North Georgia earns space grants to support student research in physics, campus planetarium
11/10/2011 2:39:01 PM
(Nov. 11, 2011) A
professor in the Department of
Physics at North Georgia College & State University has received four
grants totaling $12,000 from the NASA Georgia Space Grant Consortium (GSGC). The
grants will fund student personnel at the university's planetarium and
observatory, scholarships and undergraduate research.
"The university is very
appreciative of the funding support from the Georgia Space Grant Consortium
that allows us to continue and even expand the unique educational resource that
we provide for our students and the community through our planetarium and
observatory," said university President Bonita Jacobs. " These grants
recognize the outstanding work being done by the faculty and students in our
Department of Physics, which produced the second-highest number of physics graduates of any
public university in Georgia this year."
 |
| The North Georgia Astronomical Observatory features two radio telescopes and a 16-inch Cassegrain focus telescope. Standing underneath the Cassegrain telescope above, from left, are physics students Sam Thomas, Kate Martin, and Kyle Newman; associate physics professor Dr. Joseph Jones; and volunteer Jim Wyrosdick, a North Georgia staff member. |
Currently,
more than 130 students are majoring in physics at North Georgia and the
department has graduated 10 or more physics majors a year for several
years. This graduation rate is more than
five times the national average and many of these graduates move on to pursue
graduate degrees.
"These
small grants are focused on supporting undergraduate education and research, in
addition to supporting the George E. Coleman planetarium's community education
program," said Dr. Mark Spraker, physics professor who is the grant writer
and recipient of the grant.
Two GSGC grants
totaling $5,000 will be used to support the George E. Coleman Sr. Planetarium
and the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory, two facilities that teach North
Georgia students and the public about stars, planets and other heavenly bodies.
Both facilities are operated by Dr. Joseph Jones, an associate professor of
physics at North Georgia.
The George E. Coleman Sr.
Planetarium, the only functioning public planetarium in the region, has provided
shows and information to the general public for several decades. The $3,000
grant will fund additional student personnel, allowing the planetarium to be
open for every available date throughout the year.
This past
year, the planetarium welcomed some 3,200 guests through the university's free Observatory-Planetarium
Public Education Nights program (OPEN), held on Friday nights. Additionally, on
clear nights after the planetarium show, about half of the guests usually visit
the observatory to study the skies.
Another $2,000 GSGC grant will be
used to hire and train additional undergraduate students to operate the
observatory's optical and radio telescopes. These students open the telescope
on every clear week night for public viewing and undergraduate research and the
required observations that are part of coursework for students in introductory
astronomy classes.
Like the planetarium, the
university's observatory is a unique opportunity in the region, providing
access for both students and the public to observe the skies through a large
optical telescope and other astronomical devices.
The largest
of the four grants, $5,000, will be used to fund North Georgia GSGC
Fellowships. While academic excellence
in the sciences will be the primary criteria for selecting recipients, special
consideration would be given to students pursuing an interest in the space
sciences. A total of eight awards would
be given, two each for freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior students.
Lastly,
$2,030 will be used to support undergraduate research in the field of confocal
x-ray fluorescence, a technique that can be used to detect and quantify the
elements within collected samples. The
technique could be used by future robotic planetary explorers. Fully staffed by undergraduate researchers, North
Georgia's XCITER (X-ray Composition, Imaging and Trace Element Research) group
is under the direction of Spraker and Dr. Sarah Formica, an associate professor
of physics.
The GSGC provides
help to students in math, science, and technology using space as the
attraction. Through consortium programs, a new workforce with advanced degrees
in the fields of chemistry, physics, math, biology, engineering, education,
environmental science, policy and management, and a host of other fields will
strengthen the state’s aerospace capabilities. The GSGC has 16 university and
college affiliates, including North Georgia; one non-profit organization; and
one industry affiliate.
For more
information about the consortium, visit the website.
For more
information about the physics program at North Georgia, visit the department'swebsite.