Since 1909 the Department has had a tradition of educating scientists, engineers, and teachers who have distinguished themselves as leaders in industry and academia.
On May 27 and May 28, postdoc Sagarika Basak, faculty members Grant Biedermann and Doerte Blume, and graduate students Jason Gordon and Jackson Stoppel hosted 20 STEM high school teachers from the State of Oklahoma for a two-day workshop. The workshop was supported by the Dodge Endowment and designed to encourage and support high school teachers interested in bringing quantum concepts into the high school classroom. A key goal was to equip high school teachers with practical ideas and ready-to-use materials that can be taken back to the high school students.
Three of our faculty members recently received awards from the University:
Xinyu Dai received both the Neal Lane Award for Excellence in Research in the Natural Sciences and a Ted S. Webb Presidential Professorship
Mukremin Kilic received the Regents' Award for Superior Research and Creative Activity
John Stupak received a Ted S. Webb Presidential Professorship
Congratulations to all!
OU Professor Emerita Karen Leighly has been named as a 2026 American Astronomical Society (AAS) Fellow for her "innovative in-depth studies of the physical conditions in active galactic nuclei, including the development of models to constrain their physical parameters." Less than 0.5% of AAS members are recognized as Fellows each year.
Congratulations to OU alumnus Saesun Kim, PhD. on being named to the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology Quantum 100. From the IYQ 2025 website, “Representing people at every stage of their professional journey, the Quantum 100 spans academia, industry, education, art, culture, journalism, and policy, reflecting a breadth of skills and specialization.
The Quantum 100 were selected by members of the IYQ steering committee and global coordination bureau, composed of representatives from each of the IYQ Founding Partners, as well as leaders around the world from universities, research institutions, scientific societies, governments, and industry.”
Physics engineering undergraduate student Aubrey McNiel was among the sixteen seniors from the University of Oklahoma who were selected this year as Outstanding Seniors for their exceptional achievements in scholarship, honors, awards, leadership and service.
The group was recognized at a recent ceremony, where OU President Joseph Harroz Jr., OU Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students David Surratt, Ed.D., and representatives from OU colleges presented each recipient with their Outstanding Senior Award.
With access to the Apache Point Observatory 3.5m telescope, Department of Physics and Astronomy graduate student Gracyn Jewett was able to observe the newly discovered 3I/ATLAS interstellar comet. A paper presenting the results from these observations has been accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
In a rare achievement, two University of Oklahoma undergraduate physics and astronomy students were awarded time to observe distant stars at the International Gemini Observatory. Their combined time represents approximately 4.5% of all available time allotted to U.S. astronomers from Aug. 2025 through Jan. 2026.
Alex Gleason and Alex Albright, both seniors in the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, are mentored by Mukremin Kilic, professor of astrophysics and cosmology. Their projects will utilize the Gemini North telescope in Maunakea, HI, and the Gemini South telescope in Cerro Pachón, Chile, depending on the time of year.
A group of researchers, including OU professor Mukremin Kilic and graduate students Gracyn Jewett and Adam Moss, have discovered the most richly pulsating ultramassive white dwarf observed to date. The large number of pulsation modes, or vibrational patterns, observed in this ultramassive white dwarf may soon reveal information on its interior structure and chemical composition.
