Tim Kral, a member of the space center and a faculty member in the department of Biological Sciences, recently received the John and Lois Imhoff Award of Outstanding Teaching and Student Mentorship at the second annual benefit.  He will receive a $1,000 honorarium and a memento of service as this year’s Imhoff Award winner.

Dr. Kral was chosen from a group of three finalists for the award was created by a gift from the John and Lois Imhoff Trust to the UA Teaching Academy.  The award recognizes university faculty members who have demonstrated consistent and committed excellence in teaching, instruction and mentoring.

Space center faculty, students and staff have recently attended the American Astronomical Society’s Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) meeting in Pasadena, California, and the Lunar and Planetary Institute’s Martian Sulfates as Recorders of Atmospheric Fluid Rock Interactions Workshop in Houston. 

At DPS, Julie Chittenden, a space center graduate student, presented the oral, “Insights into Interactions of Water Ice with Regolith Under Simulated Martian Conditions.”  Vincent Chevrier, a space center post-doctoral fellow presented the poster entitled, “Sulfate Brine Stability Under a Simulated Martian Atmosphere.”  Derek Sears, the director of the space center, presented a poster entitled, “Natural Thermo-luminescence and the Radiation and Thermal Histories of Stardust Particles.”

Three members of the space center attended the Sulfates Workshop.  Arnold Gucsik, a visiting professor at the space center, who presented a poster entitled, “Cathodoluminescence Study of Phosphates in the Y000593 Nakhlite.”  Jackie Denson, a space center graduate student, and Vincent Chevrier, a post-doctoral fellow at the space center, presented a poster entitled, “Sulfate Brine Stability Under a Simulated Martian Atmosphere.”

Dan Kennefick, a member of the space center and a faculty member in the department of Physics, is the author of, “Traveling at the Speed of Thought: Einstein and the Quest for Gravitational Waves,” which will come out in May 2007.  The book discusses the controversies and debates that raged aound the subject of gravitational waves after the publication of Einstein’s theory.

Dr. Kennefick gave a public lecture talk this month as part of the Arkansas Public Lectures in Space and Planetary Science.  His talk was entitled, “Traveling at the Speed of Thought: Einstein, Astronomy and the Early History of Gravitational Waves.”

Derek Sears, the director of the space  center and a faculty member in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, gave a talk at the Red River Astronomy Club’s annual Ark-La-Tex Star Party that was held September 21-24 outside of Texarkana, Arkansas.

His talk was entitled, “The Hera Project: Searching for our Beginnings to Find our Future.”  The event was co-sponsored by the American Astronomical Society and UCCUA.

NASA - Research Opportunities in Space & Earth Science

SOLICITED RESEARCH PROGRAMS (IN ORDER OF PROPOSAL DUE DATES)

Admission is free and a reception will follow each talk.  The talks are in the Poultry Science Auditorium at 7:00 pm, unless otherwise noted.

“Traveling at the Speed of Thought: Einstein, Astronomy and the Early History of Gravitational Waves”
Dr. Daniel Kennefick
UArk Physics Dept.
November 15, 2006

“Kepler, A Search for Habitable Planets”
Dr. Janice Voss
NASA Ames Research Center
November 16, 2006
7:30 pm

“The Chemistry That Preceded Life’s Origin: A Study Guide from Meteorites”
Barringer Lecture Series - Giffels Auditorium - Old Main
Dr. Sandra Pizzarello
Arizona State University
December 4, 2006