Western Kentucky University students and faculty traveled October 25-28th to the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee to attend the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Division of Nuclear Physics of the American Physical Society (APS). The Meeting has international scope and covers themes from theory of nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics to applied nuclear physics and stewardship science.

API students received APS awards to attend this Meeting. It provides a “capstone” experience for undergraduate students who have conducted nuclear physics research. Students are able to present their extensive research to many professionals and other fellow students. The conference also provides a networking opportunity for students to interact with faculty and senior scientists from graduate institutions. Many attendees inquired about graduate school opportunities and future plans after completion of their undergraduate work from WKU.

Student Researchers from the Applied Physics Institute Jeremy Board, Eric Houchins, Chris McGrath, Kyle Moss, and Matt Nichols presented results of their independent research projects to other conference members. These projects covered different topics from nuclear physics and were outlined in a poster session. Dr. Phillip Womble and Dr. Alex Barzilov, API directors and physics faculty members, accompanied students and also presented research papers at the Meeting sessions.

• Jeremy Board (Payneville, KY): “Integrating Wireless Networking to Radiation Detectors”
• Eric Houchins (Bowling Green, KY): “Pulsed Elemental Analysis using Neutrons”
• Chris McGrath (Logan Co., KY): “The Utilization of Free-Running Digital Signal Processors as a Method of Multi-Channel Analyzers”
• Kyle Moss (Greensburg, KY): “A Gamma Ray Spectrometer Based on Mobile Phone Technology”
• Matt Nichols (Bowling Green, KY): “The Effect of Nuclear Cross-Section Data on the Measurement of Elemental Densities in Explosives Threat Analysis”

• From Left to Right: Kyle Moss, Matt Nichols, Jeremy Board, Eric Houchins, Chris McGrath, and Dr. Phil Womble standing in front of research project posters.

• From Left to Right: Kyle Moss, Matt Nichols, Jeremy Board, Eric Houchins, Chris McGrath, and Dr. Alex Barzilov in-between poster sessions, where API student researchers shared their individual project posters with research professionals and fellow students.

• Matt Nichols, Eric Houchins, Jeremy Board, Chris McGrath and Kyle Moss enjoying the Nuclear Physics Conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee.

For further information, contact Kelly Johnson at 270-781-3859 or Kelly.Johnson1@wku.edu.