Faculty spotlight
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Dr. Kent Gee Appointed as Chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy
Dean Gus Hart of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences has appointed Dr. Kent L. Gee as chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy. Gee replaced Richard R. Vanfleet, who served as department chair since 2013.
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Dr. David Dearden Reappointed as Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Dean Gus Hart of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences has reappointed David Dearden as chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. He will serve in the position for another three years.
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Shane Reese Appointed as BYU Academic Vice President
Replaces James Rasband who will leave BYU to serve as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Finding Your Place in the Universe
Astronomy professor Denise Stephens encouraged students to embrace their talents and use them for good at a recent BYU Women’s Service and Resources leadership event.
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Brooks Britt: Perseverance, Patience and Perspective
When a professional geologist gifted nine-year-old Brooks B. Britt his rock collection, Britt thought, “This is it. I’m going to be a geologist.”
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A Thing of Beauty: Sauropod Vertebrae
In BYU Magazine’s new YouTube video series, “A Thing of Beauty,” BYU professors and personalities sharing something they consider beautiful. Geological science professor, Dr. Brooks Britt share his thing of beauty: the sauropod vertebrae!
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Daniel Austin Receives International Mass Spectrometry Award
Chemistry professor Daniel Austin recently received a prestigious international award for his developments in mass spectrometry. Click here to read more.
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Scorpions: What’s not to Love?
For chemistry professor Jeffrey Macedone, studying scorpions “turned this hairy, creepy little creature into a thing of beauty made by a Creator.” BYU Magazine’s new YouTube series, “A Thing of Beauty,” features BYU professors and personalities sharing something they consider beautiful. Click here to watch the video of BYU chemistry professor Jeffrey Macedone as he shares the beauty of scorpions.
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Understanding the Fastest Route Between Four Points is as Simple as Playing with Soap Bubbles
In BYU Magazine’s new YouTube video series, “A Thing of Beauty,” BYU professors and personalities sharing something they consider beautiful. Mathematics professor and Department Chair Michael Dorff appreciates the “lovely harmony between soap bubbles and mathematics.” Click here to watch Michael Dorff share the beauty of soap bubbles.
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Paul Farnsworth Retired June 30, 2018
Chemistry professor and former department chair Dr. Paul Farnsworth retired on June 30, 2018. Farnsworth made many contributions to the BYU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry during his tenure. His research centered on analytical spectroscopy, with an emphasis on the development of new analytical techniques and instrumentation for trace molecular and elemental analysis. He authored or coauthored ninety-eight scholarly publications. Throughout his time at BYU he has worked to build on a tradition of collegiality in his department, and to ensure that the contributions of all faculty and staff are valued and recognized.
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Ken Christensen researching treatment for African Sleeping Sickness
BYU chemistry professor Dr. Ken Christensen is researching the tsetse fly, which transmits African sleeping sickness. Using biosensors, Christensen monitors the parasites’ glucose level, which will lead to developing a more effective cure. Read more.
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Using Math to Understand Your World—And Your Neighbor
Like all math teachers, Professor Kate Johnson of the Mathematics Education Department studies variables. The variables that Johnson examines, however, usually don’t show up on the page.
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What Actuarial Science Can Tell You About Hurricane Harvey, Driverless Cars, Health Care, and More
Statistics professor and actuarial program director Brian Hartman doesn’t call them “tragedies”—he calls them “uncertain events.”
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Dorff named head of Math Association of America
Michael Dorff takes the reins today as the Math Association of America’s (MAA) president-elect. Read more on BYU News.
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BYU Geochemist Plays Detective with Water and Dust
Wind carries a particle of dust from the dry lake bed to the mountain snowpack. The snowpack melts, and the water flows down streams and rivers, through a pipe, and to the tap.
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What the Boy Scouts Don’t Understand About Knots
Math professor Mark Hughes specializes in topology.
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Personal Progress to PhD and Beyond
Dr. Pam Van Ry carries pictures of children in her wallet. The thing is, the kids aren’t hers.
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Studying Planets Without Looking Through a Telescope
Darin Ragozzine has always been fascinated with space, planets, and stars—but he rarely looks through a telescope.
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