Physics and 3-2 Engineering
West Virginia Wesleyan College G. Albert Popson, Jr., Chair 304-473-8070 [email protected]
Here is information on fields of engineer-
ing, employers, internships, our schedule
of classes, our NASA affiliation, labs, new
equipment, and student projects.
Our hands-on approach puts special
emphasis on labs. In recent years, we have
benefited from grants from the U.S. Depart-
ment of Education, NSF, NASA, Dominion
Resources, and the Naylor Foundation.
These grants fund student projects and help
us keep our labs up-to-date.
Our graduates report satisfying profes-
sional careers. Our graduates often pursue an
M.S. or Ph.D., and in the last five years, our
acceptance rate into these programs is 94%. The faculty greets our 2017 freshman class in August.
What is the 3-2 Engineering Program?
This is our collaboration with West Virginia
University, Virginia Tech, and the University of
Virginia. Students study three years at Wesleyan
The 3-2 program benefits students by enabling
them to start their engineering studies in our smaller
classes. A strong physics background also enables
and then two years at
one of the universities.
Students earn two
degrees—Wesleyan’s
physics degree and the
university’s engineer-
ing degree.
Students can finish
all this in only five
years because many of
Meet our faculty—Dr. Reynolds, Dr. Popson, Dr. Wiest,
Dr. DeLaney, Mr. Grose (technician)
engineers to better
understand the theory
behind engineering
practice.
The physics back-
ground is especially
valuable to engineers
who are working on
projects at the fore-
front of the profession.
Wesleyan’s courses count toward the university’s
engineering degree, and many of the university’s
courses count toward Wesleyan’s physics degree.
In addition, many of our students successfully
participate in sports, student government, theatre,
and music.
The faculty congratulates our graduates in May, 2017.
Summer internships B.S. in Applied Physics This major is designed for students who are
interested in applications of physics to help meet
the needs of society. It is a four-year program that
combines the courses in our 3-2 Engineering and
our B.S. in Physics programs.
The program has all the components of both
modern experimental and theoretical physics. Our
hands-on approach includes one or two labs every
semester. Students succeed at summer internships
and graduate school. They obtain professional
employment in national labs and industry.
Typical class schedule
Cleveland Clinic
Energy Corporation of
America
Jefferson National Lab
Johns Hopkins Univ.
NASA-Fairmont
NASA-Glenn
NASA-Goddard
NASA-Langley
NASA-IV&V
National Energy Tech-
nology Lab
National Institute Stand-
ards & Technology
National Radio Astron-
nomy Observatory
Oak Ridge National Lab
Pennsylvania Dept. of
Transportation
Raytheon
Penn State University
Rutgers University
Shippingport Nuclear
Power Plant
Thrasher Engineering
Toyota
University of Florida
University of Kansas
Virginia Tech
Walter Reed Army
Medical Center
West Virginia Univ.
WV Division Highways
WV Wesleyan College
Year 1, Fall General Physics I 4
Calculus I 4
Composition I 3
Freshman Seminar 4
Total 15
Year 1, Spring General Physics II 4
Calculus II 4
Technology for Calculus 1
Composition II 3
General studies 3
Total 15
Josh’s picosatellite electronics must fit in the can.
Graduate schools
Year 2, Fall Light & Atomic 3
Light & Atomic Lab 1
Thermodynamics 3
Human Communication 3
Chemistry with lab 4
General studies 3
Total 17
Year 2, Spring Nuclear Physics 3
Nuclear Lab 1
Calculus III 4
Humanities 3
Electro-Optics Lab 1
General studies 3
Total 15
Year 3, Fall Electronics 3
Electronics Lab 1
Statics 3
Materials Science 3
Materials Science Lab 1
Differential Equations 4
Total 15
Year 3, Spring
Analytical Mechanics 3
Mechanics of Materials 3
Solid State Physics 3
Solid State Lab 1
Engineering Math 3
General Studies 3
Total 16
West Virginia Univ.
University of Virginia
Virginia Tech
Boston University
Case Western Reserve
Clemson University
Colorado School Mines
Duke University
Embry-Riddle Aero-
nautical University
Georgia Tech
Lehigh University
Marshall University
Ohio State University
Old Dominion Univ.
Penn State University
Purdue University
Stanford University
Texas Christian Univ.
Univ. of Alabama
Univ. of Arizona
Univ. of Cincinnati
Univ. of Florida
Univ. of Kentucky
Univ. of Maryland
Univ. of New Mexico
Univ. of North Carolina
Univ. of Oregon
Univ. of Pittsburgh
Vanderbilt University
Year 4, Fall Quantum Mechanics 3
Scientific Programming 3
Engineering Lab 1
Research Seminar I 1
General studies 6
Total 14
Year 4, Spring Electromagnetism 3
Fluid Mechanics 3
Digital Electronics 3
Digital Lab 1
Research Seminar II 1
General studies 6
Total 17
NASA Fellowship winners Each year, we offer NASA Fellowships to
eleven students (freshmen preferred) to help pay
for college. NASA also provides funding for sum-
mer research projects at Wesleyan.
Wesleyan students have priority for summer
internships at sites such as NASA Langley. And
NASA provides expertise for our Space Club to
build payloads to be launched from NASA rockets.
Faculty congratulate 2017 NASA Fellowship winners
Employers
3/2 Engineering
Typical class schedule
Year 1, Fall
Engineering Design I 1
General Physics I 4
Calculus I 4
Freshman Seminar 4
Composition 1 3
Total 16
Year 1, Spring
Engineering Design II 1
General Physics II 4
Calculus II 4
Technology for Calculus 1
Composition II 3
General studies 3
Total 16
Year 2, Fall
Light & Atomic 3
Light & Atomic Lab 1
Chemistry with lab 4
Thermodynamics 3
Human Communication 3
General studies 3
Total 17
Year 2, Spring
Fluid Mechanics 3
Calculus III 4
Electro-Optics Lab 1
Humanities 3
Economics 3
General studies 3
Total 17
Alliant Technical
American Electric
BAE Systems
Ball Aerospace
Bell Helicopters
Bechtel-Bettis
Cabot Oil & Gas
Caterpillar
Corhart Refractories
Cutler-Hammer
DuPont
EPIC Systems
Fischione Instruments
General Motors
General Electric
Hewlett-Packard
Huntington Medical
Physicists
Johnson & Johnson
Kettering Cancer Center
Lockheed-Martin
Mercy Cancer Center
Mitre Corporation
Morton-Thiokol
Monongahela Power
Motorola
Mylan Pharmaceuticals
NASA-Glenn
NASA-Langley
National Energy
Technology Lab
Nissan
Omnia Medical
PDC Energy
Pratt and Whitney
Raytheon
Rockwell Automation
Schlumberger
Siemens
Thrasher Engineering
Tower Engineering
Toyota
United Hospital Center
U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers
U.S. Army Test Flight
Directorate
U.S. Well Service
Vantage Oncology
Weatherford
WV Division of
Highways
Year 3, Fall
Electronics with lab 4
Statics 3
Differential Equations 4
Scientific Programming 3
General studies 3
Total 17
Year 3, Spring
Mechanics of Materials 3
Analytical Mechanics 3
Electromagnetism 3
Engineering Lab 1
General studies 6
Total 16
Years 4-5 – Engineering at the chosen university
Airfoil project in our wind tunnel’s test chamber
Aerospace Engineers
design airplanes, spacecraft, rockets,
fuel-efficient cars, propulsion systems,
and guidance systems.
Angela Meyer and
Olivia Rycroft went to
NASA’s Wallops Island
flight facility to represent
our Space Club at the
RockSat-C rocket launch.
Throughout the year, club
members worked on a
project that culminated in
the rocket launch. They
designed, built, and pro-
grammed a printed circuit
board payload and partici-
pated in regular design
reviews, just like the
NASA engineers.
Cody O’Meara’s summer internship at NASA-
Langley involved a new design of a device to
reduce the speed of airflow as it enters an engine.
“I chose a design, ordered materials, built the
device and performed a series of tests.”
Will George (2014 NASA Langley internship;
B.S. Wesleyan, 2015; M.S., Virginia Tech, 2017).
“I work at Pratt and Whitney, where I develop tests
to satisfy the FAA that our engines are safe to fly.”
Will George (white shirt) in Langley’s 20-ft wind tunnel
Josh Hiett’s internship at NASA Fairmont:
“I improved the user interface to Rover-X, a four-
wheeled all-terrain vehicle. I also worked on the
Rock-Sat-C computer program.”
Chris Kuhl (M.S., Purdue, NASA Langley)
was chief engineer of a project involving sensors
on the Mars Rover’s heatshield to monitor atmos-
pheric conditions during the rover’s descent.
Kuhl (right) at a press conference after the landing
Robert Vollmerhausen (2014) completed our
Dual-Degree Engineering program at WVU. He
works at the Naval Air Command in California.
Josh Keane (M.S., George Washington Univer-
sity). “I work at Bell Helicopters on projects such
as the UH-1 Huey helicopter, the AH-1 Cobra heli-
copter, and the V-22 tilt rotor.”
Russell Gillespie (B.S. Wesleyan, 2014) is
pursuing an M.S. at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University.
Emily Kearney’s 2017 summer internship at NASA-Fairmont involved the Commercial
Crew Program, a partnership with companies to
develop safe and reliable access to the International
Space Station.
Jacob Poldruhi’s internship at NASA Glenn:
“My objective was to find a way to recycle used plastic materials into something useful such as
water or fuel to support astronauts.”
Applied physicists
work with computation, quality control,
electron microscopes, lasers, nuclear
power, radiation safety, energy efficiency,
solar panels, MRIs, robotics, laser surgery
equipment, and airport security systems.
Michael Scruggs (B.S. Wesleyan, 2011; M.S., Optical Physics, Univ. of Arizona). Michael is
a laser physicist at the Naval Surface Warfare
Dahlgren Division.
Robert Powell (2010 summer internship,
Jefferson National Accelerator; B.S. Wesleyan,
2011). “I work as a Field Engineer at the Bechtel-
Bettis Atomic Power Lab. We oversee submarine
and aircraft-carrier construction and maintenance. I
started with a comprehensive qualification program
involving nuclear reactor design and operation.”
Robert Hardin (B.S. Wesleyan, 2001; Ph.D.,
Physics, WVU). Oak Ridge National Lab.
Jason Martin (B.S. Wesleyan, 1999; M.S.,
U.Va.): “I work for Bechtel-Bettis at the Naval
Nuclear School in Charleston, S.C. I train Navy
personnel on operating procedures for nuclear
reactors on aircraft carriers and submarines.”
Tom Damiani (B.S. Wesleyan, 1997; Ph.D.
WVU) works at the Bechtel-Bettis Atomic Power
Lab. He designs nuclear propulsion systems for submarines and aircraft carriers.
James Abraham (B.S. Wesleyan, 1994; M.S.
Health Physics, Colorado State University).
James is a radiation safety officer at Colorado
State University.
Joe Zambelli: (B.S. Wesleyan, 1991): “I am
a physical scientist at the National Energy
Technology Lab in Morgantown. I am studying
methods of carbon capture. We want our energy
supplies to be more efficient, secure, affordable,
and environmentally friendly.”
Tyler Gruber, (B.S. Wesleyan, 1990; Ph.D.,
Physics, Texas Christian University). Tyler works in
the Physics/Microscopy Laboratory at Columbian
Chemicals in Marietta, Ga. Tyler uses computer
models and electron microscopes to solve problems
involving carbon black, which is used in such
materials as tires, rubber, plastic, and ink.
Mark Leadingham’s 2017 summer internship
was at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology. “I studied numerical solutions to the
Schrodinger equation in one-dimensional space
using the computer program Python, which I
learned in my NASA Fellowship at Wesleyan.”
Hunter Lowe’s summer 2017 internship was at
Hermes Abrasives. He worked on projects in plant
layout and quality systems. They offered Hunter a
job when he graduates.
Aaron Weaver (B.S. Wesleyan, 2016) is
pursuing an M.S. in Physics at WVU.
Matt Phares (B.S. Wesleyan, 2016) is a systems
technician at the textiles manufacturer Invista.
Corey Rhodes, 2016 summer internship,
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
studying sensitivity of atomic force microscopes.
Cody O’Meara, 2015 summer internship,
NIST, studying three-dimensional laser scanners.
Wes Hughes (2011, M.S. in Applied Physics,
University of Oregon). Wes had an internship at
FEI, a manufacturer of scanning electron micro-
scopes. Wes works at Fischione Instruments. “Our
company designs ion milling equipment to prepare
specimens to use in electron microscopes.”
Wes returned to give a presentation at Wesleyan
Civil engineers
design, construct, and operate facilities
such as highways, bridges, and drinking-
water systems.
Jason Jackson (B.S. Wesleyan, 2011; M.S.,
WVU). “While I was a student at Wesleyan, I
had a summer internship with the WV Division
of Highways. I was lucky that my boss wanted to
get me as much experience as he could.
“The state awards most work to private contrac-
tors. I had to insure that the contractor complied
with the WVDOH spec book. This can be difficult,
especially when the contractor is trying to cut cor-
ners. I learned how to handle situations like that.”
Eddy Hasis (B.S. Wesleyan, 2014) is pursuing
an M.S. at the University of Pittsburgh.
Ben Vance (B.S. Wesleyan, 2007; M.S., WVU).
Ben works for the WV Division of Highways.
Dustin Schilpp (B.S. Wesleyan, 2005; M.S.,
Morgan State University). Dustin is Project Man-
ager at Sabra, Wang and Associates in Columbia,
Md. “I just completed ten years with the firm.
I manage the structural condition inspection
department. We mainly do bridge inspections, load
ratings, bridge repairs, and rehabilitation designs.”
Wes Steele (B.S. Wesleyan, 1999; M.S., WVU).
Wes works for the bridge engineering company
Madjeski and Masters in Harrisburg, Pa.
Eleni Brick (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017), Civil
engineering trainee, Thrasher Engineering.
Wyatt Strickler (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) is
pursuing an M.S. at Cleveland State University.
Amelia Riley (B.S. Wesleyan, 2016) is pursuing
an M.S. at WVU. “Last summer I had an internship
at the Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh. I
worked on designs for local
locks and dams. They offered
me a job upon graduation.”
At Wesleyan, she tested
the compressive strength of
concretes with difference per-
centages of Portland cement,
fly ash, slag, silica, and clay.
Andrew Cvetnick (B.S. Wesleyan, 2016) is
pursuing an M.S. at WVU. He is specializing in
detecting leaks in fiber reinforced pipes.
Brenton Stone (B.S. Wesleyan, 2006; M.S.,
University of Virginia). Brenton designs bridges
at Volkert and Associates.
Jennifer Cook (B.S. Wesleyan, 2000; M.S.,
WVU). Jennifer works at Donan Engineering.
Thomas Bartleman (B.S. Wesleyan, 2014;
M.S., Stanford University). Thomas works for the
software company Aperia Technologies.
Tom’s senior project involved converting energy
from water waves into electrical energy.
Industrial engineers
plan such things as assembly lines,
efficient hospital emergency rooms,
and amusement park layouts.
Mark Mattis (B.S., Wesleyan, 2015) works
at Systems Planning and Analysis. Mark is also
pursuing an M.S. at George Mason University.
Chris Ly (2013) works at Raytheon-Solyptis in
Baltimore. Raytheon is paying Chris to obtain an
M.S. at the University of Maryland.
Bryan Corder completed our 3/2 Engineering
program in 2009. He reports, “Wesleyan and WVU
provided me with a great opportunity with the 3/2
program. Your careful planning made the transfer
easy.” Bryan works at Bechtel-Bettis in Pittsburgh.
Electrical engineers
develop communication systems such
as cell phones, control systems such as
microprocessors, and electrical power
transmission systems.
Medical physicists
are licensed professionals who use radia-
tion to treat cancer. They work in nuclear
medicine, X-ray imaging, computerized
tomography, ultrasound, and MRIs.
The average starting salary is $95,000.
Alex White (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) is pursuing
an M.S. at WVU.
Kody Tucker (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) is working
on an M.S. at WVU.
Corey Rhodes (B.S. Wes-
leyan, 2016) is pursuing an
M.S. at Virginia Tech. He
built a 400,000-V tesla coil
while at Wesleyan. In summer
2017, he had an internship at
NASA Glenn. “I worked on
electric propulsion for deep space probes. They offered me
a job when I finish my M.S.”
Colby Stanley (B.S. Wesleyan, 2015; M.S.
Duke University, 2017). “I’ve taken a job with
General Motors, where I write code for engine
controls and modules, and I test cars on the track.”
Des Sivels (B.S. Wesleyan, 2016) is an associate
transmission dispatcher at American Electric Power
in Roanoke, Va.
Denny Vincent (B.S. Wesleyan, 2012) is an
associate transmission operator at First Energy.
Tom Tyson (B.S. Wesleyan, 2006; M.S., Penn
State) works at Kichler Lighting in Cleveland.
Dave Klebe (B.S. Wesleyan, 1994; M.S., Penn
State). “I manage a team in manufacturing pulp and
paper technology for Rockwell Automation. This
is a $900-million business devoted to large-scale
industrial projects. A recent project is a materials-
handling system for a Chicago news press.”
Rafiq Ahmed (B.S. Wesleyan, 1988; M.S.,
Virginia Tech) works for Motorola mobile devices.
Josh Carter (B.S. Wesleyan, 2015; M.S. Duke).
Josh started his residency at Rutgers last July.
Josh’s proton beam project at Wesleyan
Tom Holtschneider (B.S. Wesleyan, 2013, PhD,
University of Cincinnati). Tom works at Kettering
Grandview Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio.
Chera Rogers Gainer (B.S. Wesleyan, 2012;
M.S., University of Cincinnati). Chera works at
Huntington Medical Physicists.
Mike Curry (B.S. Wesleyan, 2012; M.S. East
Carolina State University) works at the Mercy
Cancer Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
Kate Turner Wagner (B.S. Wesleyan, 2011;
M.S. Duke) is a medical physicist at the Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
Amy Powelson Patrick (B.S. Wesleyan, 2006;
M.S. Vanderbilt) works at the United Hospital
Center in Clarksburg.
Peter Sandwall (B.S. Wesleyan, 2005; Ph.D.,
University of Cincinnati) is Chief Medical Physicist
at the TriHealth Institute, with three physicists,
three dosimetrists, and three cancer centers under
his care. His company, Vantage Oncology in
Elkins, has two board-certified medical physicists.
Mechanical engineers
design devices that move, such as cars,
heat engines, and industrial machinery.
Matt Stadelman (B.S. Wesleyan, 2015; M.S.
WVU in Energy Systems) had a summer internship
at the National Energy Technology Lab in
Morgantown. After graduating in 2015, he started
working at NETL while pursuing his M.S. at WVU.
Derek·Johnson (B.S.
Wesleyan, 2013) works
at Pentree Engineering
in Princeton, WV. At
Wesleyan, he designed a
device to convert footfall
energy from walking to
electrical energy.
Matt Edwards (B.S.
Wesleyan, 2013; M.S.,
University of North
Carolina). His research
involved designs for exercise equipment and
football helmets. Matt is employed at Cross
Automation in Charlotte.
Andy Aurelio (B.S. Wesleyan, 2002; M.S.,
WVU). Andy works at the National Energy Tech-
nology Lab in Morgantown. His job is related to
his M.S. research project on carbon capture.
Phil Lemire (B.S. Wesleyan, 2000; M.S., UVa).
Phil works at the National Ground Intelligence
Center in Charlottesville, Va.
Chad Moore (B.S. Wesleyan, 1998; M.S.,
Georgia Tech). “At Georgia Tech, my research
project required the knowledge of lasers that I
learned in Wesleyan’s Electro-Optics Lab. I was
selected for this project because I was the only
student at Georgia Tech with this knowledge.
I have worked at General Motors in Mexico,
Detroit, and Oklahoma.”
Valerie Keefer Oldaker (B.S. Wesleyan,
1996; M.S., WVU) is a quality control specialist
at Toyota in Buffalo, WV.
Dr. Darrel Tenney (B.S. Wesleyan 1964; Ph.D.,
Virginia Tech), retired Director of Aerospace
Vehicles Systems, NASA Langley.
Pedro Martins (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) is work-
ing on an M.S. at WVU. “I work in the Center for
Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emissions. They
made headlines by discovering the Volkswagen
emissions scandal.”
Andre Fernandes (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) is
pursuing an M.S. at WVU.
Dustin Kimble (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) is work-
ing on his M.S. at WVU.
Ryder Bolin (B.S. Wes-
leyan, 2016) is pursuing an
M.S. at WVU. His research involves precisely measur-
ing surface deformations of
metals with a nanoindenter.
Cody O’Meara (B.S.
Wesleyan, 2016) is pursu-
ing an M.S. at Ohio State.
“I am working to improve
lithium-ion batteries by
improving the binding
materials in the electrodes.
This fall I have an internship at NASA Glenn in
the Project Management Branch.”
Ken Benson (B.S. Wesleyan, 2016) completed
our 3/2-Degree program at Virginia Tech and is
enrolled in their M.S. program.
Matt Spicer (B.S. Wesleyan, 2015) is working
on an M.S. at Virginia Tech, specializing in
machine learning to recognize a device from its
electronic signal. “This ability is useful for security purposes—we can ensure that a particular signal
was sent from a trusted source.”
Taylor Price (B.S. Wesleyan, 2015) is pursuing
an M.S. at the University of Pittsburgh.
Biomedical engineers
work on pacemakers, neural repair, hip
replacements, and genetic manipulation.
Becca Davis (2017 internship, Rutgers Univer-
sity). “I compared several methods of making
images to study spinal cord injuries. I used light
sheet microscopy to image the spinal cords.”
Dillon Huffman (B.S.
Wesleyan, 2014). “I am pur-
suing a Ph.D. in Biomedical
Engineering at the University
of Kentucky in the Neural
Systems Lab. My research is
in brain state modulation.”
In 2013, Dillon had a
summer internship at WVU
on a project to understand
pathways in the human sensorimotor system and
to design rehabilitation to help people to recover
from nerve damage. Dillon’s senior research
project at Wesleyan involved a design for a
prosthetic arm using an Arduino microprocessor.
Parag Chitnis (B.S. Wesleyan, 2000; Ph.D.,
Boston Univ.) works at the Lizzi Center for
Biomedical Engineering at the Riverside Research
Institute in New York City. “Three of my projects are ultrasound-assisted drug delivery treatments
for Parkinson’s disease, studying ultrasound con-
trast agents, and cancer treatments using combined
acoustical and optical methods.”
Troy Schifano (B.S. Wesleyan, 1999; M.S.,
University of Alabama at Birmingham) works for
Omnia Medical in Morgantown. The company
provides medical and surgical products for spinal
pathology, and neurological and orthopedic trauma.
Freshman engineering design
Joshua Tenney and Alex Bradley-Popovich’s
bridge
Logan Brouwer, Anna Puigvert, and Emily
Kearney’s catapult
Chemical engineers
adapt chemical reactions to industrial
quantities.
Geophysicists
use remote sensing to discover and
evaluate underground resources. Cayla Collett had a 2017 summer internship at
the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
“I worked on time-of-flight secondary ion mass
spectrometry, which can be used to make 3-dimen-
sional maps of surfaces of organic molecules.
This is a new way to characterize organic materials
that is relevant to fields such as pharmaceuticals
and forensics. I measured the detection limits of
buprenorphine and naloxone.”
Thomas Haines (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) is work-
ing on a Ph.D. at WVU. “My research involves
methods to convert shale gas into useful chemicals.”
Kim Richards Farnsworth (B.S. Wesleyan,
1995; Ph.D., Georgia Tech). “I work at Chemours
in Parkersburg. I am the Division Engineer for
Teflon. I work to improve the production process
and to search for new polymers.”
Eric Wooten had a summer 2017 internship at
LEAM Drilling in Oklahoma. “I went out on rigs
where they were drilling wells. In the office, I
worked on plans for wells.”
Ryan Holcomb (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) works at
Thrasher Engineering in Bridgeport. “I work with
our erosion and sediment team on right-of-ways
where water lines are laid between well pads.”
Tre Kerns (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) works at
PDC Energy in Bridgeport.
Cody Turner (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) works at
Thrasher Engineering in Bridgeport.
Sandra Adkins (B.S. Wesleyan, 2006) works
at Shell Oil in Alaska.
Ryan North (B.S. Wesleyan, 1997; Ph.D.,
Colorado School of Mines) works the U.S. Army
Research Center, Vicksburg, Miss.
Laser lab
Home-made helium-neon laser
Argon plasma
Nitrogen laser fluorescence
Iodine excited by Nd:YAG laser Computerized spectrum
General physics lab
Lenses and mirrors
A real image formed using a lens
Overtones in vibrating strings
Neon spectrum
Solar eclipse
Most people have never seen a total solar eclipse,
as they tend to occur in far-flung places. Not this
time! On Aug. 21, the moon’s 70-mile-wide shadow
crossed the country from Oregon to South Carolina,
glasses on hand. We wanted everyone to safely
enjoy this rare occurrence. And we equipped a
telescope with a solar filter.
“Another total solar eclipse will occur in 2024,
with the path of totality in Ohio. That one will last
longer—about four minutes.”
turning day to night.
At Wesleyan, viewers could only
see a partial eclipse, in which the moon
covered 88% of the sun. Scads of
Wesleyan folks gathered in the Oval to attend the eclipse party facilitated
by students from the Space Club. Solar
filter glasses were distributed, and
students stared skyward in awe of the
rare solar event.
Space Club President Angela Meyer
said, “The club was careful to ensure
that we had plenty of solar eclipse
Engineering lab
Steam generator
Air conditioner
Tensile testing
Wind tunnel
Science journal features Dr. DeLaney
Dr. DeLaney is featured in the
cover story of the fall issue of The
Neuron journal. The story articu-
lates the ways she is dedicated to
challenging students to explore
the unknown.
She has two grants from the
National Science Foundation’s
WV-EPSCOR program.
One grant involves construct- Cassiopeia A exploded star
is part of West Virginia’s five-
year $20 million NSF Research
Infrastructure Improvement grant.
She trains students to analyze
pulsar signals obtained by the
National Radio Astronomy
Observatory at Green Bank, WV.
The West Virginia Higher
Education Policy Commission’s
Division of Science and Research
ing radio telescopes to study hydrogen in the sun
and Milky Way galaxy. In the other grant, she is
involved in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory, which
produces The Neuron, a quarterly publication that
features science and research news primarily from
West Virginia colleges and universities.
Light and atomic lab
Visible-light spectroscopy of heated iodine
Tunable-laser spectroscopy of potassium vapor
Laser beam splitting on the optical table Argon plasma
Space Club
Members worked on this year’s NASA Space
Flight Design Challenge. The objective was to com-
pare several methods of harvesting energy during a
rocket’s flight. Members designed and built a payload
on a printed circuit board. They participated in design
reviews with NASA, just like the NASA engineers.
Printed circuit template and circuit board.
Rocket launch. Angela Meyer and Olivia Rycroft
went to Wallops Island to help NASA engineers
install their payload on a Terrier Orion sounding
rocket. On June 24, 2017, they observed the launch.
They presented their results at NASA Fairmont.
Space Day. This was the Space Club’s
community-engagement event. On April 1, they
invited students K-12 to participate in a paper
airplane contest, a drone-flying demonstration,
a hydrofoil contest, and a crypto-rally. The Science
Public Outreach Team gave an astronomy talk.
Nuclear physics lab
Gamma rays
Beta particles
Nuclear coincidence spectroscopy
Nuclear X-rays
Mag-lev project
Will George worked on mag-
netic levitation. “I wrapped 120
insulated loops of wire around a
stainless-steel track. I arranged
five NdFeB magnets in a Halbach
array on a model vehicle. As the
vehicle’s speed increased, it rose
higher above the track.”
Pavle Milicevic: A solar
panel that follows the sun
Solar panels produce maximal
electrical power when sunlight
hits at 90° to the panel’s surface.
I attached the panel to a turntable
rotating once per day with axis of
rotation aimed at the North Star.
Students present projects at the Mid-Atlantic
Undergraduate Research Conference
March 24, 2017—Eight of
our students spoke on their
research projects. Tim Stephens
and Mark Leadingham won prizes
for best presentations.
Tim’s research involved find-
ing the relative abundances of
the isotopes of krypton. Mark’s research involved analyzing pulsar data from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
in Green Bank, WV.
Kody Tucker, Caleb Riffle, Mark Leadingham, Thomas Haines,
Dustin Kimble, Nate Moore, Timothy Stephens, and Landon Todd
Electronics lab
Digital counter
Lissajous pattern
Fourier sawtooth synthesis Diode characteristic curve
Balloon
launch
March 7, 2015—The
Space Club launched two
helium-filled balloons
from the front of the
science building, with a payload consisting of a
magnetic-field sensor,
an accelerometer, and
a gyroscope. Dr. Steven
Hard came from NASA
Fairmont to advise us.
Solid state lab
Electron spin resonance
Pulsed magnetic resonance
Cryogenic superconductors X-ray crystallography
Andre Fernandes: Designing
earthquake-resistant buildings
I investigated two methods: (1) energy-dissipation
devices such as dashpots and (2) base isolation, in
which bearings are placed under the support col-
umns. I embedded accelerometers in scale-models
of buildings and took measurements when I placed
the models on a shake table.
Casey Sanders:
Underwater ocean turbines
The Gorlov helical cross-flow turbine can
be an excellent source of renewable energy.
It rotates on a vertical axis and is a very good option for optimal performance in low-speed
currents. I measured efficiency as a function
of current speed.
Spring picnic
April 1, 2017—Bob Grose invited us to
his home in the country on a perfect spring
day. We ate Bob’s prize-winning chili,
played lawn games, and visited Bob’s
machine shop. This year, Bob himself
fired his cannon. Dr. DeLaney figured
out how to drive Bob’s antique tractor.
At Sunny Buck’s
Andrew Cvetnick: Propeller efficiency
“I compared the efficiency of propeller designs in
generating electricity by a wind turbine. I used a 3-D
printer to construct my designs. I also tested at a
variety of pitch angles.”
Cody O’Meara: Energy harvesting
A coil of wire is wrapped around a tube and fastened
to a person’s arms. When she swings her arms, a magnet
travels back and forth in the tube to generate current.
Matt Phares, Magnetic plasma discharge
I observed the effect of a magnetic rod on the glow
pattern. I measured the shift in the spectral lines that
are caused by the magnetic field and used Doppler
theory to calculate the velocity of the plasma ions.
Presentations to the Engineering Physics Club
Solar panels for the library roof. Chip Pick-
ering (B.S. Wesleyan, 1978; Ph.D. Ohio Univ.)
discussed the 25 SunModule solar panels on the
library roof that Pickering Electric donated to Wes-
leyan. These can generate 5.5 kW of electricity.
NASA Langley. Darrel Tenney (B.S. Wesleyan
1964, Ph.D., Virginia Tech) discussed his NASA
career, including putting humans on Mars.
Geophysics of Mars. Dr. Colleen Milbury
discussed how geophysicists have used gravity
and magnetic anomalies to learn how Mars has
evolved over time.
NASA Marshall. (Tony Lindeman (B.S. Wes-
leyan, 1980, M.S., Electrical Engineering, Naval
Post-Graduate School) spoke his work at NASA.
Biomedical. Sophomore Becca Davis spoke on her biomedical engineering internship at Rutgers,
which studied methods of visualizing spinal cords.
Kennedy Space Center. Daniel Keenan spoke
on the NASA process, integrity, and teamwork.
He is a mechanical engineer at the NASA Kennedy
Space Center who was responsible for the Space
Shuttle’s thermal protection system. He brought
some pieces of the shuttle’s shell for us to inspect.
Jennifer Morris Cook (B.S. Wesleyan, 2000;
M.S. Civil Engineering WVU) discussed her work
as a bridge designer at Palmer Engineering.
Thomas Haines (B.S. Wesleyan, 2017) dis-
cussed his experiences as a Ph.D. student at
WVU in Chemical Engineering.
Higgs boson. Dr. Gavin Hesketh spoke on the
discovery of the Higgs boson at the European Cen-
ter for Nuclear Research (CERN). He
is a member of the team that made
the discovery. The Higgs boson had
been subjected to an intensive search
ever since Peter Higgs made a case
for its existence in 1964.
Dr. Peter Sandwall (B.S. Wesleyan 2005;
Ph.D. Medical Physics, Univ. Cincinnati) spoke on medical physics careers. He is Chief Medical
Physicist at Tri-Health Cancer Institute.
Cody O’Meara spoke on his summer intern-
ship at NIST involving laser scanners.
Gravitational waves
is left behind when a massive
star explodes.) McWilliams is a
gravitational-wave astrophysicist
at WVU who works with the
LIGO team.
Dr. Sean McWilliams spoke
on the recent discovery of
gravitational waves. These are
ripples in space-time produced
when a very massive object suddenly slows down, speeds up,
or changes direction.
Gravitational waves are a key
prediction of Einstein’s 100-
year-old theory of general rela-
tivity. Last year, gravitational
waves were finally detected by
astrophysicists at the Laser
Interferometer Gravitational-
Wave Observatory (LIGO) by
measuring the orbital decay of
binary black holes. (A black hole
2017 summer internships
Becca Davis had a biomedical internship at
Rutgers University. “I compared several methods
of making images to study spinal cord injuries.
I used Visikol to clear soft tissue surrounding the
spinal cord, and
then I used light
sheet microscopy
to image the spinal
cords. I also used
optical coherence
tomography and
confocal micro-
scopy.”
Becca present
her findings on at
the Annual Bio-
medical Research
Conference in
Phoenix.
Hunter Lowe’s internship was at Hermes
Abrasives in Virginia Beach. “I worked on a new
floor layout plan for the wide-belt conveyor
department. I also finished an ongoing project that
I started last summer for their glue spraying guns.
“I’ve accepted a job as an Application Engineer
for their Bonded Abrasives Division, starting when
I graduate next May.”
Merrik Malin had an electrical internship at
WVU involving efficiency of gallium-nitride LEDs
Eric Wooten had a geophysics internship at
LEAM Drilling Services in Oklahoma. “I planned
oil wells in the office and went out to rigs while
they were drilling. I went to the machine shop to
learn about motors, bits, and drilling tools.
“This fall, I am doing some work for them from
Wesleyan to keep up with what’s going on. I will
probably end up with a job after I graduate.”
Mark Leadingham had a quantum mechanics
internship at the National Institute of Standards
and Technology. “I studied numerical methods of
solving the Schrodinger equation for hydrogen
subjected to a laser pulse. My method involved writing a computer program in Fortran that incre-
ments the solution forward in time, similar to the
method I used with Dr. DeLaney last summer.
“I compared the efficiency of three methods:
the Crank-Nicholson method, the split operator
method, and the integral method.”
Allison Haertter studied methods to prevent
demagnetization as determined by their crystal
structure as viewed by an atomic force microscope.
She worked with Dr. Jeremy Dawson at WVU.
Alexa Mortenson had an internship at the
University of Utah. “It was an outreach project for
patients with spinal cord injuries to continue an
active lifestyle. Adaptive kayaking is available to
participants with any injury level. Special paddles
help with the grip, and backrests support the trunk.
“In past years, therapists had to transfer patients
from wheelchair to kayak in mud. My solution was
called the Portable Accessible Docking System. It
is a large boat that functions as a dock to provide a
smooth surface for transferring to the kayak.”
Summer 2017 research at Wesleyan
Student stipends were provided by grants from
NASA, NSF, SURE, and the WV Higher Education
Policy Commission.
Kaylee Burdette worked with Dr. DeLaney on
our new radio telescope up on the roof. “I adjusted
the telescope’s rotation limits in the software to
prevent a cable from wrapping around the support
post. I installed a camera to view the telescope’s
movement at my desk. I built a Faraday cage to
block radio-wave interference from my computer.”
Mackenzie Robatin worked with Dr. Wiest in
the laser lab. “I examined a two-photon transition
in a rubidium vapor cell. I used a 778.1-nm diode
laser to obtain the hyperfine-spectra ground-state
splitting, which is not evident using a single-
photon method.”
Jeremy Marsh worked with Dr. Reynolds on a
plasma physics project. “I studied glow-discharge
geometries, used Langmuir probe diagnostics on
plasmas, and performed a spectral analysis.”
Gabrielle Cox worked with Dr. Wiest, using a
tunable infrared laser to study the hyperfine spec-
trum of lithium. She heated the metal and used lasers
to create excited states. She used an infrared camera
to view the doublets in the spectra.
Olivia Rycroft worked with Dr. DeLaney to
calibrate data from the Very Large Array on the
supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, from which she
created images of Cassiopeia A.
Angela Meyer worked with Dr. DeLaney on
the Planet Walk project. This is a scale model of
the Solar System with informational signs for each
planet, distributed along a mile-long trail.
2017 senior projects
Aerospace
Nate Moore, Lift and drag geometries, using our
wind tunnel to test airfoils of different shapes.
Applied physics
Jeremy Marsh, Taylor-Couette
flow, applyed chaos theory to
turbulent flow in water.
Paula Pimenta, Foucault
pendulum. The relation of the
precession rate to the latitude.
Mark Schiffour, Heat flow in
a metal with a thermal gradient,
using a Raspberry Pi interface
system.
Tim Stephens, Krypton’s stable isotopes, using
our new Extorr quadrupole residual gas analyzer to
determine the relative abundances of the isotopes.
Chemical physics
Tom Haines, Analysis of Teflon using a Raman
spectrometer. Measured the bond strength.
Dustin Kimble, Biodegradable thermoplastics. Mixed polylactic acid, polybutylene terephthalate,
and polyoxylene in various ratios. Tested their crystallinity with our Raman spectrometer.
Civil
Cody Goode, Reinforced
concrete arch bridge. Measured deflection as a
function of load.
Eleni Brick, Underwater
Darrieus turbines. Calcu-
lated the efficiency when
driven by simulated tides.
Electrical
Kody Tucker, Doping semiconductors. Diffused
boron impurities. Measured the effect on resistivity.
Environmental
Tim Bristol, Capillary-action turbine. Used the
potential energy from capillary action to create a
flow of water to turn a small turbine.
Mechanical
Pedro Martins, A kinetic energy recovery system. Installed a flywheel on a
bicycle to store energy
when traveling downhill.
Brian Cappellini, Alter-
nate fuel. Compared the
efficiency of gasoline to
propane in lawnmowers.
Wyatt Strickler, Ground-source heat pump
coefficient of performance. Repurposed an air conditioner and measured its coefficient of per-
formance as a function of ground temperature.
Grants for new equipment
Naylor planetarium grant Our planetarium is offering new digital shows,
thanks to a $40,000 gift from the Naylor Trust. We
purchased a Digitarium Zeta Projector, five full-
dome movies, and lesson plans for students K-12.
“The new digital projector has a giant fish-eye
lens,” enthused Dr. DeLaney. “The sky is a digital
computer image projected onto the dome. Now
we can play full-dome movies. We can zoom into
planets and deep-sky objects. It can simulate sky
motions far more accurately than the old system.
The grand re-opening occurred on Sept. 2, 2017.
Dr. DeLaney shows a movie of a Space Shuttle launch.
Tunable laser diode spectrometer
The system includes an infrared laser diode, a
cat-eye laser, a controller, and a low-noise photo-
detector, purchased from the Moglabs Company.
We can study the spectral doublets of potassium
and rubidium. The
excellent resolution
and sensitivity will
enable us to finally
measure the hyper-
fine spectra created
by the nucleus.
We thank Sean
Boyle ’94 for fund-
ing our purchase.
Dominion resources grant
Dominion’s $50,000 grant enabled us to purchase
a mass spectrometer, a Raman spectrometer, an
X-ray spectrometer, a seismometer, and a nuclear
spectrometer.
New heat pump system
This is a wonderful addition to our engineering lab. A pump circulates refrigerant through a closed loop consisting of a compressor, condenser, throttle,
and evaporator. Students measure the temperature,
pressure, electrical energy input, and heat flow.
Students use tables to find the enthalpy, entropy,
and coefficient of performance. They compare their
results with the prediction from Carnot theory.
The combined generosity of our alumni enabled
this acquisition from American 3B Scientific
We hope that we
provided information
that helped you choose
a major and a college.
We offer small class
sizes with a special
emphasis on labs.
Our faculty is readily avail-
able when our
students have
questions about
assignments or
career planning.
Please contact me if you
would like more information.
Dr. Popson
304-473-8070
→ To arrange a visit, please call 800-722-9933 ←