Eight API student researchers traveled to Chicago Nov. 2-3 for the 18th Annual Argonne National Laboratory’s Undergraduate Symposium in Science, Engineering and Mathematics. The Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Society of Physics Students (SPS) sponsored the trip.

Two API faculty members, physics professors Dr. Doug Harper and Dr. Alexander Barzilov, accompanied the students on the trip.

Students were given the opportunity to attend presentations of keynote speakers, including Dr. Robert Rosner, Director of the Argonne National Laboratory; Dr. James E. West from Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Charles E. Catlett from Argonne National Laboratory, along with student sessions. Many fields of science were represented at the symposium including mathematics, physics, engineering, geology, computer science, chemistry and biology. Students from University of Chicago, Purdue University, Washington University, Northwestern University and other schools attended the conference.

API student researchers presented their latest research over several different topics:

• Brian Cooper of Richardsville - The Development of Devices to Detect Low Frequency Magnetic Fields.
• Chris Davenport of Versailles - IED Neutralization Using Low Cost Unmanned Ground Vehicles.
• James Lodmell of Versailles - Low Cost Theatre Control System Using Wireless Technology.
• Chris McGrath of Auburn - CyberDefense Laboratory.
• Matt Nichols of Bowling Green - The Development of Algorithms for Neutron-Based Threat Determinations.
• Joshua Peerce of Morgantown - Utilizing Wireless Technology for Enhancing the Electrocardiograph.
• Jason Smith of Smith’s Grove - Modeling Results for Environmental Acoustic Pressure Obstructions.

"Argonne was an excellent chance to present research and to learn about the research of other students," said Chris McGrath, a junior and physics major from Auburn.

"It was a great opportunity to be able to go to a national laboratory because not everybody gets a chance to do that," said James Lodmell, a senior and electrical engineering major from Versailles.

Students had a chance to tour the Advanced Photon Source (APS) and the Argonne Tandem Linear Accelerator System (ATLAS). The APS provides the nation’s most brilliant x-ray beams for research in almost all scientific disciplines. These x-rays allow scientists to pursue new knowledge about the structure and function of materials in the center of the Earth and in outer space, and all points in between. ATLAS is the world's first superconducting linear accelerator for heavy ions at energies in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier. This is the energy domain best suited to study the properties of the nucleus, the core of matter, and the fuel of stars.

They also visited the historical nuclear power development facilities at Argonne National Laboratory.

• Chris McGrath presents API Cyberdefense project at Argonne National Laboratory.

• Group of WKU students and professors in the front of the Argonne Advanced Photon Source.

The Applied Physics Institute is a multidisciplinary center performing research and development projects in areas of nuclear physics, nuclear engineering, wireless data communications, homeland security, material science, and electronics. API researcher’s interests cover virtually all aspects of applied science and technology.

For further information, contact Anessia Loveless at 270-781-3859 or anessia.loveless@wku.edu.