49th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics
Volume 52, Number 11
Monday–Friday, November 12–16, 2007;
Orlando, Florida
Session PI2: Education and Outreach
2:00 PM–3:00 PM,
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Rosen Centre Hotel
Room: Salon 3/4
Chair: Rick Lee, General Atomics
Abstract ID: BAPS.2007.DPP.PI2.2
Abstract: PI2.00002 : Plasma Physics Research at an Undergraduate Institution
2:30 PM–3:00 PM
Preview Abstract
Abstract
Author:
Stephen Padalino
(The State University of New York at Geneseo)
Undergraduate research experiences have motivated many physics
majors to continue their studies at the graduate level. The
Department of Physics and Astronomy at SUNY Geneseo, a primarily
undergraduate institution, recognizes this simple reality and is
committed to ensuring research opportunities are available to
interested majors beginning as early as their freshman year.
Every year for more than a decade, as many as two dozen students
and 8 faculty members have worked on projects related to high
energy density physics and inertial confinement fusion during the
summer months and the academic year. By working with their
research sponsors, it has been possible to identify an impressive
number of projects suitable for an institution such as Geneseo.
These projects tend to be hands-on and require teamwork and
innovation to be successful. They also take advantage of in-house
capabilities such as the 2 MV tandem pelletron accelerator, a
scanning electron microscope, a duoplasmatron ion deposition
system and a 64 processor computing cluster. The end products of
their efforts are utilized at the sponsoring facilities in
support of nationally recognized programs. In this talk, I will
discuss a number of these projects and point out what
made them attractive and appropriate for an institution like
Geneseo, the direct and indirect benefits of the research
opportunities for the students and faculty, and how the national
programs benefited from the cost-effective use of undergraduate
research. In addition, I will discuss the importance of
exposure for both students and faculty mentors to the larger
scientific community through posters presentations at annual
meetings such as the DPP and DNP. Finally, I will address the
need for even greater research opportunities for undergraduate
students in the future and the importance of establishing longer
``educational pipelines'' to satisfy the ever growing need
for top-tier scientists and engineers in industry, academia and
the national laboratories.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2007.DPP.PI2.2