A key component of an undergraduate education in the sciences at JMU is the opportunity to participate in original research. We believe in the value of exposing students to the thrills and frustrations involved in real scientific research - research that attracts external funding, leads to publications and presentations, and uses state of the art equipment and instrumentation. Students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy have an opportunity to work closely with faculty members whose sole teaching focus is meeting the needs of the undergraduate student.

Current Research Groups Dr. K. Giovanetti - Particle and Nuclear Dr. C. Hughes - Materials Dr. G. Niculescu - Nuclear Dr. I. Niculescu - Nuclear Dr. S. Paulson - Materials Dr. J. Rudmin - Computational Dr. S. Scully - Astrophysics Dr. B. Utter - Soft Condensed Matter Dr. S. Whisnant - Nuclear

Funding Sources Jeffress Memorial Trust National Science Foundation NASA Petroleum Research Fund Research Corporation U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Defense

Collaborations Brookhaven National Lab Fermilab Jefferson National Lab NASA Goddard Naval Research Lab Paul Scherrer Institute Triangle Universities Nuclear Lab University of Missouri-Rolla University of North Carolina University of Virginia

Conferences Where Students Have Presented Research American Chemical Society American Physical Society - March Meeting American Physical Society - Div. of Nuclear Physics American Physical Society - Southeastern Section AAPT - Chesapeake Section Council on Undergraduate Research Materials Research Society National Conference of Undergraduate Research Virginia Academy of Science