Purdue Physics and Astronomy

Today we celebrate the next chapter for Prof. Ed Bartlett. For three years, he served as the Purdue Science Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs. He is taking his next giant leap as a professor for Purdue Biological Sciences and Purdue University Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. His accomplishments include the launch of two new majors (Biomolecular Design and Integrated Science and Business), the establishment of science curriculum at the new Indianapolis location, the development of interdisciplinary learning communities for first-year students, the development of STEM teacher alternative licensure program (SPRINT), and much more. We are grateful for his leadership, vision, and lasting impact on Boilermakers across the sciences. hashtag

Purdue Physics and Astronomy PhD student Saumitra Phatak has created AMO Toolkit, a student-built educational resource for those entering atomic, molecular and optical physics and optical tweezer-based research groups!

The site introduces core experimental techniques and connects the field to the broader quantum computing landscape. Explore the resource here: https://amotoolkit.com/home.html

Hands-on learning is one of the best ways to make complex ideas accessible. That's why Purdue University partnered with LEGO Education to help middle school educators bring AI, computer science and robotics into their classrooms through engaging, classroom-ready activities. By empowering teachers with practical tools and real-world applications, we're helping students move beyond simply using AI, to understanding and creating with it.
Read how this collaboration is building the next generation of innovators, one brick at a time. 🧱

Read more about this event here: https://purduesci.com/4bMO6nS

Purdue PhysAstro’s Francis Robicheaux is part of new research highlighted by APS Physics that takes a sharper look at one of the universe’s biggest questions: Do matter and antimatter follow the same rules?

The ALPHA Collaboration’s antihydrogen measurement marks a 100-fold improvement in precision, strengthening tests of matter-antimatter symmetry.

Read more here: https://physics.aps.org/articles/v19/79

Antihydrogen Measurement Sharpens Antimatter Symmetry Test A 100-fold improvement in a key antihydrogen measurement strengthens tests of matter–antimatter symmetry, entering a regime sensitive to the antiproton’s internal structure.

🥳 Congratulations to PhysAstro’s David Nolte on being named one of Purdue University’s 2026 Teaching Academy inductees!

Nolte, the Edward M. Purcell Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, was recognized after receiving the 2026 Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, Purdue’s highest undergraduate teaching honor.
Read more: https://purduesci.com/48Y86ma

Purdue University Teaching Academy announces 11 inductees for 2026 The Purdue University Teaching Academy has announced 11 inductees for 2026 in recognition of their outstanding and scholarly teaching in graduate, undergraduate or engagement programs.

🚀 What happens when matter travels at more than 99.9999% of the speed of light?

Dr. Ranadeep Dastidar joins Purdue PhysAstro's Paul Duffell on The Astrophysics Podcast to discuss how computational models help scientists predict and interpret some of the universe’s most extreme phenomena.

Tune in for a fascinating conversation about relativity, supernovae, neutron stars, gamma-ray bursts and the simulations that help bring these cosmic events into focus.

🎧 Listen: https://purduesci.com/4yjHwyM

A decade of dedication to Purdue! 🎉
Congratulations to Jan-Frederik Schulte in Purdue Physics and Astronomy, who is celebrating 10 years of service to Purdue University. Thank you for your commitment to the PhysAstro Department, the College of Science, and the Purdue community!

See all of Purdue’s July service anniversaries:
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/2026/Q3/july-staff-recognition-for-dedicated-years-of-service/

Thank you for making a splash! 🌊
Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, are able to dive headfirst into their next giant leaps. We are ever grateful to everyone who helps make victories possible!

Congratulations to the Purdue Science students and alumni recognized by the National Science Foundation's 2026 Graduate Research Fellowship Program! 🎉
These prestigious fellowships and honorable mentions recognize outstanding researchers whose work is shaping the future of STEM.
Read more and see the full list of awardees and honorable mentions:
https://purduesci.com/3ReScxV

What can a 13th-century friar teach us about modern grant writing?

Purdue Physics and Astronomy professor David Nolte explores how Roger Bacon’s ambitious vision for science and technology may have produced one of history’s earliest scientific grant proposals.

Read more: https://galileo-unbound.blog/2026/07/13/roger-bacon-and-the-art-of-grant-proposal-writing/