David Jacome presented, "Purifying Water one Microdischange at a Time"
Download Juniata Brochure:
Previous Event: SPS Zone 3 Conference at Penn-State University
Date: 3/11/08-3/13/08
Note: The conference was well-organized, many students enjoyed themselves. Therese Jones (Astrophysics/Physics Major; SPS Penn-State President) planned the event so that students could have fun but learn about the research opportunities available at Penn-State. There was two poster presentations from New Jersey, Samik Adhikari and David Jacome. Ronald Maldonado, commented, "the people in Penn-State are nice and seem to love doing research". Samik Adhikari commented, "Everything was fun, I got to eat some Nepal food man". Tony Maldondo said, "I love the environment, and the air is clean". David Jacome said, "Everyone seems to care about the club like at Saint Peter's College, and the advisor works with the students. It was exciting to be a part of that experience, thanks for the memories and the fun times, Therese.Below is a group picture:
Download the Penn-State Zone 3 Conference Schedule of Events:
Previous Event: Academic Symposium
Presenters: David Jacome & Samik Adhikari
Titles: Purifying Water One Micro-discharge at a Time & Micro Hollow Cathrode Discharge (MHCD) and the Mechanisms of an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Torch
Notes: Everyone did a great job at presenting. Students commented on David's poster, "This research allows us to study the effects of ozone on water, which is good." Many students asked, "What is the difference between the two poster presentations?" Well, David's setup uses alternating current (AC), and Samik's setup uses direct current (DC). Both of the presenters received awards. Below is a group picture:
Download Academic Symposium Booklet:
Event: Summer Research with Saint Peter's Prep High School and Union Hill High School Students
Student Involved: David Jacome, Brian McCullough, Quincy Iheme, Luan To
Notes: Students from Saint Peter's Prep & Union Hill seemed excited about working in a college environment. Lyda Sierra (Union Hill) worked well to understand the Capillary Plasma Electrode. It seemed she loved to work in the laboratory, and can be considered a young physicist who has strong passion in the field. Near the last days of the the project, everyone visited the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Below is a group picture:
Event: 2008 Quadrennial Congress of Sigma Pi Sigma
Students Involved: David Jacome (SPS Chapter President), Ronald Maldonado (SPS Chapter Treasurer), Tony Maldonado (SPS Chapter Secretary), Brian McCullough (Physics Major), & Quincy Iheme (Physics Major)
Poster & Artwork Presentations: Homogenous DBD (poster) - Brian McCullough & Quincy Iheme; Understanding the Basic Characteristics of a Capillary Plasma Electrode (poster) & Homogenous DBD (artwork) - David Jacome
Dates: November 6, 2008 - November 9, 2008 at FermiLabs & Holiday Inn Select (Naperville, Illinois)
Notes: Everyone has fun. The theme of the conference was Scientific Citizenship. Ronald and Tony Maldonado said, "It's nice to visit different places and share ideas with other people". Quincy Iheme says, "I'm just happy to be a part of this conference, and to meet new people". David Jacome says, "In life, it's always good to travel and see other places, FermiLab is one of those places". Brian McCullough says, "I loved the experience, and will never forget it". During the art contest, David Jacome won an Honorable Mention Award for presenting Homogenous DBD. Overall, it was a well-planned out congress that set a record for the most attended people since the congress started. It was great to be a part of history in the making. Below is a group picture & a picture of the artwork that won the Honorable Mention Award:
Event: 2009 APS March Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA
Students Involved: David Jacome (SPS Chapter President), Samik Adhikari (SPS Chapter Vice-President ), Ronald Maldonado (SPS Chapter Treasurer), Tony Maldonado (SPS Chapter Secretary), and Luan To (CCS Chapter President)
Poster Presentations: David Jacome; "Study of the operational properties of the Capillary Plasma Electrode (CPE) discharges", & Luan To; "Direct Current Cathode Boundary Layer Xenon Discharge"
Dates: March 16, 2009 - March 19, 2009 at the David Lawrence Convection Center (Downtown Pittsburgh) & Hotel accomendations at the Radisson Pittsburgh Green Tree
Notes: It was one of the best meeting of the year. Downtown Pittsburgh was the perfect location. David Jacome said, "It's one of most beautiful cities I've seen, lots of fun, and many things to do there". Tony Maldonado said, "The air is clean, and I love the people, they are my kind of people". Ronald Maldonado said, "Everyone was so friendly, and it's a one in a lifetime chance". Samik Adhikari said, "We are had fun during the meeting, and the experience taught me much about life and the adventures that we sometimes need to take to see what's out there". Luan To said, "It was my first time in Pittsburgh, and I will never forget the experience for sure".Everyone enjoyed the talks and the we made friends from different parts of world. Below is a picture of one of those friends we made from Mexico City:
Below are some of the pictures during the poster session on March 18, 2009:
Below is a picture taken with Dr. Yves Chabel during the APS March Meeting, who was awarded the Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface physics:
About the award:To recognize and encourage outstanding work in atomic physics or surface physics. The Prize consists of $5,000 and a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient or recipients. The Prize was established in 1965 by AT&T Bell Laboratories (now Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies). Congratulations from all our members and the Department of Applied Science and Technology to Dr. Yves Chabal.
Download the Chapter Report for the APS March Meeting:
Previous Event: SPS Zone 1 Meeting at Boston University
Date: 3/27/09 - 3/28/09
Note: We all enjoyed the Zone 1 Meeting at BU. Boston is such a great city with the nicest people. President Claire Thomas of BU's SPS chapter put together a great meeting. She really did her job and make BU feel like a home to us. David Jacome said, "All the presentations were focused on getting the students interested in physics research and the floor was open to any question that students had. Luan To said, "If I had to die somewhere, it would be in Boston". Tony Maldonado said, "I liked the campus and all the officers of BU's chapter were nice, I felt like I belonged to a family of scientists". Ronald Maldonado said, "It took a long time to reach Boston, but when we got there it was worth every minute spent on the road, I love the city". Kapil Bastola said, "It was a fun experience we all shared, and I will never forget the adventure and the discussions we had as a group, this is what SPS is all about".Below is a group picture:
Below is a picture taken with Dr. Thomas Olsen, Assistant Director & Historian, SPS & Sigma Pi Sigma:
Previous Event: Physics Day at Six Flags America in Maryland
Date: April 24, 2009 - April 25, 2009
Notes: It was a fun event. Our group was involved in showing high school students physics demostrations.Also, we did ride some rollercoasters, and saw Galileo with his telescope. Tony said, "It's great to be around physics students in such an environment and learn from one another". Ronald said, "Maryland is beautiful and the weather was on our side, which made the event that much better". David said, "Whenever it comes to helping kids learn and be passionate about physics and learn what SPS for students at all levels, it makes for a great experence among the community and physicists alike".
Previous Event: End of Semester Barbeque
Dates: Ending days of the Spring Semester 2009!
Notes: Everyone from the Department of Applied Science and Technology, members of SPS, students, staff, and others in the college were present to celebrate the success of the students and events. Quincy, the barbeque chef, said, "There isn't nothing more exciting than eating burgers with your friends, classmates, and professors.
Presenters:
Presentation Title: Graduate & Undergraduate Research Opportunities at Rutgers University
Date: 12/4/07
Presenters: Dr. Yves Chabal & Norman Lapin
Notes: Norman Lapin talks about his experience being a graduate student. Dr. Chabal tells the students that nothing is easy, and sometimes error produces results. We all remember his saying, "A small idea written on a napkin over lunch most often produces results".
Download Brochure:
Presentation Title: Traffic Control through Math & Science!!!
Date: 4/16/08
Presenter: Dr. Frederick Ducca
Dr. Ducca obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Saint Peter's College in 1967. He has an MBA is Operations Research and Industrial Management from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.
Notes: Dr. Ducca works for the Federal Highway Adminstration and conducts research in the traffic mobility impacts stemming from street closures. He will briefly mention the White House Area Transportation Study (WHATS) model which implemented a 24-hour simulation for a large portion of downtown DC for the base scenario, back-cast validation scenario, future base year, and multiple mitigation scenarios. The presentation will provide an overview of the model methodology, calibration and validation issues, and issues to presentation of results.
SPS Comments: His talk was great, students became exposed to the uses of math in mapmaking. Also, the presentation itself explained the steps involved to decision-making, which is very important in any career one does. Students commented, "Technology is evolving to the point that it will solve an equation for you, so what do you use Math for?" Well one uses Math in Physics courses or in a industrial environment to analyze data better. Nowadays, knowledge in both Math and Physics is critical. So, one can say that you need a fundamental understanding of both to make good decisions in any career path that one might chose.
Below is a group picture:To the left, Ronald Maldonado, Dr. Ducca (Federal Highway Adminstration), Dr. Jose Lopez (Assitant Professor of Physics), David Jacome (President of Society of Physics Students), & Tony Maldonado
Presentation Title: "Sensing at the Nanoscale - a Step in the Development of Biosensors"
Date: 10/9/08
Presenter: Norman Lapin from the Laboratory of Surface Modification at Rutgers University
Notes: It's the return of Norman Lapin. He is a great scientist at Rutgers University with a strong passion to inspire students to persue careers in science. His presentation allowed students to learn about useful techniques that can be used in the field of nanotechnology, and how he faces obstacles when working with Biosensors. Towards the end, students understood that Norman has come a long way, and how he is now in the final stages of getting his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. The Society of Physics Students and the Collins Chemistry Society awarded him for all the hard work. In life, it's hard to find people like him with true scientific knowledge and a strong passion to keep going. Dr. Jose Lopez, Dr. Wei-Dong Zhu, Dr. Sciorra, and David Jacome welcome him back at any time to address the entire college about his goals and self-motivation.
Below is a group picture: On the left is Samik A.,Johnathan O.,Dr. Jose Lopez (Professor of Physics), Ronald Maldonado, Norman Lapin (Presenter, Laboratory for Surface Modification, Rutgers University, Busch Campus), David Jacome (President of Society of Physics Students, and Acting President of Collins Chemistry Society), Dr. Wei-Dong Zhu (Professor of Physics), & Tao L.
Presentation Title: "Understanding Nanostructures from the Atoms Up"
Date: 2/12/09
Presenter: Dr. Joshua Schrier from Haverford College
Notes: Dr. Schrier is an alumni of Saint Peter's College, receiving a B.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2000. His talk was great. He talked about methods to grow semiconductors into a number of well-defined shapes and sizes. At these dimensions, quantum mechanical effects dictated by the shape and size of the particles lead to tunable optical and electrical properties. During the talk, we learned a couple of tricks in the nature of charge density and based on the nature of eigenspectrum which are used to make quantum mechanical calculation of 10^4 atom nanoparticles possible. Afterwards, students learned the importance of physics in chemistry, and in making quick calculations to save time, (breakdown of the traditional "particle in a box" type theories), to provide quantitative agreements with the optical properties of CdTe nanowires.
Presentation Title: "Graduate School Opportunities"
Date: 2/18/09
Presenter: Dr. Gail Smith from CUNY Graduate Center
Notes: Everyone enjoyed Dr. Smith's talk. She gave all the students good advice on how to approach graduate school. Dr. Gail Smith received her B.A. from Montclair State University, M.A. from Columbia University, and Ph.D. from New York University. Currently, she is the acting assistant provostat the CUNY Graduate Center. During the talk, students were introduced to some of the opportunities that are offered. Dr. Smith explained that a Ph.D. degree is a research degree and it's harder to get, but not difficult. Ronald said, "She really inspired me to get more involved in research, so when graduate school approaches you will be ready for that environment". All her advice was important and students wish that she can come back real soon to talk more about her experiences.
Meetings:
Meeting: February 20, 2008
Title: Election Day
Notes: We had elections, and four new officers were named. A brief presentation took place about the goals of our society. The first issue of our new article entitled, "The Newtonstein Article" was given out. Also, members were reminded about the Steven's Presentation involving Calories.
Download NS Article, Volume 1, issue 1:
Meeting: March 5, 2008
Title: Future Ideas, & the Survey about producing ideas
Notes: The second issue of "The Newtonstein Article" is given out to each of the members. We go some possible future events, like ""The International Scientific Presentation". Next, we conduct a 5-minute survey to understand the changes needed for our society.
Download NS Article, Volume 1, issue 2:
Meeting: March 15, 2008
Title: "Celebration Day" & "How to become an engineer and build a strong company?" (The Google Boys)
Notes: Members are given a small gift by the department & society. We all enjoy the chicken, french fries, rice, drinks, and ice-cream cake. The third issue of "The Newtonstein Article" is available for members. Dr. Jose Lopez & Dr. Weidong Zhu are awarded by the society for all the hard work they have done. We honored them. Next, members watch a 15-minute documentary on "How to become an inventor & built a strong company". Finally, members are given a response sheet to comment on the documentary.
Watch the documentary, "The Google Boys":
Download NS Article, Volume 1, issue 3:
Meeting: April 9, 2008
Title: What is IQ, and how does it work?
Note: Subway sandwichs was served to the members. Afterwards, David showed a documentary called , "The Battle of the Brains". Members became aware of the importance behind testing. The fourth issue of "The Newtonstein Article" is available for members. Students took an IQ test, and the results show that an average person would rather enjoy life doing outside activities then keep taking tests in college. So, from the results we should be able to pick roles for the "Monthly Experiment" in late April.
Watch the documentary, "The Battle of the Brains":
Download NS Article, Volume 1, issue 4:
Meeting: April 23, 2008
Title: Finally, the Monthly Experiment
Note: We had some popeye chicken, with french fries, biscuits & soda. The meeting was about the results of the Intelligence Test, and how it lacks to prove anything at all. Everyone in our society is SMART, we just have to open up more and socialize among each other. Members became aware of that, and finally we talked about doing a Monthly Experiment. Before doing something, everyone agreed on one thing, "We need to learn about the experiment first, before we can do it". The fifth issue of "The Newtonstein Article" is available for members. Then we all watched a documentary on Bill Nye the Science Guy. We all looked at a list of possible experiments to do, and picked one. 4 out of 6 members picked an experiment called, "Heat Convection", which won the vote. To end the meeting, David mentioned future events, like "Physics Day" at Six Flags, and the End of the Semester Barbeque. Members agreed that this meeting was more fun and open. Nischal Neupane came by to visit the society, and he also agreed that the meeting was fun. So, now that we have seen how fun an experiment can be, let's go out there and do one.
Watch the documentary, "Bill Nye, the Science Guy": Simple Machines:
Download NS Article, Volume 1, issue 5:
Meeting: April 30, 2008
Title: "Heat Convection"
Notes: Pizza and Beef Patties were served! Afterwards, David mentioned what Heat Convection deals with. Members received the first issue of volume 2 (Newtonstein Article). Then, we watched a small clip about Heat Convection. David mentioned an upcoming event in November called, the Sigma Pi Sigma National Congress Meeting at Femilabs. Last, members voted for a date to conduct the experiment and what roles they would like to do. Everyone voted, and the Monthly Experiment will take place at the End of Semester Barbeque on May 25, 2008 during the Early Morning Hours. For more details, check upcoming events.
Watch a small clip of "Heat Convection":
Download NS Article, Volume 2, issue 1:
Meeting: September 10, 2008
Title: Welcome back SPS Members!!! &The rebirth of the Collins Chemistry Society
Notes: This is the first meeting to start the Fall Semester of 2008. It was a joint meeting with the Collins Chemistry Society. Members became aware of the society goals, and what needs to be accomplished by the end of this semester. Everyone introduced themselves to other members, we had three new faces, which is great news. Subways Sandwiches were served to all the members. Finally, a Special Edition of volume 2, issue 2 was given out to the members, a new article called, The American Newtonstein Order of Collins (ANOC) which symbolizes a union between two great science organziations, SPS & CCS. We all have similar goals, and plan to work together as a TEAM.
Download (ANOC) Special Edition Volume 2, issue 2:
Meeting: September 24, 2008
Title: Reunion of Science Organizations
Note: The president of Tribeta Biological Society, the president and advisor of SPS and CCS & the Mendel advisor Dr. Wydner were some of the strong leaders in attendance. We started the meeting eating some food, which eventually lead to a discussion about the future of science. Dr. Wydner suggested that having all the organizations work together is the most important step. We ended the meeting eating some cake. The goal of this meeting was to help all the science organizations at Saint Peter's College to work together and do joint contributions.
Download the Program for this meeting:
Meeting: October 8, 2008
Title: Socialization is important among members
Note: We had a group discussion among members. Some new members came to the meeting and shared some ideas. Dr. Zhu suggested that the society should plan more trips. One members said, "we should have tutoring sessions for all students to help them do better in there classes". Everyone took both ideas into consideration. Jonathan Ocasio mentioned that he would like to study Astrophysics, and it would be great if a course was offered for students in that subject area. No article was given out this time. Pizza was served.
Meeting: October 29, 2008
Title: Last meeting of the month before departure to FemiLabs: "Expect the Unexpected"
Notes: This meeting was videotaped, David Jacome presented his project, called "Capillary Plasma Electrode". Members made some suggestions to improve the structure of his poster. Also, the artwork to be presented was introduced called, "Homogenous Dielectric Barrier Discharge". Many members agreed that the artwork focuses your attention to the center. Lunch was served, Pizza with soda. Good Luck on the trip to FEMILABS!!!
Meeting: November 2, 2008
Title: Meeting to discuss Travel arrangements for FermiLab Trip (Chicago)
Notes: Talked about the program, hotel, and airport arrangements for the trip. Agreed to meet at 10:30 at the airport in terminal C. Made sure that all posters & artwork presentations are ready to be presented. Everyone was informed of the topic given to us by the SPS national office for the Chapter Report.
Meeting: November 12, 2008
Title: What happnened at FermiLabs? Who was there? What is the goal of the conference?
Notes: David showed a powerpoint presentation about what the conference was about. Members tried to focus on the goal and helping others understand how important science really is. Also, the community service project was mentioned, and sheets of dates to do the project was given out. Members had to look carefully at the dates, and pick the best one.
FermiLabs Presentation:
Chapter Report:
Meeting: November 24, 2008
Title: Community Service Discussion
Notes: We discussed the community service project, and picked a date/time to do it. We talked about having presenters come to the college next year to inspire students in physics. Finally, we started to mention conference information, and who will have what responsibility. Pizza was served.
Meeting: December 10, 2008 (Last meeting of Fall Semester 08')
Title: NEWTON DAY!!!
Notes: Our members discussed some of the achievements made during Newton's time and how science has changed since that time. We also mentioned future projects that should be done at the college. Next year, we will conduct a honorary physics lecture series to take place during the months of February - March. Following this series, in April we will have the Zone 3 & 7 Conference. We discussed how the conference should be planned out, the committee decided to use some of our budget for that. Ronald Maldonado (Treasurer) agreed. Also, the E-board talked about the community service project done at PERC Homeless Shelter in Union City. In the end, we celebrated this year's accomplishments, and also Newtons' work in physics. Subway sandwiches, deserts, and soda served.
Newton Day Presentation:
Meeting: January 21, 2009 (First meeting of Spring Semester 09')
Title: Welcoming, Joint Meeting with Collins Chemistry, Future Events
Notes: This was the first meeting of SPS. David Jacome & Luan To welcomed all the members to the meeting. Collins spoke of having events that promote science. SPS mentioned the Zone 3 & 7 meeting, and how important it was for both societies. Members spoke of having more Joint Meeting with SPS and CCS. Pizza was served.
Meeting: February 4, 2009 in pope 2 at 12:00 noon
Title: Community Service Project, APS meeting in Pittsburg, Monthly Experiment
Notes: During the meeting, we talked about completing a community service project. Also, the upcoming APS meetings, and who is interested in attending. Some good recommendations on how to improve the society were suggested. Last, members noted that the Zone 3 & 7 meeting is almost near, and we all need to prepare for it. Pizza was served.
Meeting: March 10, 2009 in pope 2 at 12:00 noon
Title: Road to Pittsburg, PA, Einstein & Pi - Day Celebration
Notes: We all talked about the APS meeting, and briefly mentioned some of Albert Einstein's accomplishments in physics. Also, celebrated the famous Mathematician symbol Pi ~ 3.14 (estimated). It was a time to reflect on some of the events planned for this year. Also, a good time to meet one another and during the meeting there was new faces. It was great to celebrate this semester and start off March the right way.
End of Semester Special Honorary Award:
Date: May 9, 2008
Notes: The Society gave thanks to Father DeStephano for everything he has done for the students. He was honored, below is a group picture:
Upcoming Events, Meetings and Presenters:
First Meeting: September 16, 2009
Time & Place: 12 noon in pope 2
Notes: It's the first meeting of the Fall Semester 09. Lunch will be served!
Event: Visit to Maryland, Council Meeting in Washington DC, and hotel stay in Arlington, VA
Dates: September 24 - September 27, 2009
Notes: Additional information given at later time.
If you have any questions about the meetings, minutes, or upcoming events, please contact our secretary at: tmaldonado@spc.edu
