11 physics grad students advance to PhD Candidacy this year!

Reflecting the growth of our PhD programs, a record high 11 physics department grad students advanced to PhD Candidacy this year. These students and their mentors were honored at the Graduate School's "Doctoral Candidates Recognition Ceremony" on Nov. 13, 2018. Congrats to all....we are proud of you!

2018 PhD Candidates:

• Anthony Bratt, "Remote sensing of aerosoll absorption using satelite-based LIDAR and near-infrared spectroscopy"

• Adam Harvey, "Understanding Blazar emission and measuring the total light in the universe"

• Mary Keenan, "Unification schemes in Radio-loud AGN"

• Hari Lamsal, "Ultralow-power nonlinear optics using optical nanofibers in atomic vapor"

• Ian Nodurft, "Applications of heralding and post-selection in quantum communications"

• Anin Puthukkudy, "Towards an ideal database for microphysical and optical properties of volcanic ash"

• Chamara Rajapakshe, "Interactions of radiation with aerosols and clouds in a three-dimensional atmosphere: Implications for aerosol and cloud remote sensing"

• Thomas Smith, "Turbulence-free interferometry and its application to gravitational wave detection"

• Qianqian Song, "Are dust aerosols cooling or warming our planet? A study of the net direct radiative effects of dust aerosols"

• Brian Uthe, "Unraveling the complex fluid dynamics of simple liquids"

• Zhifeng Yang, "Improving air quality forecasts of ozone and particulate matter: Modeling-observation integrated study"

Physics Department PhD students at the November 2018 Doctoral Candidacy Ceremony. Back row: Tom Smith, Chamara Rajapakshe, Qianqian Song, Adam Harvey, Hari Lamsal. Front row: Zhifeng Yang, Tony Bratt, Ian Nodurft, Anin Puthukkudy.