Department news
Dr. Michael Famiano awarded a Fulbright Award to Japan
Famiano is an associate professor of nuclear astrophysics. After receiving his Ph.D., he worked as a fellow for the Science and Technology Agency of Japan at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research near Tokyo. He also held a post-doctoral position at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory in East Lansing, Michigan, before coming to WMU.
Famiano’s primary research interest is in stellar nucleosynthesis. His Fulbright award proposes to evaluate the effects of relativistic electron-positron plasmas on astronomical observables, then taking the results and applying them to advanced computational techniques in which hot stellar environments are simulated.
Dr. Ali Sami Alnaser awarded 2017 Alumni Achievement Award
Alnaser (Ph.D. '02) is a professor and head of the physics department at American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Alnaser's research interests are centered around the use of ultra-strong lasers in photographing and manipulating experimentally the structure of matter on extremely short time scale.
He has published more than 60 peer reviewed articles, 70 conference papers and received the Distinguished Arab Scholar Award from the State of Kuwait in 2011.
Dr. Thomas Gorczyca awarded WMU Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award
Gorczyca is a first-rate theoretical atomic physicist specializing in the area of photon and electron initiated collisions. His impressive publication record lists more than 110 peer-reviewed articles, as well as more than 30 invited talks. To support his research, he has had continuous funding for more than 15 years, largely from NASA, as the principal investigator. Notably, Gorczyca was elected to Fellowship in the American Physical Society last year, a recognition awarded to less than 1 percent of the active members. You can read more about Gorczyca and his many achievements in WMU News.
Summer 2017 newsletter
Our department's annual newsletter is now available. Please take a moment to visit our newsletter page and catch up on all our recent news and events. You can also find our previous newsletters archived on this page. We hope you enjoy. If you have any information that you would like included in our next newsletter, please contact us.

Dr. Elena Litvinova awarded NSF CAREER award
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Litvinova $474,998 for her project entitled "CAREER: From Fundamental Interactions to Emergent Phenomena: Geometrical Aspects of Nuclear Dynamics”. The project will address important issues of the nuclear structure theory and include innovative outreach activities at the interface of science and visual arts. Litvinova's award started September 1, 2017.
More information, including the award abstract, can be found on the NSF website.
Department grants, one new and one renewal
Dr. Michael Famiano and Dr. Zbigniew Chajecki have been awarded an NSF grant worth $420,000 to study how heavy elements were formed and provides further constraints on the characteristics of dense nuclear matter.

Department of Physics Award Ceremony

Spencer J. Henning is the Presidential Scholar in Physics

Science Olympiad draws 400 hundred students to WMU

Physicist melds scientific, humanitarian drive at UN's 'nuclear watchdog'

Engaging young minds
past news
Read about our department's prior news and accomplishments.