Decades of weird experimental results appeared to support the existence of the sterile neutrino, a hypothetical particle that would solve multiple mysteries. But recent experiments have killed hope of finding these phantoms, leaving physicists to wonder what might explain their anomalies. “It’s on us to learn how to get creative,” said Matheus Hostert, a physicist at the University of Iowa. “This is a very exciting time for the field, especially for theorists like myself who get to ask hard questions about all this data.”

David Miles, deputy director of research operations in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and a co-investigator for the rocket launch, was tasked with building the magnetometer attached to the rocket. While Miles had seen countless rocket launches before, Norway’s launch was a first for graduate student Jessica Mondoskin, the lead graduate student for the magnetometer project.

Associate Professor David Miles has been named the 2026 Scholar of the Year. The award recognizes nationally distinguished achievement in research, scholarship, and creative activity in the past 24 months. Richard Dvorksy, aerospace principal engineer and interim research administrator, has received the 2026 Distinguished Research Professional Award. This award recognizes staff members who performed exceptional service in support of research at the University of Iowa.