faculty career achievements.  Weir is the William Neal Reynolds Professor of Statistics and Genetics, and director of the university's Bioinformatics Research Center . For more information, visit: http://www.ncsu.edu/news/press_releases/05_05/114.htm