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Lasering in on experimental physics education
By Jordan Flemming. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.
Josh Crone, an undergraduate lab development specialist at the University of Waterloo, recently scored a win in the 2023 Gentec-EO Laser Lab Awards. This global competition is dedicated to enhancing optics labs in educational institutions, ensuring students have access to industry-leading measurement instruments. Collaborating with Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland, Crone paved the way for the win by developing a compelling narrative on how this equipment would benefit physics education at Waterloo.
The Gentec-EO Laser Lab Awards call for applicants to detail their plans for employing Gentec-EO materials in their labs and explain the physics principles students will grasp from these resources. Competitors must hold instructional roles, conducting laboratory demonstrations or experiments at a college or university.
The awards program offers a wide array of cutting-edge prizes. Winners can select their prize from among five options, each designed to enhance laser research capabilities in their respective institutions.
Strickland’s lab selected the PRONTO-SI, a portable photodiode-based laser power meter. This prize will provide first-year physics students with hands-on experiences that foster scientific curiosity.
Equipment being set up to deliver new physics labs for first-year students.
In the upcoming first-year physics lab course designed for Honours Physics Majors, approximately 50 students per year will have the unique opportunity to engage in experiments that explore the fascinating phenomenon of frequency doubling.
This process involves transforming near-infrared light into blue light using a powerful class four laser. The PRONTO-SI will play a crucial role in this experiment, allowing students to explore and understand the intricate relationship between peak power, average power, and intensity within the laser system and understand why the light spectrum changes.
The experiment was designed as part of graduate student Urja Nandivada’s work on her master’s specialization in physics education.
“My main work focuses on using ultrafast lasers to develop experiments in undergraduate optics based on current best practices in physics education pedagogies,” states Nandivada.
Strickland’s lab is actively working on a series of "Gee Whiz Labs" designed to ignite the fascination and interest of new physics students.
“These labs offer access to high-level equipment and experiments typically reserved for fourth-year or graduate students, bringing them to the first-year level,” says Crone.
This initiative aims to inspire students by exposing them to exciting experiments, such as laser tweezers, which is closely related to the Nobel Prize-winning work of Arthur Ashkin who won the Nobel Prize in 2018 alongside Strickland.
“The equipment setup is almost complete, and we are conducting safety reviews — as you can imagine safety is very important, especially with working with class four lasers,” says Crone.
Physics plans to roll out these experiments in phases, with the first-year Honours Physics course set to debut soon. Subsequently, the experiments will also be integrated into the third and fourth-year Modern Physics lab course, benefiting approximately 75 students per term.
Announcing Velocity Pitch Competition Semi-Finalists
By Velocity Communications.
Twenty-six student teams from all University of Waterloo faculties advance to the Velocity Pitch Competition semi-finals
A record number of student teams put their hats in the ring in hopes of winning their share of $20,000 at the Velocity Pitch Competition fall 2023 term.
The semi-finals see the teams take the stage and present their innovative business idea live for a chance to win one of four $5,000 grants. Each semi-finalist team representative will have three minutes to pitch and captivate a panel of expert judges, convincing them of the potential and viability of their business idea.
The below 26 teams will pitch over two nights November 15 and November 16 at QNC0101.
Waterloo, IIT Madras collaborate on partnership to strengthen global research collaborations
A message from Waterloo International.
Waterloo International is excited to announce a collaborative initiative between the University of Waterloo and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) aimed at fostering research excellence and intercultural understanding. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the longstanding partnership between our institutions. Faculty members are invited to apply to this opportunity by November 15, 2023. For more information visit the program website.
This initiative — Graduate Student Mobility Partnership (GSMP) — facilitates the exchange of PhD students between the two institutions, providing invaluable research experiences. Three PhD students from IIT Madras will embark on a research journey at Waterloo in Summer 2024, while three Waterloo PhD students will have the opportunity to conduct research at IIT Madras in Fall 2024/Winter 2025.
The program aims to achieve several key outcomes:
- Enhanced Specialized Knowledge and Intercultural Competence: Individual students from both institutions will gain in-depth knowledge and intercultural perspectives, enriching their academic journey.
- Strengthened Research Groups: Research groups at both IIT Madras and Waterloo will benefit from increased capacity, productivity, and international exposure, thereby advancing the boundaries of knowledge.
- Fostering Future Collaborations: The exchange will foster mutual understanding and pave the way for future collaborative endeavors across various domains, including learning, research, and community engagement.
The collaborative journey between the University of Waterloo and IIT Madras was given additional impetus with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in 2018. A pivotal Presidential Delegation visit led by Dr. Vivek Goel in March 2023 further deepened the interest in expanding collaboration. Aligned with Waterloo's Strategic Plan, this initiative underscores the university's commitment to global citizenship, diverse perspectives, and community cohesion. It envisions a community of problem solvers and leaders poised to address the challenges facing humanity and our planet as we designate themes prioritized in Waterloo at 100.
Interested faculty members can apply by submitting a brief application including their CV and responses to specific questions. The selection criteria encompass clarity, sustainability of collaboration, positive experiences for students, intercultural exchange, and contributions to Waterloo's strategic goals.
The Graduate Student Mobility Partnership with IIT Madras represents a significant step towards fostering global research collaborations and nurturing the next generation of innovators. This initiative exemplifies the shared commitment of the University of Waterloo and IIT Madras to advance knowledge and tackle real-world challenges in a spirit of inclusivity and innovation. Together, we look forward to a future of impactful research and transformative discoveries.
Board of Governors meets today; other notes
The University's Board of Governors holds its last meeting of 2023 today at 1:30 p.m. in NH 3407. Among the agenda items:
- A motion from the Pension & Benefits committee to approve an amendment to the extended health benefit
relative to the In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) provision; and - From the Consent Agenda, a motion to approve faculty sabbaticals, administrative and other leaves in accordance with Policy 3.
Reports and updates to Board will come from President Goel on the Strategic Plan 2022-2023 Progress Report; reports from the Board's six standing committees; Provost Rush on the annual report to Board from the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) and on the 2023-2024 operating budget. The Board will then move to confidential session. The full agenda is available on the Secretariat's website.
For those getting into the Halloween spirit, pictured above is Biology Professor Josh Neufeld who is apparently considering a lucrative research career change to the Department of Chemistry…