Survey request from the Chair

To Students, Alumni, and Friends of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at SFA:

Each year the various departments/programs at SFA must present results of their Institutional Effectiveness Plans. As chair it is my responsibility to collect such information. Surveys are one of the primary tools for doing this.

I apologize in advance for sending you a survey that requests a rapid turn-around. I further apologize for what may appear to be absurd questions. I pledge to you that future surveys will at least appear to be more meaningful and have longer response times.

Please go to the following site http://astro.sfasu.edu/OnlineQuiz/Survey.html to complete the survey(s). (This should take less than five minutes to complete.)

Thanks for your help and continued support,

Harry D. Downing, Professor and Chair
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Stephen F. Austin State University
Box 13044 SFA Station
Nacogdoches, TX 75962
Phone 936-468-2290; Fax 936-468-4448
http://www.physics.sfasu.edu/downing/downing.htm

Movies and News

Movie: Windbelt, Cheap Generator Alternative, Set to Power Third World
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4224763.html?series=37

Movie: Space Toilet and Shooting Stars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUe2HcFUPSo

The Athletics Department is looking for tutors in the Academic Center,
PHY 101, AST 105, & EGR courses.
Contact Amber Burdge at 468-4429

Tiny 'tin whiskers' imperil electronics
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071006/ap_on_hi_te/tin_whiskers

Movie: The Sun Rips Off a Comet's Tail
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/images/encke/movie_short.gif
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/01oct_encke.htm?list184210

Interactive Demo: The Anatomy of a Black Hole
http://www.thinktechnologies.com/portfolio/demos/Blackhole.html

On October 19, 2007 at 7 pm (central) Dr. J. Craig Wheeler, renowned astrophysicist and author, will lead an exploration of ideas at the cutting edge of current astrophysics. His extraordinary journey to investigate explosions of supernovae, resulting neutron stars, mysterious black holes, and elusive gamma ray bursts are far from science fiction. A link to the details of the lecture and the webcast could be found at: http://www.esi.utexas.edu/outreach/ols/lectures/Wheeler

Feel free to send any interesting links that you find. This email message is sent to students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the department. If you would like to be removed from the emailing list or are getting multiple copies of these newsletters, then feel free to reply to this message with your request.  
 
Clear skies,
Dan Bruton
astro@sfasu.edu