Faculty Meeting March 14, 2003

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Faculty Meeting March 14, 2003

• Agenda
• News Paul Grannis
• Graduate program Peter Stephens
• Report of the Nuclear Experiment search Jac
  Verbaarschot
• Undergraduate issues Grannis for Chris Jacobsen

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News
Walter Schmeling is interim Manager of the
Machine Shop we are down one person with the
retirement of Richard Yoepp, so there is some
loss of capability. At present the freeze on
new hires precludes us searching for a permanent
manager. I urge your cooperation with Walter and
the shop staff during this time. Department is
asked to improve our readiness for emergencies
fire, spill, bomb threat, etc. by designating
wardens who can supervise the evacuation of the
building in case of emergency. Thanks to those
who have volunteered. A few more, particularly
in the basement, would be appreciated.
University will supply 2-way radios for
communication, flashlights etc. Commencement is
Friday May 23 (department ceremony at 9AM).
Department faculty party at Sunwood on Sunday May
25.
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News
Web page for internal department information
Fall teaching assignments, committees, etc.
http//sbhep1.physics.sunysb.edu/grannis/dept.ht
ml Appointment for Meigan Aronson letter went
out early January, and a companion offer from BNL
for their (50) share. A longish period of
negotiation with BNL and Meigan ensued. Expect
conclusion soon. Adjunct, Research professors
We are making such appointments now on five year
terms to give us the opportunity to re-assess
periodically. My working assumption Adjunct
professors are those employed by other
organizations within SB, or outside (BNL,
Frascati, Marine Sciences etc.). In fact some
emeritus professors who teach regular courses in
the department have also been named adjunct. n.b.
Use of term Adjunct is quite different in most
other departments there, hired guns who come in
to teach courses for pay. Research professors
are those on grant support within the department
who teach or need a title for grant proposals.
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Averbeck, Ralf Research Assistant
Professor Ben-Zvi, Ilan Adjunct
Professor Bergeman, Thomas Research
Professor deZafra , Robert Research
Professor Dierker, Steven Adjunct
Professor diMauro, Louis Adjunct
Professor Forman, Miriam Adjunct
Professor Geller, Marvin Adjunct Professor Lee,
Linwood Adjunct Professor Lee-Franzini,
Juliet Adjunct Professor Mould, Richard Adjunct
Professor Peggs, Steven Adjunct
Professor Prakash, Madappa Research
Professor Semenov, Vasili Research Associate
Professor Starosta, Krzysztof Visiting Assistant
Professor Swartz, Clifford Adjunct
Professor Swesty, Douglas Research Assistant
Professor Tsvelik, Alexei Adjunct
Professor Wijers, Ralph Adjunct
Professor Yanagisawa, Chiaki Research Associate
Professor
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Budget etc.
Understanding of University budget

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Budget etc.
Budget indications for College of Arts and
Sciences There is no State budget yet, no SUNY
budget, no word on tuition increases, so nothing
is clear. College is planning on an effective
budget cut of around 14 relative to last year.
Last years budget adjusted for inflation was
about 57M. CAS budget is 95.6 salary, so
cannot deal with just a cut on OTPS Current
advice to CAS Plan on spending 50.5M. This
would mean cutting out all adjunct professor
budgets (many courses across the university
taught by soft money people on semester
contract) no TA/GA beyond those from Grad
School, 300K total non-salary budget across the
college. Estimate loss of enrollment capability
of 2000 students. Deans plan to keep college
afloat is a budget of 53.9M allowing some
adjuncts, some OTPS but still very tight.
Further problem in that President wants to
increase incoming class by 400, over mandated
number -- this would cost another 0.5M for CAS.
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Budget etc.

• Impacts on Department
• Loss of some TA lines (P. Stephens talk)
• Hiring freeze machine shop supervisor cannot be
  hired now
• Clamp on faculty hiring originally 12 searches
  approved for this year now not clear that any
  will culminate with offer.
• But, there has been a verbal commitment by
  Dean, Provost to make a hire in nuclear
  experiment, if there is a coupling between that
  hire and continuation of NSF funding of Nuclear
  Structure Lab. It will however take an
  exemption from the hiring freeze.
• (net cash flow is positive with grant).
  So, I am hopeful that this search can result in
  an offer.
• Further, it points the way to arguing for other
  faculty hires based on a cost effectiveness.
  I have proposed on these grounds that PA be
  allowed to hire again in next year. I dont
  foresee that we will be able to resolve this
  until the budget for next year becomes clearer.

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Center for Accelerator Science and Engineering
We have prepared a draft proposal for a joint
Stony BrookBNL Center for Accelerator Science
and Engineering (CASE). Accelerator science
and engineering is key to many scientific,
medical and industrial applications. There are
over 10,000 accelerators in the world today
about 150 particle, nuclear and light sources and
the rest used for medical diagnostics, ion
implantation, sterilization etc. Stony Brook has
a strong record in preparing (a few) excellent
accelerator physicists, and has a strong student
body BNL has first class accelerator facilities
and world-class accelerator experts. Get them
together to provide training of new accelerator
scientists. Propose a new unit, patterned after
YITP or Marine Sciences., with participation from
several departments in Arts Sciences and
Engineering. Curriculum drawn in part from
existing courses (e.g. EM, Numerical Analysis
and modelling .. ) and in part new courses taught
through CASE (e.g. beam dynamics, acceleration
mechanisms, advanced accelerator lab, etc.)
Ilan Ben Zvi, Paul Grannis, Steve Peggs, Gene
Sprouse, George Sterman, Bill Weng
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Center for Accelerator Science and Engineering
Students would be partly matriculated directly
into CASE, and partly from participating
departments doing research on accelerator topics
for a degree in the home department. Faculty to
be joint ½ Stony Brook and ½ BNL. From the
estimated curriculum needs, suggest steady state
of 9 joint appt faculty. Seek federal support
for students, postdocs, research program
institutional support for the faculty and staff.
Both DOE and NSF are expressing strong interest
in ramping up support for accelerator
science. Initial discussions with Stony Brook
provost, BNL director, Graduate Dean, BNL staff
have been enthusiastic. Would need new lines to
work cannot take out of existing
departments. Preproposal http//sbhep1.physics.
sunysb.edu/grannis/dept.html
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Undergraduate Program
Curriculum changes Physics of Sport Chang Kee
Jung discussed last Dec. First offering in Fall
2003. New courses on research opportunities in
physics and astronomy (AST200 and PHY200) are now
being offered and seem to be going well. B.A. in
Physics A proposal for a BA in physics is being
prepared. Aimed at those who do not wish to
pursue further degrees in physics pre-Law,
pre-Med, teaching, business, etc.
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Undergraduate Program
We have requested modification of our
introductory calculus-based curriculum. We are
unusual in offering both two- and three-semester
sequences (plus honors), with all courses every
semester. Propose, starting Spring
2004 PHY131 (PHY132) offered in Fall (Spring)
only. (Remove the off- semester
version.) PHY125 offered every semester PHY126
and PHY127 offered in one semester only (PHY126
in fall and PHY127 in spring?)
AST 101, 105, 248 and PHY 121, 122 every
semester (AST101 in summer)
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Introductory Physics courses
Harriman 137 capacity
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Advising students on the sequence

• Im taking the PHY 121/122 sequence
• You start this sequence in either the fall or the
  spring.
• Im taking the PHY 125/126/127 sequence
• My major is Physics, Chemistry, Electrical
  Engineering, or Computer Science
• If youre starting PHY 125 in the fall, take PHY
  125 (year 1 fall), 127 (year 1 spring), and 126
  (year 2 fall) in that order.
• If youre starting PHY 125 in the spring, take
  PHY 125 (year 1 spring), 126 (year 2 fall), and
  127 (year 2 spring) in that order.
• My major is Mechanical Engineering
• If youre starting PHY 125 in the fall, take PHY
  125 (year 1 fall) and do well, followed by PHY
  132 (year 1 spring). Youll miss some thermal
  physics covered in PHY 131 or PHY 126, but youll
  get lots of that as part of your Mechanical
  Engineering major (e.g., MEC 301 and MEC 305).
• If youre starting PHY 125 in the spring, take
  PHY 125 (year 1 spring), 126 (year 2 fall), 127
  (year 2 spring).
• Im taking the PHY 131/132 sequence
• PHY 131 is only offered in the fall, and PHY 132
  is only offered in the spring. If you wanted to
  start PHY 131 in the spring, look at the above
  options for starting PHY 125 in the spring
  instead.

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Math pre-req for PHY 131

• We do not have a physics pre-req for course
  therefore a physics placement exam does not make
  sense
• Math placement level 5 is an overly blunt
  instrument (bad predictor)

125 students
All students
141 students
131 students
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Solution math placement level 5.5

• Math placement level 5, plus 26 or more on first
  four parts of calc placement exam
• Math placement level 5.5 gives entry to A
  students, blocks many C students.
• In-place for Fall 2003

Hope by using the placement standard of 5.5, and
PHY131 only in fall to better equalize the class
size of PHY125 and 131
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A plea undergraduate research

• Many student want options for summer, academic
  year paid, or for credit.
• Projects can include
• Read and understand a classic in the literature
• Devise a physics demonstration
• Assist a graduate student
• Original research
• We sent a request for project ideas to faculty.
  6 responses.
• One colleague Whats in it for me? !!!
• Please send email to John Noé (cc Chris
  Jacobsen) with 2-3 sentence description of one or
  more project ideas just to give students an
  idea of the range of possibilities to list at
• http//undergrad.physics.sunysb.edu/research/