University of Pittsburgh

Research Experience for Undergraduates - Focus on Minorities Program

Who We Are and What We're Doing--Summer 2002

REU Students

• Julie Smith from the Univ. of Northern Colorado, working with Prof. Thompson and Dave Kraus , on the CosRayHS project at SIUE. Due to illness in her family, she withdrew after about 10 days. Before leaving she studied the workings of photomultipliers and learned how to calculate the charge yield from the photomultipliers used in this project.
  
  
• Lenka Raska from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, working with Prof. Prof. Thompson and Dave Kraus , on the CosRayHS project at SIUE. She began work with Prof. David Kaplan on construction of a cosmic ray telescope to be used in testing the scintillating fibers in the proposed satellite detector, and continued with CosRayHS. The relatively large rate of coincidences seen when her two small counters were separated rather than overlapping at first seemed in contradiction with previous measurements by Drew Thomas and Elizabeth Weber in summer 2001. However, the previous measurements were done with larger and thicker counters. Further checks of the Lenka's small telescope together with the larger counters supported the hypothesis that delta rays made above the counters may not penetrate the larger counters far enough to make a detected signal, but are registered in the smaller thinner counters. Because of her small son, Ms. Raska was half-time in the program.
  
  
• Barthemeaus Owen, from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, working with Prof. Leah O'Brien on rotational and vibrational energy levels in NiCl. A previously unexplored branch was studied. Because of a heavy academic load, Mr. Owen was half-time in the program.
  
  
• Matt Surmeier, from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, working with Prof. David Kaplan on optical fiber tests. Because of a heavy academic load during the regular school term, Mr. Surmeier was half-time in the program.
  
  
• Tyrone Walker from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, working with Prof. Brad Cross on a web site about earthquakes and retrofitting buildings to withstand earthquakes better. Mr. Walker learned about earthquakes generally in the course of assessing the web site for consistent information and user-friendliness. Mr. Walker's participation in the program was curtailed due to an unexpected offer from a local engineering company.
  
  
• William Hall rising senior from University of Arkansas at Little Rock, working with Prof. Lenore Horner on characteristics of extended states.
  
  
• Michael Bellamy , rising senior from Morehouse College, working with Prof. David Turnshek and the astrophysics group .
  
  
• Mallory Knodel from Drake University, working with Prof. Mueller on analysis of CEBAF data, to study resonance contributions.
  
  
• Kimberly Smith from Xavier University in New Orleans, working with Dr. Singh on misconceptions in thermodynamics.
  
  
• Tiffany Newsome rising sophomore from Bennett College, working with Prof. Eric Borguet.
  
  
• Jill Schmidt, rising junior from St. Norbert's College, working with biomechancial engineer Prof. Mark Miller
  
  
• Kevin Johnson, rising junior from Pitt, working with Prof. Oladipo Onipede .
  
  

Faculty and Staff 2000

• Professor Julia Thompson, overall director and local director, SIUE.
• Professor Jim Mueller, local director, Pitt.
• Professor Eric Borguet, local co-director, Pitt.
• Gordon Weinberg, Teaching Assistant.
• Natasha Collymore, Teaching Assistant.
• Kate Connally, (Administrative Assistant)
• Dawn Olive, (Administrative Assistant, SIUE)