NSF Press Release

Media contact:

 Bill Noxon

 (703) 292-8070

 wnoxon@nsf.gov

Program contact:

 Herb Levitan

 (703) 292-4627

 hlevitan@nsf.gov

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

Arthur B. Ellis
Meloche-Bascom Professor of Chemistry

University of
Wisconsin-Madison

Research on electro-optical properties of materials, widely published and incorporated into instructional materials. National awards for developing instructional texts, kits and CDs for college and pre-college science classrooms. Project will create instructional materials on nanoscale science and engineering for undergraduates.

Leah H. Jamieson
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineeering

Purdue University

Leading researcher in integrating signal processing-based speech recognition systems with natural language processing systems. Co-founded center for Engineering Projects in Community Service. Project will create interdisciplinary faculty team to engage teams of students in long- term, multidisciplinary endeavors that solve technology-based problems faced by not-for-profit community agencies.

Gretchen Kalonji
Kyocera Chair, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

University of Washington

Theoretical studies of the structure and properties of defects in crystalline solids. An NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award recipient in 1984. Contributions to international education and academic career encouragement to underrepresented groups. Project will develop alliances among multinational students/faculty to strategically couple undergraduate reform to solving complex regional problems.

Eric Mazur
Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics and Professor of Physics

Harvard University

Distinguished researcher in experimental ultrafast optics and condensed matter. His work led to the discovery of "black silicon." A 1988 NSF Presidential Young Investigator. Energized change to how introductory courses are taught to science majors and non- majors. Project will build on his "Peer Instruction" strategy, using Web-based resources so instructors may download class- ready materials.

Joseph O'Rourke
Olin Professor of Computer Science

Smith College

Research in computational geometry has had applications for computer graphics, robotics and manufacturing. A 1984 Presidential Young Investigator. He co-authors many publications with undergraduates and a leader in supporting women to pursue careers in computer science. Project will take his recent research work in computational geometry into classrooms from 6th grade upward, connecting the physical models to real-world problems.

H. Eugene Stanley
University Professor and Professor of Physics

Boston University

Among the most-cited physicists for work in applying statistical mechanics to physics, chemistry, engineering, biology and medicine. Developed visualization materials to help students understand the large-scale features of simple and complex systems in terms of of the small- scale interactions that give rise to them. Project will include the production/publication of toolkits to provide structure for curriculum design and modeling, and visualization, and to collaborate with teaching faculty to integrate research based educational technologies into the classroom.

Carl E. Wieman
Distinguished Professor of Physics

University of Colorado-Boulder

Distinguished in the field of laser spectroscopy and atomic physics. He helped achieve the cooling of atoms to far lower Temperatures than any previously, realizing for the first time the phenomenon of the Bose-Einstein Condensation of a gas, proposed initially in 1924. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, he contributes to the development of national policies to improve undergraduate physics education. Project focuses on improving learning of physics by undergraduates, including those not majoring in science; also, the development of Java applets and interactive lecture demonstrations as a companion to the textbook, "How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life."