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NEW FACULTY
Because Altman tackles information from a wide variety of topics, she hopes to be able to work with both the Environmental Consortium and the Life Sciences Consortium, which she says were part of Penn State's allure. "Really, I'm interested in talking to anyone who has interesting data. I've worked on a variety of projects that range from bird migration, to whale vocalizations, to a project that dealt with the delivery of Meals on Wheels programs." Altman's time is split between conducting statistical research, performing data analysis, and teaching. On the research side, Altman is interested in problems in which there may be several factors that influence an outcome and where the outcome changes over time. "In many problems you may have a designed experiment; for example, two drug treatments. You may be looking at a response that occurs over time, perhaps the amount of drug that actually made it into the blood stream. That varies over time, but you don't have a description of what that shape is going to look like exactly until after you actually plot the data. Typically, people compare features of the curve. I like to examine the entire curve. "I'm looking into a technique that treats the whole curve or each individual as a data point and allows flexible modeling of that shape. Then you summarize the differences between the individuals and capture all the interesting features." Included in her many diverse interests is her devotion to teaching. "To me, it's very important that teaching and research be done very well. I devote the time needed to make sure everything is on track," Altman said. Altman is teaching a graduate-level course on regression, an oft-used method for fitting curves. Altman joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. Previously, Altman had been at Cornell University where she held a number of titles, including: co-director of the Environmental Statistics Program, chair of the Department of Biometrics, associate and assistant professor. Prior to obtaining her Ph.D., she had served as a researcher or statistical consultant for a variety of entities including: the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Toronto. Altman earned her doctoral degree in statistics at Stanford University in 1988. She earned her master's degree in statistics, in 1979, and also her bachelor's degree in mathematics, in 1974, at the University of Toronto.
Qiang Du concentrates his research in the area of applied mathematics and scientific computation with emphasis on the development of computational algorithms and their applications in various areas of science and technology. Du is trying to develop innovative computational algorithms to solve a broad spectrum of scientific and engineering problems ranging from understanding dynamics of quantized vortices, — a problem in superfluids — to the stability of structures, to data mining. "I'm a big number cruncher, but I think it's important to be creative with mathematical analysis," said Du, who admits to splitting his time equally between theory and experimentation. Du spends much of his time at a computer which, he said, accelerates scientific development by enhancing the ability to predict and understand the behavior of complex systems. That's made possible by mathematical modeling, numerical algorithms, and computational software, which translate the ever-increasing computing power into sophisticated scientific tools that complement and bridge — and sometimes even surpass — the capabilities of physical experiments and analytic investigations. "Scientific computation can have an enormous impact on society. It is growing at an exponential rate," Du said. "The computational approach is now indispensable to scientific research and technological development." With so much innovation happening so rapidly, Du can sometimes introduce his research into his teaching, showing students what is possible beyond the textbook. Du melds his wisdom and research to weave a common thread through a classroom full of students with diverse backgrounds studying advanced calculus for science and engineering. "Both teaching and research are important," Du said. "Math is a universal thing. I try to teach students to look at different problems, to work on their problem-solving skills and think in mathematical terms. They come from different backgrounds but (because of math) they have a lot in common. Du joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. He had been working as a professor at Iowa State University. Prior to that he was a senior lecturer and professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, visiting associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and assistant and associate professor at Michigan State University. Previously, he participated in faculty research at the Argonne National Laboratory, was a Dickson Instructor at the University of Chicago, a research assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and a teaching and research assistant at Carnegie Mellon University. Du earned his doctoral degree in mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University in 1998. He earned his master's degree in applied mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University in 1986 and his bachelor's degree in mathematics at the University of Science and Technology of China in 1983.
Kurt Gibble's research could lead to atomic clocks 50 times more accurate than today's best. One of his current projects is building an atomic clock for the International Space Station. The difference in Gibble's clock is he eschews the world standard of cesium in favor of rubidium, which he has shown eliminates the most important problem for cesium clocks, resulting in an atomic clock that is much more accurate and stable. "Now that we've shown the advantages, several national laboratories around the world are in the process of building rubidium clocks," Gibble said. Gibble works with atoms that have been slowed down by being laser-cooled to a millionth of a degree above absolute zero. So, instead of trying to measure an atom moving at the speed of sound at room temperature, he can observe an atom moving at just one centimeter per second for a much longer time. While Gibble is on the cutting edge of atomic-clock technology, he doesn't mind reverting to his academic roots for his lesson plans. Gibble is teaching Physics 212, an introductory freshman physics class. "In the long run, I think there is a clear gain from going back and teaching fundamentals of physics. Upper undergraduate courses have some refreshing utility and graduate courses especially do," Gibble said. "But, if you don't have what's current in physics telling you what you need to teach, then the teaching gets out of date and loses perspective." Gibble's arrival at Penn State follows teaching and research appointments at Yale and Stanford universities. A variety of factors swayed his decision to choose Penn State. "The friendliness of the department; the stature of the department — which is rapidly increasing; and especially the openness, straight-forwardness, and collegiality of the department and the department head were major factors in my choosing Penn State," Gibble said. "My impression of the physics department here is there has been quite a cange since I chose Yale over Penn State in 1993. The activity level of the faculty has increased. There have been a number of hires during the past decade who have developed wonderfully. I think it's clear that things have really come a long way." Gibble joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. Prior to his arrival at Penn State, Gibble was a faculty member at Yale University. He served as an associate professor from 1998 to 2001 and as an assistant professor from 1993 to 1998. He was a research associate at Stanford University from 1991 to 1993. He earned his doctoral degree in physics at the University of Colorado in 1990, and his bachelor's degree, with highest honors in engineering physics, at Lehigh University in 1986.
Gerald Mahan is a theoretical physicist with a specialty in condensed-matter physics. He has wide interests, and he has published research papers on gases, liquids, and solids; on abstract topics involving many-electron phenomena; as well as on practical devices. He is also an expert on devices, such as fuses made from zinc oxide ("Varistors"), and solid-state refrigerators. One of Mahan's current projects involves trying to develop new materials or new methods of making refrigerators with no moving parts. Mahan's collaboration with John Badding of Penn State's Department of Chemistry helps in this effort. Badding has found a material that makes the world's most efficient refrigerator when it is under high pressure. Now Mahan and Badding's goal is to achieve the same high efficiency in a similar material without pressure. "Our goal is to make it more efficient, and we're getting close to that. Then you wouldn't have to have freon compression in your house. You would have a solid-state refrigerator and you would eliminate all of those potential problems with the ozone layer," Mahan said. Mahan has had to incorporate some forward thinking into his teaching, as well. This semester he is teaching a graduate-level course in solid-state physics. "The last time I taught this course was 34 years ago. I looked at my old notes and realized the whole field had changed so much that I had to rewrite every lecture," Mahan said. "I take teaching very seriously. I think teaching is our No. 1 obligation, even at a major research university. I try to relate what's happening in the classroom to what's actually happening in research." Mahan joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. Since 1984, Mahan had held a joint appointment as a distinguished professor of physics at the University of Tennessee and as a distinguished scientist in the Solid State Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Prior to that, he was a faculty member at Indiana University from 1973 to 1980, and at the University of Oregon from 1967 to 1973. Mahan was a research physicist at the General Electric Corporate Research and Development Center from 1964 to 1967. He earned his doctoral degree in theoretical physics at the University of California at Berkeley in 1964 and his bachelor's degree at Harvard College in 1959. He has authored or coauthored more than 200 technical papers and several books, including what is considered by many to be the essential reference for learning advanced techniques in solid-state theoretical physics — Many-Particle Physics. He has been a member of the National Academy of Sciences since 1995. He is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
Wojciech Makalowski focuses his research on "junk DNA," — the large amounts of DNA in the genomes of plants and animals that are composed of simple, repetitive amino-acid sequences that appear to have no effect on the organism's physical or biochemical characteristics. "Because the specific function of these amino-acid sequences remains to be defined and because of their unusual 'behavior' in the genome, they are often called junk DNA," Makalowski said. Interspersed repetitive sequences of amino acids are major components of the genomes of most living things and comprise more than 50 percent of the genome of mammals. "Our view of the entire phenomenon of repetitive amino-acid sequences has to be revised in light of data on their biology and evolution, especially what we know about the retroposons, a class of genetic elements that includes retroviruses and transposable amino-acid sequences that have an intermediate RNA stage. The repetitive amino-acid sequences interact with the whole genome and influence its evolution by interacting with the surrounding sequences and nearby genes," Makalowski said. "Junk DNA may serve as recombination hot spots or acquire specific cellular functions such as RNA transcription control or even become part of protein-coding regions. Finally, such sequences provide a very efficient mechanism for genomic shuffling." When those repetitive sequences of amino acids interact with nearby genes, they can cause mutations and disease. Makalowski is interested in exploring the positive effects of the interaction. Makalowski's evolution into a computational biologist provides the basis for the classes he plans to teach at Penn State. He contends that almost everyone in his field of bioinformatics is self taught. To help reverse that trend, Makalowski is readying curriculum for his students grounded in bioinformatics: the marriage of biology and computers. "It is very important to teach young people because we learn a lot from them and have a lot to share with them," Makalowski said. By helping to train future bioinformaticians, Makalowski is assuring there will be future researchers to solve the many mysteries in this new field. "There are so many possible and very exciting projects, I already know I won't be able to do them all," Makalowski said. "Every time I dig into the rapidly expanding worldwide databases of gene sequences, I discover something new. What a great feeling." Makalowski joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. He previously had been working as a staff scientist and a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Health's National Center for Biotechnology Information. Prior to that he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Montreal's Saint-Justine Hospital Research Center, in Montreal, Canada. Makalowski earned his doctoral degree in molecular biology at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, in 1991. He also earned his master's degree in philosophy of science and bachelor's degree in molecular biology at the university in 1988 and 1983, respectively.
Steve Rathbun develops and applies statistical methods for modeling ecological and environmental phenomena that can be pinpointed on a map, such as chemical contaminants in air, water, or soil samples, or counts of numbers of individual organisms or species. "Such 'geostatistical' data may be collected at any sample of locations in a region of interest. Because data from neighboring sites often are more similar than data from disparate sites, this spatial dependence typically is modeled as a function of the distance between a pair of sites 'as the crow flies,' " Rathbun said. "But it turns out that the distance 'as the fish swims' may be more relevant for data collected in, for instance, irregularly shaped estuaries." Rathbun's research also has focused on the methods for modeling the effects of partially observed environmental variables such as soil moisture, elevation, and light on "spatial point patterns" such as forest trees, turtle nests, and earthquake epicenters. He also develops new models for understanding such "spatial point patterns." Because these patterns result from the birth, growth, and survivorship of individual organisms, they can lead to a better understanding of these important demographic processes. Rathbun is currently working on issues concerning environment sampling. Many environmental modeling programs use a sampling design that selects sampling locations based on convenience. For example, some models of global climate change use data collected from existing weather stations, which tend to be concentrated in more developed countries. "That practice can have certain consequences in estimating past changes in global climate," Rathbun said. Rathbun joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. Previously, he had been director of the Statistical Consulting Center at the University of Georgia since 1997 and an associate professor at Georgia since 1996. He was a visiting assistant professor at Oregon State University in the summers from 1991 to 1993. Rathbun earned his doctoral degree in statistics at Iowa State University in 1990. He has received two master's degrees, one in statistics from Iowa State University in 1987 and one in biology from Florida State University in 1980. He earned his bachelor's degree in biology at Florida State University in 1976.
Aissa Wade studies Poisson geometry, which is related to certain
types of mechanical systems. "The need for a geometric understanding of mechanical systems has been a strong motivation in the developments of basic tools in Poisson geometry," Wade said. "I study the classification problem for Poisson structures in order to understand local and global phenomena in this theory," Wade said. "In addition, my research focuses on some generalizations of Poisson structures such as Jacobi, Nambu, and Dirac structures." Wade, along with fellow Penn State faculty member Ranee Brylinski and postdoctoral fellow Ben Davis, is organizing the seminar program of Penn State's Center for Geometry and Mathematical Physics. In addition, Wade also is helping to coordinate the Geometry and Topology seminar with two faculty members at Penn State Altoona. The seminar takes place at Altoona once a month. "This is an opportunity to interact with other faculty members, graduate students, and visitors," Wade said. "With the amiable and active environment we have here, it's pleasant to organize the seminars." Wade joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. She had been a visiting assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and previously was a postdoctoral fellow at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. Before that, she was a research and teaching associate at the University of Montpellier 2 in France. Wade earned her doctoral degree in mathematics at the University of Montpelier 2 in France in 1996.
David Weiss performs experiments with laser-cooled atoms in optical lattices and other light traps. Weiss uses cold, trapped atoms to make precise measurements of fundamental constants and to test fundamental symmetries. He also uses these atoms as model systems to address issues in atomic physics, condensed-matter physics, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics. "I am searching for the electric dipole moment of the electron using ultra-cold, trapped cesium and rubidium atoms. If the electron has an electric dipole moment in the range that we can measure, that would be physics beyond the Standard Model. The Standard Model explains essentially all current physical observations, but most physicists believe it is incomplete. A measurement that is not explained by the Standard Model would be very exciting," Weiss said. Quantum theory states that the wavelike nature of atoms allows them to spread out and even overlap. At a high-enough density and a low-enough temperature (billionths of a degree above absolute zero) the atoms can, like photons in a laser, enter into a common quantum state with a common energy, known as a Bose-Einstein condensate. Weiss's experiments are a jumping-off point for attempts to achieve a Bose-Einstein condensate using only optical trapping. "An all-optical approach to achieving a Bose-Einstein condensate would be very fast and would expand the range of atoms that can be condensed, to include, for example, cesium, which is an important atom for many precision measurements," Weiss said. "Cold atoms can be used as a practical tool, most notably in atomic gyroscopes, accelerometers, and clocks." Along these lines, he says he will work to make a quantum computer using atoms in an optical lattice, a web of laser beams that surround the atoms from many different directions. The Eberly College of Science's dedication to enhancing and expanding atomic physics helped sway Weiss's decision to relocate to University Park. "There's a commitment here to expansion in atomic physics. I'm glad to be part of the growth," Weiss said. "Also, in general, the atmosphere in the Penn State physics department is both dynamic and exceptionally collegial." Weiss joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. He previously had been an assistant professor at the University of California at Berkeley. Before that, he had been a postdoctoral fellow at Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris from 1993 to 1994. Weiss earned his doctoral degree in physics at Stanford University in 1993. He earned his bachelor's degree in physics at Amherst College, graduating summa cum laude, in 1985.
Mary Elizabeth Williams studies electron transfers in novel hybrid materials as her primary research interest. She already has three different projects under way in her laboratory focusing on three different aspects of that research. She has many other research ideas and scientific interests, though. Her arrival at Penn State was prompted by a desire for a variety of research options, and the response and support she has received so far have only heightened her desire to participate with interdisciplinary programs whenever possible throughout the Eberly College of Science. "That's the natural way science has to go, toward working together," Williams says. "So many problems require questions from many different directions to get good answers, and working in a small niche does not always provide those answers. With an interdisciplinary approach you can conduct better science, and students trained to appreciate that approach can become better scientists and have more options themselves." Doors for potential collaboration first opened for Williams during her interview process at Penn State. When she met with faculty members from other departments during her second interview, she made note of how the Department of Chemistry and the Eberly College of Science regarded departmental lines. "Penn State was the only place where nobody asked what kind of chemist I was," Williams says. "They were more interested in me being a good scientist. Penn State has been among the leaders in not stressing those types of divisions within departments, and it provides a much more productive atmosphere." Trained as an analytical chemist, Williams' works to apply her chemistry interests to fields such as materials science and physical chemistry. She also brings important experience to her position at Penn State, having directed a laboratory at Northwestern University while completing postdoctoral work. With her interests, that experience, and support from mentors such as Thomas Mallouk, DuPont Professor of Materials Chemistry at Penn State, and Paul Weiss, professor of chemistry at Penn State, Williams believes she has a good start toward making an important contribution at the University. In fact, she was able to attract four top-notch graduate students to her lab at Penn State within the first month. She had been hoping for one. "From the beginning, Penn State has been a good fit, professionally and scientifically," Williams says. "With all the things that have needed to be done, and all the support the department has provided, it seems like I've been sprinting from the start—and that's a good thing because it means we're busy, and it means we're closer to being productive." Along with experience as a research assistant and a teaching assistant, Williams has earned numerous awards and honors, including the American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry Graduate Fellowship in 1998. She earned her doctoral degree at the University of North Carolina in 1999 and her bachelor's degree at St. John Fisher College in 1994. She is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, the Materials Research Society, the Electrochemical Society, and the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry.
Jinwu Ye is a theoretical physicist whose research program in condensed-matter physics is driven by his belief that deep and fundamental understandings of novel states of matter will eventually lead to big advances in technology. "I am eager to apply my mathematical skills and the physical insights gained from my research in theoretical physics to closely related fields such as economics, finance, computer science, and information technology," Ye said. "Strongly correlated electron systems may enter into different exotic states at very low temperatures close to absolute zero, in a similar way as water undergoes a phase transition to ice at 32 degrees Fahrenheit," Ye explained. Ye is trying to develop fully quantum-mechanical approaches to understanding different novel states of matter, the quantum phase transitions between these states, and exotic conditions that can occur within these states. He is also trying to understand the underlying mechanisms that take place during phase transitions at low temperatures in strongly correlated electron systems, and to identify possible new kinds of states of matter. "Although classical mechanics works very well to describe the different states of water and the classical phase transitions between these states, its usefulness breaks down at extremely low temperatures," Ye said. "Quantum mechanics and strong-coupling methods are necessary for describing matter at such low temperatures, when the systems enter into completely new states of matter that may be dramatically different from the conventional metallic state." One of his goals is to explain recent experimental discoveries made possible by the ever-increasing advance of experimental techniques, and to make new predictions to be tested by experiments involving high-temperature superconductivity, superfluidity, and quantum Hall effects. Ye joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. He previously had held positions as assistant professor at the University of Houston and as a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University. Ye earned his bachelor's degree in physics at Tsinghua University in mainland China. He earned his doctoral degree in physics at Yale University.
Yuxi Zheng studies partial differential equations, seeking applications and collaborations for his theories in fields such as astronomy, chemistry, materials science, and physics. As one of the most recent additions to the Department of Mathematics at Penn State, he believes the department and the University provide a vibrant environment for him to pursue his passions of research and teaching. He especially anticipates the possibility of collaborations and research utilizing the William G. Pritchard Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. "Our department provides a lot of opportunity," Zheng says. "In the fluid mechanics laboratory, so many things interest me about the viscosity properties of different fluids. The laboratory provides a wonderful opportunity to combine applications and theory." During his first two weeks on campus, Zheng made two visits to the fluid mechanics laboratory. Potential collaborations in many other fields interest him as well, perhaps because he was prevented from focusing on anything but math as a student in China. Because of a vision problem—he's color blind—Zheng was not allowed to study sciences such as astronomy, chemistry, and physics. While he initially missed the more hands-on challenges of those fields, he was strong in mathematics. Now his experience with partial differential equations allows him to contribute to those somewhat more tangible fields from a mathematical perspective. As a result, he estimates that he splits his time evenly between hands-on and theoretical work. He also makes time for his other "joy," teaching. Upon his arrival at Penn State this past summer, Zheng started outlining a plan and solving homework problems for "Introduction of Applied Mathematics," the class he teaches. "It's great to teach because the students are such a joy," Zheng says. "They ask questions and provide important perspectives that allow me to look at my work in a different way and make me a better mathematician." Prior to his arrival at Penn State, Zheng, who has authored or coauthored three books and more than 30 journal articles, served as an associate and assistant professor at Indiana University from 1992 to 2001. He was a visiting member at the Courant Institute at New York University from 1992 to 1993. He completed postdoctoral work at the Institute for Advanced Study from 1991 to 1992, and at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute at the University of California at Berkeley from 1990 to 1991. He earned his doctoral degree at the University of California at Berkeley in 1990 and his bachelor's degree at Shandong University, China, in 1983.
Ludmil Zikatanov focuses his research on numerical solutions to linear and non-linear partial differential equations. "Most physical phenomena are modeled by some differential equation or systems of differential equations, which constitute mathematical models of the physical phenomena. I am trying to pull numbers out of these abstract models. In that way, I can give an engineer the numbers he needs," Zikatanov said. "For building bridges, there are well-established models — such as linear elasticity models, as there are for so many other things. What I try to do is, for example, design a way to compute accurately, reliably, and as fast as possible the level of stress or other physical characteristics of the bridge." Zikatanov says his research is split almost in half between experimentation and theory. Some of the models can be input into a computer, taking advantage of burgeoning computer technology. Others, he said, require old-fashioned pencil-and-paper design of special algorithms before being put into a computer. Recently he was involved in research of the numerical investigation of the physical model of three-dimensional elasticity. Using several complex mathematical methods, the research team and Zikatanov helped to develop a package of computer programs for geomechanical problems with direct industrial applications. Teaming with several other mathematicians and industry experts, he helped to complete a working version of this package, which is now used for bridge design. Zikatanov, who teaches an undergraduate course in numerical analysis, says his experience tells him that no matter what field his students eventually enter, mastery of his subject matter will be invaluable. "I think teaching is quite important, equally important as research," he said. "Even though I'm teaching at an introductory level, there is a big demand for numerical analysis, whether you are an engineer or a computer scientist." Zikatanov said his move to Penn State is partly the result of a chance encounter some six years ago. While Zikatanov was a visiting researcher at UCLA in 1995, he met Penn State's Jinchao Xu, which led to a postdoctoral stint at Penn State and strong cooperation between the two. Zikatanov joined the Penn State faculty for the fall 2001 semester. He served as a postdoctoral fellow at Penn State from 1997 to 2001. He was also a visiting researcher at the University of California at Los Angeles from 1995 to 1997. Zikatanov earned his doctoral degree in mathematics at Sofia University in Bulgaria in 1995. He earned his master's degree in mathematics, also at Sofia University, in 1988.
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Naomi Altman
Qiang
Du
Kurt
Gibble
Gerald
Mahan
Wojciech
Makalowski
Steve
Rathbun
Aissa
Wade
David
Weiss
Mary
Elizabeth Williams
Jinwu
Ye
Yuxi
Zheng
Ludmil
Zikatanov