From the Chair
I am honored to begin my term as Chair of the Eastern Great Lakes Section (EGLS) of the American Physical Society and to work alongside such a dedicated and accomplished executive committee. I’d like to express my deep appreciation to Zifeng Yang (Wright State University) for his outstanding leadership during his term as Chair, and I look forward to collaborating closely with the entire committee: Sebastian Sensale (Chair-Elect, Indiana University Indianapolis), Demet Usanmaz (Vice Chair, Kettering University), Donald J. Priour (Treasurer, Youngstown State University), Nathan Terry (Secretary, US Air Force Institute of Technology), Buhjyo Bhattacharya (Section Councilor, Lawrence Technological University), and our Members-at-Large, Rahul Rao (Air Force Research Laboratory) and Rachel J Henderson (Michigan State University).
By way of introduction, I am an Associate Professor of Physics at Kettering University, where I have taught courses in Newtonian mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics. My scholarly interests lie at the intersection of physics education, semiconductor materials, and computational physics.
This year, one of my key goals as Chair is to focus our collective attention on supporting the vital work of our Awards Committee chaired by Jason Pinkney (Ohio Northern University). EGLS sponsors several important recognitions, including:
- The Howard Maxwell Award for Distinguished Service to the Section
- The William Fowler Award for Distinguished Research in Physics
- The Doc Brown Young Investigator Award
- The EGLS Undergraduate Student Outstanding Poster Award
- The EGLS Graduate Student Outstanding Poster Award
- The EGLS Meeting Award for Undergraduate Student Talk
- The EGLS Meeting Award for Graduate Student Talk
- The EGLS Student Travel Scholarship
Each of these awards plays a crucial role in elevating and encouraging excellence in physics research, teaching, and service within our region.
It is important to note that these awards are made possible by our generous benefactors as well as the efforts of several dedicated volunteers on the Awards Committee, but they depend on the broader EGLS community for successful administration, robust nominations, and sustained visibility. As such, the Executive Committee will be exploring how we can better partner with the Awards Committee to:
- Streamline nomination and selection processes,
- Improve communication and outreach to ensure a diverse and representative pool of nominees,
- Increase visibility of past awardees to inspire future ones, and
- Strengthen continuity in committee work year to year.
We encourage all members of EGLS to take a look at the awards we offer here and to consider nominating a colleague, student, or mentor whose work deserves to be celebrated.
Our section thrives because of its members; their time, their creativity, and their commitment to the betterment of science. I, for one, am proud to call myself a member of the American Physical Society. I look forward to a productive and inspiring year as Chair, and to working with all of you to ensure EGLS continues to be a vibrant and supportive community for physicists across our region.
Warm regards,
Ronald J. Tackett, Ph.D.
Chair, Eastern Great Lakes Section
Founding Head of the School of Foundational Studies, Kettering University
Associate Professor of Physics, Kettering University
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