News from the Physics Family

Physics Postdoc Representing Tennessine

Congratulations to Nathan Brewer on his selection as an outstanding young scientist representing the element tennessine on the Periodic Table of Younger Chemists (PTYC). The International Union on Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) sponsored an international competition to identify a young scientist for each element to celebrate the International Year of the Periodic Table and the union’s 100th anniversary. Candidates were chosen who embody the IUPAC’s mission and values, including providing objective scientific expertise and developing the necessary tools for applying and communicating chemical knowledge. Winners were announced in groups each month, beginning in July 2018. Brewer was among the final group of awardees, who were acknowledged during the 47th IUPAC Congress in Paris in July 2019.

Brewer works at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is a postdoctoral research associate supported by the UT-ORNL Joint Institute for Nuclear Physics and Applications (Physics Professor Robert Grzywacz is the JINPA director). Brewer explained that ORNL nominated him "for the place of tennessine in recognition of our accomplishments, including providing data acquisition technology for super-heavy element studies, my paper on the most recent synthesis of element 118 (oganesson), and my involvement in volunteering and outreach." Element 117 (tennessine) was added to the periodic table in 2016 and its name is a nod to the contributions of scientists from UT (Grzywacz), ORNL, and Vanderbilt University. You can find more information on Brewer and the PTYC at: https://iupac.org/100/pt-of-chemist/.

Department Hosts Tennessee’s Physics Teachers

From updating labs and experiments to engaging kids in science, there were a myriad of ideas to be shared as physics educators met at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (TAAPT) in March. Organized by Christine Cheney, the department’s director of undergraduate labs, and hosted at the UT-ORNL Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, the program included presentations from invited guests as well as high school and university instructors. Attendees hailed from every region of the state: from East Tennessee State University to Halls High School in Knoxville to the University of Tennessee, Martin. They learned about the Oak Ridge Computer Science Girls organization, whose mission is to inspire middle school girls to explore the possibilities of technology, coding, and science. They heard from Professor Robert Grzywacz about the element tennessine and its neighbors, and through talks and discussions offered their perspectives on updating courses, creating fun and interesting demos, streamlining expectations between high school science and college requirements, and getting involved in outreach. Section meetings like these help further AAPT’s goal to continually improve physics education across the country.

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