4th straight year, physics student earns nuclear chemistry fellowship
All evidence indicates the American Chemical Society (ACS) Nuclear Chemistry School decision-makers think highly of Austin Peay State Universitys Department of Physics and Astronomy.For the fourth straight year, an APSU physics student has been selected for a summer fellowship at the prestigious Nuclear Chemistry School, part of Brookhaven National Laboratory located in Upton, Long Island, N.Y.
All evidence indicates the American Chemical Society (ACS) Nuclear Chemistry School decision-makers think highly of Austin Peay State University's Department of Physics and Astronomy.
For the fourth straight year, an APSU physics student has been selected for a summer fellowship at the prestigious Nuclear Chemistry School, part of Brookhaven National Laboratory located in Upton, Long Island, N.Y.
For Summer 2007, Josh Henry, who attends APSU on the G.I. bill, has been selected for this coveted spot. Fluent in Arabic, Henry served in the military as a linguist in Iraq before coming to Austin Peay as a physics major.
Dr. Jaime Taylor, chair of the APSU Department of Physics and Astronomy, said, 鈥淪everal of Josh's professors made a point to tell me how impressed they are with his abilities and work ethic.鈥
The brochure for the Nuclear Chemistry School gives fellowship requirements, one of which is that the student must have completed two years of chemistry.
According to Taylor, all four APSU students were selected after completing only one year of chemistry.
鈥淛ustin Roper had to learn the necessary chemistry on the fly,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淚'm fairly certain our students were accepted (with only one year of chemistry) because of the reputation Justin made for APSU in 2004 and the reputation our department now has with that program.鈥
Nuclear Chemistry School fellowship recipients receive $3,000, plus room, board and some living expenses. During their summer fellowship, they take two nuclear chemistry courses for which they receive six hours of college credit.
鈥淚n other words, they get paid to take classes,鈥 Taylor said.
Previous Nuclear Chemistry School summer fellowship recipients from APSU are the following:
2004 -- Justin Roper, Sparta, who also was chosen as a teaching assistant at the Nuclear Chemistry School during Summer 2005, is pursuing a Ph.D. in medical physics at Duke University.
2005 -- Landon Clark, Clarksville, is working on a master's degree in medical physics at Vanderbilt University.
2006 -- Bill Talkington, Clarksville, who also has been chosen as a teaching assistant at the Nuclear Chemistry School during Summer 2007, is a senior physics major at APSU. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at West Virginia University.
Currently, 60 APSU students major in physics. For more information, contact Taylor by telephone at (931) 221- 6361 or e-mail taylorj@apsu.edu or visit the department's Web site by going to the index at www.apsu.edu and scroll down to Physics. -- Dennie B. Burke