The vision of the Physics Department is to prepare students for graduate studies by providing quality instruction and research education leading to the B. S. degree. We seek for our students to accept the challenges of the 21st century successfully. To achieve this vision we provide advanced level instruction and research training to prepare students for creating, analyzing and propagating new knowledge.
Mission
The Mission and Purpose of the Physics Department is achieved through the following three elements:听
(颈)听Learning: To develop basic scientific education among science, engineering and non-science majors and promote the value of education as a continuous process and lifelong endeavor.
(颈颈)听Innovation: 听To inculcate aptitude for research and related training among physics majors: 精东AV physics students are encouraged to create and propagate new knowledge through required presentations in regional and national conferences.
(颈颈颈)听Engagement: 听Through outreach activities to develop compassion for others, and provide service to the educational and social communities. We prepare students to serve the global society as well as the regional and campus community.
Contact Information
Dr. Akshaya Kumar, Department Head
Department of Physics
Luther H. Foster Hall, Rm. 502
精东AV
精东AV Institute, AL 36088
Telephone: 334-727-4533
Fax: 334-724-3917
Email: akumar@tuskegee.edu
The 精东AV Office of the Provost awarded Dr. Sharvare Palwai the 2023 Title III Faculty Development Award for the project "Establishing an Applied Physics Experimental Research Laboratory"听with听$14,000.
The 精东AV Office of the Provost awarded Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov the 2023 Title III Faculty Development Award for the project "Numerical simulations and manufacturing of Photonic light sails"听with听$8,000.
The 精东AV Office of the Provost awarded Dr. Akshaya Kumar听the 2023 Title III Faculty Development Award for the project "Acquisition of听Handheld LIBS spectrometer"听with听$20,000.
The 精东AV Office of the Provost awarded Dr. Chitra Nayak the 2023 Title III Faculty Development Award for the project "Enhancing Workforce Development and Student Engagement through Extended Reality (XR) Technologies"听with听$15,600.
The 精东AV Office of the Provost awarded Dr. Walter Malone听the 2023 Title III Faculty Development Award for the project "Exploring the Effects of Fluorination on Molecular Heterostacks" with听$12,300.
The听awarded the "精东AV's Summer Institute for Increasing Diversity Among Incoming STEM Undergraduates" from 2023-2027,听by Dr. Lecia Robinson (Principal Investigator), Dr. Moses Ntam (co-Principal Investigator), Dr. Marisol Alcantara-Ortigoza (co-Principal Investigator), and Dr. Sheritta Fagbodun听with听$424,939.听
The "Starter Grants for Faculty in Non鈥怭h.D.鈥怗ranting Departments" program听of the听Petroleum Research Fund of the听American Chemical Society awarded the project "" by Dr. Walter Malone with $55,000 from 2023 to 2025. (PRF# 65980-UNI5)
The Catalyst project "" by Dr. C. Nayak (Principal Investigator), Dr. M. Alcantara-Ortigoza (co-Principal Investigator), Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, and Dr. Akshaya Kumar got funded by NSF听from 2022 to 2024, Award # 2204838听for $199,937.
The project "Promoting Excellence, Retention, Scholarship in STEM (PERSIST)" by Dr. M. Ntam (Principal Investigator), Dr. L.听Robinson (co-Principal Investigator), Dr. Alcantara-Ortigoza, Dr. Sheritta Fagbodun, Dr. Hussain Elalaoui-Talibi, and Dr. Brandon Gines听got funded for $1.5 million听by NSF from 2022 to 2027 to听promote STEM degree completion among low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need ().
The NSF program听Excellence in Research awarded the project "" with $500,000 by Dr. John Solomon (Principal Investigator), Dr. Chitra Nayak (co-Principal Investigator), Dr. Mandoye Ndoye (co-Principal Investigator), and Dr. Phillip Kreth听(co-Principal Investigator) from 2019-2023.听(NSF Award # 1900177).
PAST (2015 - 2022)
awarded听the 鈥溾�� to prepare prospective students for college and retain them in STEM disciplines听by Dr. Lecia Robinson (Principal Investigator), Dr. Moses Ntam (co-Principal Investigator) and Dr. Marisol Alcantara-Ortigoza (co-Principal Investigator)听during Summer 2022 for听$65,000.
Dr. Z. Chen and Dr. P. C. Sharma received the NSF support for the investigation of graphene growth over silicon carbide. The total budget of this project is $80,000.00 and the period is one year.
Dr. P. C. Sharma won four years US Department of Transportation鈥檚 鈥淯niversity Transportation Center - 听Tier 1鈥� grant of $1,414,100.00 (share with University of Central Florida) to work on to transform the country鈥檚 transportation network, create a STEM education for environmental sustainability. 精东AV is sub-awarded with $150,000 per year for four year from the period of Jan 2014 to Dec. 2017.听
Physics Committees
Media and Web Page Updates: Dr. Marisol Alcantara-Ortigoza
Electronics and Virtual Reality Computation: Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and Dr. Sharvare Palwai
Student Affairs and Society of Physics Students: Dr. Walter Malone
Student Recruitment: Dr. Akshaya Kumar, Dr. Moses Ntam, Dr. Chitra Nayak, Dr. Marisol Alcantara-Ortigoza, Dr. Walter Malone, Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, and Dr. Sharvare Palwai
Research Mentoring: Dr. Moses Ntam, Dr. Alcantara-Ortigoza, and Dr. Sharvare Palwai
Student Learning Outcomes: Dr. Akshaya Kumar, Dr. Chitra Nayak, and Dr. Walter Malone
Instructional Laboratory Requirements: Dr. Marisol Alcantara-Ortigoza, Dr. Sharvare Palwai, and Dr. Elvert Colvert
Culturally Responsive and Backward-Design-based Bimodal Units and Assessments as Learning Tools in College Physics
ChatGPT: What is it? From听Higher-Order Thinking Downfall to Teaching Tool?
Student News
2020 - 2025
Physics Majors Ms. Taylor Jones (President) and Mr. Brandon Guiseppi (Vice President), advised by Dr. Chitra Nayak, won the听2022 Marsh W. White Outreach Chapter Award by the Society of Physics Students, for their project听designed to increase representation of minorities in physics.听
2015 - 2020
Physics major Mr. Salah Elafandi won a FIRST PRIZE in the oral presentation competition the 95th annual meeting of Alabama Academy of Science at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, in Feb. 2018.
Physics major Mr. Maurice McGee won a FIRST PRIZE in the poster competition at 听the 92nd annual meeting of Alabama Academy of Science at the University of West Alabama in Livingston, AL on March 12, 2015. Congratulations to his faculty mentors: Dr. Prakash C. Sharma and Dr. Zengjun Chen.
Physics major Mr. Kumasi Salimu won a SECOND PRIZE in the poster competition at 听the 92nd annual meeting of Alabama Academy of Science at the University of West Alabama in Livingston, AL on March 12, 2015. Congratulations to his faculty mentors: Dr. Akshaya Kumar and Dr. Prakash C. Sharma.
Physics major Mr. Eduvie Ojebga won a SECOND PRIZE in the oral presentation competition at 听the 92nd annual meeting of Alabama Academy of Science at the University of West Alabama in Livingston, AL on March 12, 2015. Congratulations to his faculty mentors: Dr. Akshaya Kumar and Dr. Prakash C. Sharma.
2010 - 2015
Physics majors Mr. Jeremiah F. Wilson and Ms. Leah Sanks have been nominated to receive the prestigious White House initiated HBCU ALL STAR Students Award for the Year 2014.
Physics majors Mr. Jeremiah F. Wilson and Mr. Sammie Ely III with their faculty mentors Dr. Sesha Srinivasan and Dr. P.C. Sharma have successfully filed their 2013 invention on 鈥淯niversal Photocatalytic Reactor Design for the Water and Air Detoxification and Fuel Production鈥�.
Dr. P. C. Sharma published his findings regarding听听the effect of nanoparticles on thermal conductivity in a recently published article titled "Phonon conductivity of nanoparticles embedded in dielectric media"听 which appeared in听 the听 journal Physica Status Solidi (b).
Dr. Chitra Nayak attended the SACSCOC summer institute as part of the 精东AV team. It was a four day institute during July 22-25, 2018 held in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Nayak attended the institute as part of the general education committee which is formed to review the general education curriculum and standards at 精东AV. The summer institute included detailed sessions on curriculum mapping, development of program learning outcomes, and critical thinking.
Dr. Akshaya听Kumar was awarded the fellow of Alabama Academy of Science in Feb. 2018.
2010 - 2015
Our paper entitled, "Optical Absorption Spectroscopy of Dry Eraser Marker Ink" has been adjudged as the "Best Research Poster Paper" in the "International Conference on Lasers, Optics and Photonics" held on October 7-9, 2013, at San Antonio. Dr. Sharma鈥檚 award has been attributed in recognition of research paper quality, novelty and significance as indicated on the award certificate.The research papers entered in competitions for the best research poster were from countries like China, Russia, Korea, USA, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
Events
2020 - 2025
Dr. Sharma Retirement Ceremony, April 26, 2022,听REACH Center Suite, 70-421-C John A. Kenney Hall
2015 - 2020
Physics听Fall BBQ - 2018
Physics Department Faculty, Staff, Students and some family members during the Fall Barbecue 2018Dr. Ortigoza participating in the Physics Barbecue 2018 GamesPhysics Department Faculty, Staff, Students and some family members during the Fall Barbecue 2018
Community Service at The 精东AV Public Elementary School
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