In the latest U.S. News global rankings, the University of Iowa's subject ranking in physics increased from No. 176 to No. 146.

Professor Craig Kletzing was recently named an American Physical Society Fellow. He was nominated by the Division of Plasma Physics for insightful experimental and theoretical studies of Alfven waves, under conditions applicable to the acceleration of electrons that powers aurorae, and for leadership in developing satellite-based plasma wave instrumentation.

Four Physics and Astronomy graduate students won the "Best Space Themed Development Project" at the HackUIowa event Oct. 15-16 at the Iowa Memorial Union. Graduate students Cole Armstrong, Philip Griffin, Aidan Moore and Jacob Payne teamed up for the AstroMech 9 project, which connects people with space by showing where stars and constellations are in the night sky.

Three Physics and Astronomy faculty were honored at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Awards Ceremony, held Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, in the Old Capitol Senate Chambers.

Five Physics and Astronomy students have been invited to join the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honors organization in the United States.

Greg Howes, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been honored by the American Physical Society with an award for his contributions to plasma physics. Howes received the 2022 Lev D. Landau and Lyman Spitzer Jr. award “for the theoretical development of the field-particle correlation technique and its application to spacecraft measurements directly showing that electron Landau damping plays a role in the dissipation of space plasma turbulence,” according to the society.

Professor Allison Jaynes received a $114,204 award to study how different acceleration mechanisms contribute to create high-energy "killer electrons" in Earth's Van Allen radiation belts.