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Fall 1999
Alumni Newsletter
College of Science
Vol. 8 Issue 1
Dr. Jan Sojka Receives D. Wynne Thorne Research Award
MacMahon's Musings Students are back on campus, faculty are in the classrooms, and the Taggart Student DeanJim MacMahon Center is filled with card tables displaying everything a student must have or do . The new school year has started . Early indications are that we will regain the loss of students that we incurred during the transition to semesters last year. That loss seems to be common to all schools that change systems. An important consequence of a loss of students is that budgets are negatively influenced and so are services that we can provide. Thus, the encouraging enrollment indicators are a great relief to those ofus who have to plan ahead . The Widtsoe Hall building project progressed very well over the summer. The building looks larger to most visitors than they ever imagined. In fact, we have nearly the same overall space as in the current Widtsoe Hall-it just looks bigger because of its configuration. We gain some usable space because of the economy of design that was developed by the architects. We are right on schedule to make the move to the new building in December and to cornrnence the demolition of the old Widtsoe Hall to make room for the Eccles Science Learning Center . Speaking of the Leaming Center, we are still in need of major gifts. We must accumulate either funds or pledges totaling $1.5 million in the next six months . If you
MUSINGS Continued on page 2
April 12, 1969: A Scottish youngster celebrating his 11th birthday hears on the radio that the first manned spaceflight has just occurred , one orbit around the earth by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. " It was like a birthday pre sent that set my career forever . I've been in it since day one ," explains Dr. Jan Sojka , internationally known space physicist and recipient of the 1999 D . Wynne Thome Research Award. This award is presented Dr. Sojka advises three students in the annually by the Office of Get Away Special program. the Vice President for Research to a faculty member who has built a reputation for significant research or creative achievement and is recognized nationally and internationally by his professional peers . The award is named in honor of Dr. D . Wynne Thome, USU 's first vice president for research. Dr. Sojka is assistant director of the interdisciplinary Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences (CASS) , a professor in the Department of Physics , and director of the Bear Lake Observatory (an optical/radar facility jointly sponsored by CASS and the Space Dynamics Laboratory). He earned a BS degree in physics from Edinburgh University in 1972 and a PhD degree in physics from University College London in 1976 . He came to USU in 1978, after conducting research at the Mullard Space Science Lab of University College London during 1975 - 1978. The following is an excerpt from a letter written in support of Dr. Sojka's nomination for the Thome award by Dr. Robert Schunk ( director of CASS, professor in the Department of Physics , and fellow of the American Geophysical Union) : "During his 23-year career , Jan has proven himself to be a dedicated, energetic , self-motivated, and highly competent scientist who has an excellent international reputation. He has authored or co-authored more than 140 scientific papers in refereed journals and books , and he has SO/KA 011page 1 Co11till11etl