By Emily Hubbell

• Physics alumnus Venkatraman “Venki” Ramakrishnan was recently awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the function of ribosomes.

• Saw Wai-Hla and Greg VanPatten have returned from their sabbaticals. Each spent time researching in Germany.

• Alexander Govorov is currently on sabbatical.

• Savas Kaya sponsored the Friday science talks on OU’s local WOUB radio station on behalf of the Institute.

• Physics graduate student Yeliz Celik will defend her doctoral thesis in late November.

• Physics alumnus H. Lee Mosbacker is teaching a class in the OU College of Business this quarter, called Technology and Entrepreneurship (MGT 491).

• This fall NQPI will host Dr. Lena Ivanova, a post doctoral student at the Technical University in Berlin.During her visit, she will present her doctoral research on gallium nitride and quantum dot systems.

• Planning is currently underway for the 5th Annual NQPI Retreat, to be held this spring.

• Nancy Sandler and Sergio Ulloa were selected  to deliver invited talks at a recent research workshop in Israel, titled “50 Years of the Aharonov-Bohm Effect: Concepts and Applications.”

• Physics graduate student Swati Ramanathan received a $1,000 Sigma Xi Grant for her research in optical properties of nanoparticles