Jordan A. Goodman Professor and Chair Department of Physics

From the PhysicsChair

By Jordan A. Goodman
Professor and Chair

Dear Colleagues,

Last week, the Department of Physics honored Dr. George Sterman (Ph.D. '74), Director of the C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook University and one of our many successful alumni, with the annual Physics Distinguished Alumnus Award. I want to thank Dr. Sterman for taking the time to attend our Spring Academic Festival, where we distribute this and other awards, and for spending the day reconnecting with us here at the Department of Physics. We very much enjoyed catching up with him and are pleased that he has remained part of the University of Maryland community. I encourage our many other alumni to do the same.

I also want to encourage this year's graduating students to follow Dr. Sterman's lead and maintain ties to us once your finals are over or you've given your doctoral defense. First, I hope you'll attend the commencement ceremonies. It may seem like a trivial ceremony to you right now. However, you have worked extremely hard for that degree and you deserve to be recognized for that accomplishment - by your family, your friends, your professors and your university.

Next, remember that, as an alum, you are still a very important part of our community. The first few years in graduate school or at that first "real" job can be tough. We're here if you need some encouragement and guidance to get you through. We also have resources available to you throughout your entire lifetime. Relationships with the Department and with your fellow alumni can help you whether you're searching for a new job or searching for young talent to hire. If you pursue a career in research science, you can look to us for potential collaborations. If you find yourself teaching science to youth, you can contact us to give physics presentations to your students. There are also many ways you can give back to the Department, such as visiting us to give a colloquium or a career talk to our current students.

The University's Alumni Association is also a great resource to you with professional development events, campus discounts and ways to keep in touch with your classmates. The first six months are free for all graduates, so take advantage of the opportunity. You can sign up at http://www.alumni.umd.edu/.

Also, be sure to keep in touch with us here in the Department. Update your contact information at http://www.physics.umd.edu/people/alumni/ or simply send us an email. When you're in town, drop by to see us. You are the measurement of our success, so we want to hear how you're doing. Tell us about graduate school, your new job or your latest research project. Also, let us know when you win an award, publish a new paper, etc. We'll share our latest news with you through The Photon and we hope you'll share your news with us. We are very proud of you, so keep pride in us as well and remain an active part of the University of Maryland Department of Physics community.

Sincerely,

Jordan A. Goodman
Professor and Chair