Andrew B. Newman, a senior mathematics and physics dual major in Arts & Sciences is one of 18 undergraduate students selected nationwide by NASA astronauts to receive a $10,000 scholarship through the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF).
Newman, who will graduate in 2007, worked for two summers and during his sophomore year in the laboratory of Kenneth Kelton, Ph.D., the Arthur Holly Compton Professor of physics in Arts & Sciences. The project was probing nucleation in amorphous and nanocrystalline metal alloys using a custom device that sensitively measures changes in electrical resistance. His four-year adviser is Patrick Gibbons, Ph.D., professor of physics.
Recently, Newman, from Muscle Shoals, Ala., worked in Chile and at Columbia University thanks to the National Science Foundation-sponsored program Research Experiences for Undergraduates.
In Chile, working with Armin Rest, Ph.D., at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, he studied light echoes from supernova 1987A that resulted in high-quality, detailed images of new light echo features.
At Columbia University, with Stefan Westerhoff, Ph.D., Newman contributed to a project that is part of a large international collaboration, which is building the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. This observatory is designed to measure the spectrum of the highest energy cosmic rays. The source of these particles and the mechanism by which they are accelerated to such extremely high energies is unknown.
Newman worked on measuring atmospheric properties to properly interpret the data recorded by the observatory’s air fluorescence detectors, which image the tracks left by particle showers induced in the atmosphere by incident cosmic rays.
“After graduation I’m planning to study astrophysics,” Newman said. “It certainly is an honor to have my work recognized among so many great projects here at Washington University.”
A team of 60 astronauts chose students who exhibited exceptional performance in the science or engineering field of their major. The recipients were then notified of their scholarship for the 2006-07 year by receiving a personal letter from the astronauts.
“Our goal is to inspire renewed interest in science and engineering careers here in the United States,” said Al Worden, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation chair and Apollo 15 astronaut. “We are committed to encouraging the next generation of explorers. Our nation is strongest when we lead the world in innovation and invention.”
Scholarship candidates are nominated by faculty members and reviewed by a board at 18 cooperating educational institutions. Two nominees from each school are submitted to the foundation’s committee. The selections are presented to the foundation’s directors for final approval. The ASF has awarded more than $2.3 million in scholarships to 211 students nationwide since 1985.