Student Research Supervised by James Neff:
If you are a student interested in participating in a research project, please
refer to my description of
``Opportunities for Undergraduate Student Research Projects''.
- Carson Grimes is a Physics senior doing his senior
PHYS420 research project this spring. He is analyzing archival
wind data from NOAA web-sites to determine the wind energy potential
at Folly Beach. He will combine historical meteorological
data with wind turbine characteristics to see if wind power is
a cost-effective alternative for coastal South Carolina sites.
- Jenny Mantini is a recent Physics graduate. She
completed a senior PHYS420 project to investigate microclimate in
St. Thomas, USVI.
- Luke McCormack is a recent Biology graduate. For his
undergraduate honors thesis and his Environmental Studies minor, he
researched wind power generation, spent a summer at the National Wind
Technology Center (Boulder, CO), and wrote an outstanding honors essay
(HONS499) comparing the various state Renewable Energy Portfolios.
- Lew Wadsworth is a recent physics graduate who helped to
refurbish our local observatory and test the new CCD. He spent a winter
break at the observatory in St. Thomas and completed a senior research
project (PHYS420) characterizing the observatory performance (particularly
the pointing model).
- Mike Calcutt worked during Spring 2005 in the campus
observatory (designing a new mechanism to properly balance the
telescope with the imager on the back end) and learning how to
analyze IUE data.
- Mark Walsh is a recent Physics graduate who studied the
microclimate of St. Thomas, USVI (no kidding!). He spent the summer 2003
working on the weather station in St. Thomas, which led to an independent
study course (PHYS390) and a senior research project (PHYS420). He is now
teaching high school and coaching soccer in Mosspoint, MI and dreaming of
going to Antarctica.
- Joe Dukes is a recent MES graduate student who analyzed the
results of the "Greenhouse Gas Audit" of the College of Charleston campus.
- Tommy Linstroth is a recent MES graduate student who
compiled and analyzed the results of the "Greenhouse Gas Audit" of the
College of Charleston campus.
- Katherine Owens received her MS in Environmental Science
from the College of Charleston. She was instrumental in starting the
Greenhouse Gas Audit program. She is now a PhD student in the Netherlands.
- Kinsey Boehl is a Physics graduate who assisted Katherine
Owens in the Greenhouse Gas Audit of the College of Charleston campus.
- Tabetha Boyajian is a Physics graduate who analyzed archival
IUE data using ICUR and IDL for her PHYS420 project. She is now a gradute
student in astrophysics at Georgia State.
- Joe Meiring is a Physics graduate who analyzed echelle
spectra from McDonald Observatory, NSO/KP, CTIO, Mount Stromlo Observatory
using IRAF for his PHYS420 project. He is now a graduate student in
astrophysics at the University of South Carolina.
- Ryan Hartnett assisted in the rennovation of the local
observatory. He completed an independent study (PHYS390) project in order
to learn more about the operation of ccd's at small observatories. He
graduated from CofC with a philosophy degree.
- James Fernandez Completed his senior research (PHYS420)
project. He used "OrbitMaker" to study the effect of stellar mass loss
(rapid and steady) on planetary orbits.
- Aaron Hurley Worked on a MS thesis for the Masters
in Environmental Studies program. He spent summer 2000 in
the Virgin Islands studying local climate and setting up instruments
for a more detailed site survey.
- Keller Allen is a hysics graduate completed a senior
research (PHYS420) project. During the 1999/2000 academic year he was an
exchange student at the University of the Virgin Islands. He conducted a
preliminary site survey and supervised several local students in the use of
the Etelman Observatory, which he submitted as an independent study project
(PHYS390). He is now living in Massachusetts and yearning to return to the
Virgin Islands.
- Will Bulkley is a physics graduate who worked the Charleston
side of the asteroid project, in conjunction with Keller, Ryan, and
Jennifer.
- Dennis Maxwell completed a senior research project (PHYS420)
at the College of Charleston. He reduced and analyzed high-resolution
echelle spectra obtained at McDonald Observatory.
- Michael Woerhman completed a senior research (PHYS420)
project using ultraviolet spectra to probe the spatial structure of stellar
chromospheres. He was then a physics graduate student at the University of
West Virginia. He is now an officer in the US Navy.
- Jennifer Lockman completed a Senior Thesis (PHYS499) project
at the College of Charleston. She worked with Jay Lockman at NRAO/Green
Bank on a project to study neutral Hydrogen in our galaxy and the response
of the 140 foot and the new Green Bank telescope to this diffuse radiation.
She is currently working for an arts marketing firm in Fresno, California.
- Rob Smith completed a senior research (PHYS420) project at
the College of Charleston entitled "The Dynamo Theory: A
Statistical Study of Intrinsic Stellar Parameters". He's now preparing
educational software at UNC Greensboro.
- Dirk Aurin Completed a senior research (PHYS420) project at
the College of Charleston in 1998 entitled "A Photometric Survey of
Selected RS CVn-Type Variable Stars Conducted at the Etelman Observatory".
He spent a year in the Virgin Islands getting the observatory up and running
and then did some photometry of II Peg while we were trying to observe it at
Kitt Peak. He is now in a PhD program in Physical Oceanography at the
University of Connecticut.
- Douglas
O'Neal Completed his Ph.D. thesis
at Penn State University. Post-doctoral research position at the
University of Colorado. Adjunct Instructor for one semester at
Washington and Jefferson College then an Assistant
Professor at West Liberty State College in West Virgina. Now
teaching at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania.
- Marjorie Thorpe Undergraduate student who completed an
Honors thesis in April 1995. Graduated from Penn State in May 95 and
participated in NASA/GSFC's summer Academy program. She then worked
both in University Programs division at NASA/GSFC and with the
EFI/POLAR group in Code 696. Last I heard she was doing satellite
operations work for a Beltway Bandit.
- Cathy Miller
Summer REU student (1993) and summer employee (1994). Graduated
from Amherst College, and (last I heard) employed there in the computer
lab.
- Russell Lighton Research assistant during academic year
1992/1993.
- Timothy
Meade Summer REU Student (1992). Graduated from Bucknell
University, and still a graduate student (?) at the University of
Michigan doing research in "ultrafast" optics.
James E. Neff ,
(neffj@cofc.edu)