• UWSP ranks among the founding members of the Physics Teacher Education Consortium (PhysTEC) sponsored by the American Institute of Physics.  This group of universities shares an expressed interest in promoting active learning techniques across the physics curriculum.  The local liaison to PhysTEC is Professor Brad Hinaus.
• As a Wisconsin Teaching Fellow, Professor Hinaus presented the results of his research on guided inquiry worksheets at the UW System Conference on Professional and Instructional Development.
• Professors David Tamres and Greg Taft led workshops on Excel spreadsheet scroll bars and holographic techniques, respectively, at the Wisconsin Association of Physics Teachers meeting in La Crosse.

• Assessment in physics and astronomy is conducted in two year cycles.  The most recent assessment report found that...

1. our graduating seniors writing the Major Field Achievement Test (MFAT) have cumulatively scored in the top 41% nationally since 1994;
2. six of our students co-authored refereed articles describing their undergraduate research in 2001-03 while another student gave two national presentations describing her research during the same time period; and
3. student evaluation scores of physics/astronomy instructors exceeded the average of all UWSP science/math disciplines in each semester during 2001-03 in spite of the fact that our courses, as measured by assigned grades during 2001-03, are considerably more demanding than the average UWSP science/math discipline.

• Sponsored two model-rocket launches for area school children.
• Hosted a successful recruitment dinner for undeclared majors early in the Fall Semester.
• Traveled to the Chicago area March 5-7 to visit Fermilab, the Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and other sites.

• Mike Stoneman - graduating senior.
• Ellynne Kutschera - continuing student.

• Paul Messman co-authored the paper "A Unique Approach to Measuring Surface Tension in Smectic Liquid Crystals" with Professor Mick Veum.  The paper appeared in Review of Scientific Instruments.   
• Josh Garbe, Nick Petersen, and Mike Stoneman co-authored the paper "Electrical Properties of Silver Phosphorus Selenide Halide Argyrodites" with Professor Bob Beeken in the Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids.
• Nea Gouin presented the paper "Spreadsheet-Based Determination of the Mass Limit for White Dwarf Stars" at the 2003 national meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers held in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Ellynne Kutschera, Jesus Medina, Josh Garbe, and Ryan Ruhland presented departmental colloquia describing their summer research experiences at the University of Minnesota, UW-Milwaukee, Montana State University, and Coe College, respectively.
• Ellynne Kutschera, Matt Loth, and Charles Wagener each gave poster presentations of their undergraduate research at the UWSP College of Letters and Science Symposium.

• Students Sam Clausen, Severin Guzzonato, Mike Hanko, and Peter Kruger accompanied UWSP faculty members Randy Olson and Katie Jore to Kitt Peak National Observatory this year.

• Professor Greg Taft was awarded a $13,000 NSF travel grant to continue collaborative investigations with Hungarian physicist Laszlo Nanai, a previous Fulbright visitor to UWSP.
• As a consultant for Kapteyn-Murnane Laboratories of Boulder, Colorado, Greg Taft developed and installed a state-of-the-art laser system at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
• Research Professor Sasha Popov published the article "Adiabatic Passage and Dissociation Controlled by Interference of Two Laser-Induced Continuum Structures" in Physical Review A.
• Sasha Popov also received a $45,000 sub-contract from Purdue University to support theoretical modeling of left-handed nanophotonics, optical processes associated with a negative refractive index.

• Professor Mick Veum will spend the summer months engaged in research with collaborators at the University of Minnesota.
• Matt Loth has been accepted as a summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) participant at the University of Rochester.
• Derek Lilla plans to study abroad in New Zealand during Spring Semester 2005.
• Chris Musson plans to study abroad in Australia during Spring Semester 2005.
• Professor Bob Beeken plans to lead a study abroad group to London during Spring Semester 2005.