JHU faculty's physics articles among world's most cited in 2005

Six of the top nine most-cited physics and astrophysics articles of 2005 were authored by researchers now in the Henry A. Rowland Department of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins, according to the SPIRES database of Stanford University.

Of the cited articles, Charles L. Bennett's papers — which pinpointed the age and composition of the universe — ranked first and second. Those of Adam Riess, who headed up the team that discovered the mysterious dark energy that is driving objects in the universe apart, ranked fifth and eighth. Two articles by Raman Sundrum, a physicist whose work opened new dimensions in space and time, ranked seventh and ninth.

"These rankings reflect the exciting science being done at the interface of physics and astronomy, and the leading role of Johns Hopkins scientists in that effort," said Jonathan Bagger, chair of the department in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

Bennett came to Johns Hopkins in 2005 from his previous position as a senior scientist for experimental cosmology at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and Riess joined the faculty on Jan. 1, 2006, from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Sundrum arrived in 2000 from a postdoctoral position at Stanford University.

The SPIRES database offers researchers worldwide a compendium of papers on physics and astrophysics, and tracks citations of those papers by other scientific articles. Citation totals are considered an indication of the influence of a scientist's work on others in his or her discipline.

 

Ticket sales announced for first Lacrosse Face-Off Classic

Tickets for the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Classic featuring Johns Hopkins-Princeton and Syracuse-Virginia men's lacrosse games on March 3 at M&T Bank Stadium are now on sale. Seating has been allocated for each team in designated areas near the assigned team benches.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Baltimore Ravens or Ticketmaster or by submitting an application available online. For details, including how to order tickets for seats in the Johns Hopkins section (beginning Dec. 11), go to hopkinssports.cstv.com/sports/m-lacros/ spec-rel/113006aab.html.

The tournament is presented by the Inside Lacrosse media company, which last week released its preseason rankings. Virginia tops the list, followed by Johns Hopkins, Syracuse and Princeton.

 

First cohort of Chinese doctoral nursing students finishes at JHU

The School of Nursing this week will host a program and reception featuring the first of three cohorts of students enrolled in the first doctoral program in nursing in China. This program was launched in 2004 through the collaboration of the nursing schools at Peking Union Medical College in Beijing and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The first five students will present their dissertation proposals from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7, in the school's Alumni Auditorium. A reception will follow in the Carpenter Room.

Fifteen graduates are planned from the PUMC-JHU doctoral program partnership, which is funded by the China Medical Board. The program's goal is to increase China's number of doctorally prepared nurse leaders for careers in higher education, research and health care administration, and to develop a nationally recognized doctoral-level model for nursing education for China and the country's health care system.

Students in this first cohort, who completed their required course work at PUMC, have been at Johns Hopkins since July taking additional courses and working with faculty co-advisers on their dissertation proposals and related publications. They will return to PUMC this month to conduct their research.

 

Student-built robots get ready to show off their artistic sides

Students in Allison Okamura's mechatronics class will put their semester's learning to the test on Friday, Dec. 8, when the robotic devices they designed and built go head-to-head in an art-creating competition.

Each ArtBot is a self-contained mobile device that uses two different sensors and actuators to move over the surface of a canvas as it produces a rudimentary work of art. The audience will vote for their favorite by placing one or more dot stickers on the sheet of paper at each ArtBot station. The robot with the most dots will win the People's Choice Award.

The public show takes place from noon to 1 p.m. in the Second Decade Society Room of the Mattin Center's F. Ross Jones Building, Homewood campus.

Official judging — by Dave Bakker of Homewood Art Workshops, Joe Reinsel of the UMBC Visual Art Department and Joan Freedman, director of JHU's Digital Media Center — will take place between 11:30 a.m. and noon. Awards will be announced around 12:45 p.m.

Friday's event will be the second ArtBot competition organized by Okamura, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, in collaboration with the Digital Media Center staff. The first took place in 2004.

 

Sen. Chuck Hagel to give lecture on international affairs at SAIS

Chuck Hagel, Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska, will give the annual Rostov Lecture on International Affairs at SAIS on Thursday, Dec. 7. Hagel, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will give a talk titled "The Role of the Senate in U.S. Foreign Policy."

The event will be held at 5 p.m. in the Nitze Building's Kenney Auditorium. Non-SAIS affiliates should RSVP to SAISevents@jhu.edu or 202-663-5636.

 

Madeira, JHU Press authors on hand at Homewood House

Wendy Brody, wife of President William R. Brody, will host a Madeira Tasting and Holiday Book Signing with JHU Press authors at Homewood House from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7. A selection of books from the Press will be on sale at a 25 percent discount in the museum shop, and the authors will be available to sign them.

Scheduled to appear are Catherine Rogers Arthur, Cindy Kelly, Robert J. Brugger, Robert Keith, Jacques Kelly, Paul R. McHugh, Michael Olesker, Gil Sandler, Frank Shivers, Fraser Smith, Ted Patterson and Kim Weaver.

A special display will feature Press books published in 2006 that were written or edited by members of the university community, and many of these authors will be present as well. In addition, the Homewood Museum Shop will offer for sale a variety of other holiday gifts, including works by featured artists who will be on hand. Several kinds of Madeira, the drink specially favored by Charles Carroll Jr., the original owner of Homewood House, will be served in the wine cellar. Admission is free to Homewood House, which will be decorated for the holidays.

Members of the Johns Hopkins community also receive a 25 percent discount on all books purchased directly from the Press; to take advantage of this benefit during the holiday season, call 800-537-5487 or go to www.press.jhu.edu/books and use the code WJH when ordering.

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