5-20-2008 • API receives Homeland Security grant to develop underwater threat detection system

API professors Ivan Novikov and Alex Barzilov awarded $796,736 Homeland Security grant in the area of threat detection. The project is titled “A Compact Neutron Interrogation System for Underwater Threat Detection and Identification”.

5-15-2008 • API sponsors KY First LEGO League

As part of our outreach activities, Applied Physics Institute and Cyber Defense Laboratory helped to support the 2008 Kentucky FIRST LEGO League Robotics Tournament. The competition was held on January 19, 2008 at WKU’s Diddle Arena.

5-7-2008 • Dr. Stacy Wilson joins API

Dr. Stacy Wilson joins Applied Physics Institute. She is Professor of Electrical Engineering at WKU and received her Ph.D. from Tennessee Technological University in 1996. Dr. Wilson is registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

4-12-2008 • API students present at WKU Research Conference

Student researchers from the Applied Physics Institute participated at the 38th Annual WKU Research Conference. The conference was held on Saturday, April 12, at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center.

4-4-2008 • Dr. Womble receives research award

Dr. Phillip Womble was awarded the 2008 Research and Creativity Faculty Award for the Ogden College of Science and Engineering. This award can only be given to one professor for each college and is evaluated on the number of publications within the past five years along with their amount of current research and creative works.

3-22-2008 • API students attend SPIE Symposium

Two student researchers from the Applied Physics Institute, Chris Davenport and James Lodmell, traveled to Orlando, Florida, on Mar. 16-20 for the SPIE Defense and Security Symposium, the Defense Industry’s Leading Meeting.

2-19-2008 • Sen. McConnell launches Cyber Defense Laboratory

Western Kentucky University’s contribution to the war in cyberspace was officially opened today by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. Sen. McConnell launched a simulated attack on a computer network, which was quickly detected and exposed.

11-15-2007 • API student researchers visit ANL

API student researchers traveled to Chicago Nov. 2-3 for the 18th Annual Argonne Undergraduate Symposium. The Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Society of Physics Students (SPS) sponsored the trip.

10-24-2007 • API students present at Division of Nuclear Physics Conference

Two Applied Physics Institute's undergraduate student researchers, Matt Nichols and Robbie Phelps, traveled to Newport News, Virginia on October 10 - 13 for the Annual Meeting of the Division of Nuclear Physics of the American Physical Society.

Mr. Nichols and Mr. Phelps represented the Applied Physics Institute, and presented posters displaying their work and research results they have accomplished at the API.

10-10-2007 • Jason Smith attended COMSOL Conferense in Boston

Mr. Jason Smith, an undergraduate student researcher from the Applied Physics Institute, traveled to Boston, Massachusetts for the Third Annual International COMSOL Conference (October 4 - 6, 2007).

He is working on a defense-related project, and presented a benchmark test to analyze how accurately sound propagates through walls in the COMSOL acoustic module. His project is called "Modeling Results for Environmental Acoustic Pressure Obstructions".

9-10-2007 • API announces new Cyber Defense program

The API has collaborated with Mississippi State University, University of Arizona, EdAptive Computing, Inc. and Electronic Warfare Associates to create a new program called Network Attack Characterization Modeling & Simulation Testbed (NacMast).

3-1-2007 • API displays work at ARTP Expo

Students, faculty and staff from Applied Physics Institute particpated in the first annual Technology in Action Expo on March 1, 2007.

11-13-2006 • API students attend Argonne Symposium

API students attended the 17th Annual Argonne Symposium in Argonne, Ill. Eric Houchins, Chris McGrath, Matt Nichols, Ian Rice, Jeremy Board, and Kyle Moss shared their latest research projects with other students as well as science professionals.

10-28-2006 • API students received APS awards

WKU students and faculty attended the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Division of Nuclear Physics of the American Physical Society in October 25-28 in Nashville, TN. International Meeting covers themes from theory of nuclear structure to applied nuclear physics.

9-11-2006 • Dr. Ivan Novikov joins API
Dr. Ivan Novikov is currently the newest assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and is also devoting his time to the Applied Physics Institute. He is a former postdoctoral researcher from Purdue University and received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from St. Petersburg State University, Russia.

9-5-2006 • API students help US Navy clean-up project

Applied Physics Institute is giving students real-world experience across the country. API student researchers participated in the remediation of a storage facility located at the Indian Head Naval Facility in Indian Head, MD this past August.

4-18-2006 • API students received Sigma Xi awards

API student researchers received Best of Conference Awards from the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society: Eric Houchins (1st place), Joseph Howard (3rd place), Tim Morgan and Dara Hardin (Honorable mention).

3-31-2006 • Students visit neutron research facility

On March 31, physics students visited Spallation Neutron Source, a $1.4 billion neutron research facility under construction at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The SNS is one of the largest scientific construction projects in the United States.

11-18-2005 • Physics students visit Indiana University

On November 18, six WKU physics students traveled to Bloomington, Ind., to explore the graduate opportunities at Indiana University. The visit included tours of both the Physics and Astronomy Depts, as well as the Cyclotron Facility.

11-10-2005 • Dr. Womble is in the Million Dollar Club

Dr. Phillip Womble, physics professor and director of the Applied Physics Institute, was inducted into Western Kentucky University’s Million Dollar club by President Gary Ransdell and Provost Barbara Burch.

11-4-2005 • Students attend Argonne Symposium
Six students from Western Kentucky University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy attended the 16th annual Argonne National Laboratory Symposium in Argonne, Ill. The symposium provides the opportunity for undergraduate students in science, engineering and mathematics to present their latest research projects.

8-19-2005 • API awarded project to monitor milk transport system

Western Kentucky University's Applied Physics Institute and the University of Kentucky have been awarded a three-year, $1.5 million research and development project by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to secure milk transport from farm to processor.

The award was announced recently in Somerset by The National Institute for Hometown Security. U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers made the announcement and was joined by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary Charles McQueary, who leads the department's Science and Technology Directorate.

8-16-2005 • API receives Homeland Security award to develop rail tank car leakage detection system

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded Western Kentucky University’s Applied Physics Institute and the Institute for Scientific Research, Inc. (ISR) a one-year, $752,423 research and development project to improve the safety of the nation's railways.

The project "Rail Tank Car Leakage Detection System (RLEAKS)" is aimed to develop a system that can detect and locate pinhole leaks in rail car containment vessels and provide alerts to railroad operators and security personnel. Pressurized rail tank cars transport and distribute large volumes of volatile liquids and gases throughout the nation each day, much of which is hazardous and/or flammable.