Maverick Science mag 2013-14

COLLEGE NEWS | PHYSICS | BIOLOGY
New physics scholarship named in honor of Fry
The distinguished record of service to the
UT Arlington Department of Physics that John
Fry compiled is unsurpassed. For 39 years, Fry
was a professor, researcher and department
chair, and a leading proponent for the growth
and improvement of the program.
In addition, Fry is a beloved figure on campus,
popular with colleagues and students and
always ready with a joke. In 2013, with Fry’s
75th birthday approaching, friends and former
students decided to do something to honor him
in a lasting way. They raised funds and created
the John L. Fry Physics Scholarship which will
help deserving students pay for their education.
The scholarship was announced at a special
birthday reception given in Fry’s honor on November
9. More than 100 attended the party,
and Fry was stunned by the news.
“I felt honored and a little embarrassed that
it was done for me, but I was very pleased that
it will benefit future students,” he said. “Besides,
I always enjoy parties. The party was special.
Many people worked hard to achieve
matching fund status and round up old friends and students for the party. I am
glad that UT Arlington means as much to those who contributed to the fund as it
has to me.”
Fry, who came to UT Arlington in 1971, was instrumental in the creation of the
department’s doctoral program, and he was the department's first faculty member
to direct a Ph.D. dissertation. He brought the first federal grant funds to the department,
and his research was externally funded for most of his career. His own
research group was active for over 30 years. He was relentless in his efforts to take
the department from one focused almost exclusively on teaching to one with a robust
research profile, with millions in external funding and state-of-the-art technology
which is utilized by faculty and students.
Liu named fellow by APS
J. Ping Liu, a professor of physics who is working to develop stronger
magnets for sustainable energy applications, was named a fellow of the
American Physical Society in December.
Liu joined the UT Arlington Department of Physics in 2002 and researches
the development of advanced nanocomposite magnets that
have high performance while containing fewer
expensive rare-earth materials. The advanced
magnets can be used in nearly every industry and
consumer device from computers to cars to medical
imaging systems and cell phones.
In his tenure at UT Arlington, Liu has been a
leader in nanocomposite magnet research and,
through his Nanostructured Magnetic Materials
Group, has carried out world-class work that has
led to recognition from the American Physical Society.
A citation accompanying the honor noted Liu’s “pioneering work in
research on advanced permanent-magnet materials, including innovative
work on bottom-up approaches to fabrication of nanocomposite
magnets with reduced rare-earth content via novel techniques."
Pamela Jansma, dean of the College of Science, said Liu’s latest
honor is well deserved.
“Dr. Liu has been producing outstanding research in his field while
mentoring students for more than a decade at UT Arlington, and he has
remained continuously funded by grants that are a testament to his
laboratory success,” Jansma said.
Liu’s total research funds have exceeded $10 million, including those
of nearly $1 million received last fall from the U.S. Department of Energy,
U.S. Department of Defense and an industrial sponsor.
10 Maverick Science 2013-14
John Fry, left, with Margie Black and Dan Dahlberg at Fry’s 75th
birthday party on November 9. Black is the widow of late UT Arlington
physics professor Truman Black, and Dahlberg is a professor
of physics at the University of Minnesota and a UT Arlington physics
alumnus who received the UT Arlington Distinguished Alumni Award
in 1998.
Liu
“John set a very high standard for the department,"
said Alex Weiss, professor and department
chair. "More than anyone else, he
managed to help the department become a full
university department that does important research
and great teaching. He pioneered a lot
of things here and has had a huge impact on the
department. He was an excellent mentor for
young faculty, myself included."
Fry retired as a faculty member in 2009 and
was named professor emeritus in 2010. Despite
his “retirement,” he remains very active in the
department. He still has much he’d like to do.
“Time gets away,” he said. “At 75, I don't
have many years left to accomplish the discoveries
in physics which I set out to make with
our research group when I stepped down as
chair of physics years ago. My ideas are still
flowing, but my short-term memory requires
computers, note pads and colleagues to keep
things in order.”
Fry said the scholarship – the third for the
Department of Physics – is a sign that the University
“is growing up,” and he is hopeful that more endowments will follow.
"This scholarship is a wonderful tribute to Dr. Fry, who provided outstanding
leadership for the Department of Physics during his almost four decades of service
at UT Arlington,” said College of Science Dean Pamela Jansma. “His commitment
to excellence was critical for the growth and development that led to the strong department
we have today. Many of the things happening in the department now in
which we take such pride are a result of Dr. Fry's hard work, vision, and stewardship.
It’s very fitting that this scholarship was created to help students in physics,
because Dr. Fry did so much for students throughout his career."
To contribute to the John L. Fry Physics Scholarship fund, please contact Shelly
Frank at 817-272-1497 or shellyfrank@uta.edu.
Hurdle named to serve on NIH
drug discovery study section
The National Institutes of Health Center
for Scientific Review selected UT Arlington
assistant professor of biology Julian
Hurdle to serve on a prestigious study section,
one of the bodies that reviews grant
applications, makes recommendations and
surveys the status of research in a particular
field.
Hurdle, a specialist in molecular microbiology
and bacterial infectious diseases,
will serve on the Drug Discovery and Mechanisms
of Antimicrobial Resistance Study
Section through June 30, 2017.
“Dr. Hurdle is an accomplished researcher
who is working hard to build a
better understanding of the role bacteria
play in disease,” said Pamela Jansma, dean
of the College of Science. “We are pleased
to see him recognized by his colleagues and
take on this active role in helping to determine
where important research funding
flows.”
Hurdle joined the UT Arlington College
of Science in 2010. In 2011, he was awarded
a five-year, $1.9 million research grant
from the National Institutes of Health National
Center for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine to study new ways to
treat an opportunistic and sometimes
deadly bacterium, Clostridium difficile.
“I am honored to be selected,” Hurdle
said. “The study section where I will serve
is made up of leading
experts from academia
and the pharmaceutical
industry and
I am looking forward
to contributing to the
grant review process.”
Hurdle
Study section
members are chosen
based on their demonstrated
competence and achievements
in their study area, including activities such
as research activity and publication in scientific
journals.
Hurdle is using his grant funding to develop
a more effective treatment for C. difficile,
one of the most widespread and
dangerous infections in the U.S. He and
students in his laboratory are working with
colleagues at St. Jude Children’s Hospital
in Memphis, Tenn.