A group of researchers in the Department of Physics and Astronomy has received $470,310 in funding from the NASA Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA) Program to collaborate on the POEMMA-Balloon with Radio (PBR) mission.

For decades, University of Iowa-built scientific instruments onboard the two Voyager spacecraft have yielded groundbreaking discoveries as the vessels explore the cosmic unknown.

David Nataf joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy in August as an assistant professor in the Astronomy and Astrophysics research area. Nataf studies populations of stars to use them to understand better the history of our galaxy (The Milky Way) and the University as a whole. His research uses data from various ground-based observatories (based in Chile, Hawaii, etc.) and present and upcoming space-based observatories such as the Hubble, James Webb, and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescopes.

Several local news organizations did stories about the University of Iowa's $1.495 million award from NASA’s Safety, Security, and Mission Services division for state-of-the-art equipment needed to build instruments for future missions. The funds will also provide students with more opportunities to obtain instrument-building knowledge and training for careers in space exploration. The Support for Space Technology Innovation and Education award originated with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who toured research areas in Van Allen Hall on Aug. 23 to learn more about the Department's efforts to build spaceflight instrumentation and its programs giving students in STEM fields hands-on experience with flight hardware.

The University of Iowa, a long-standing leader in the design and building of instruments for space-based missions, has been awarded nearly $1.5 million from NASA to purchase state-of-the-art equipment needed to build instruments for future missions. The funds will also provide students more opportunities to obtain the instrument-building knowledge and training for careers in space exploration.

Assistant Professor Casey DeRoo has received the Collegiate Teaching Award from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) at the University of Iowa. Collegiate Teaching Awards are given each year to faculty who demonstrate outstanding performance in the classroom, laboratory, or studio.

Jodie McLennan, a graduate student studying pulsating aurora, was awarded a NASA FINESST (Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology) Fellowship covering her graduate work for the next three years.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant to Prof. Wayne Polyzou that will support a research collaboration with particle physics students in Poland and Ukraine. The $300,000 grant from the NSF’s Office of International Science and Engineering is part of the International Multilateral Partnerships for Resilient Education and Science System in Ukraine (IMPRESS-U) program.

Dr. Usha Mallik, age 77, distinguished physicist of the University of Iowa died tragically Sunday, August 4, 2024, from injuries in a car accident north of Iowa City. She worked extensively in CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory. In 2020, Dr. Mallik received a University of Iowa award for being a mentor to students and faculty as well as her service to the global “high energy physics” community. A time of gathering for family and friends will be held from 1 to 4 pm Saturday, August 17th. at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City where remarks can be shared beginning at 2pm.

Dr. Dustin Swarm, a postdoctoral research scholar in the University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy was selected as one of five Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellows by the NASA Astrophysics Division. This early-career award for instrumentalists working in NASA Astrophysics supports the advancement of their ideas for new technologies to further the exploration of the universe.