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By Barry McNamara
Proof of the academic abilities of Monmouth College senior Jonathan
Bruckman can be found in his recent invitation to take part in the 2008
Annual Fall Meeting of the Division of Nuclear Physics of the American
Physical Society. The event was held Oct. 23-26 at the Marriott City
Center Hotel and Conference Center in Oakland, Calif.
Further proof can be found in the abstract for the poster that he
presented in Oakland as part of the Conference Experience for
Undergraduates (CEU). However, only those who speak physics might be
able to understand.
The poster was titled “Evolution of Collective Structure in Odd-Odd
70As1.” The “As” in the title refers to the chemical symbol for arsenic,
but the rest of the following paragraph comes with a
read-at-your-own-risk warning:
“Excited states in 70As were produced via the 23Na(54Fe, ®2pn)77Rb
reaction at 80MeV. Gamma-ray transitions between the excited states were
collected in coincidence using a high-resolution array of 10 Ge
detectors. From the coincidence relationships, a candidate for the
missing odd-spin negative-parity sequence was found, with spins and
parities assigned tentatively using systematic arguments. All other
high-spin level sequences found previously were confirmed. The kinematic
moments of inertia for the new band and those observed previously,
calculated within the context of the cranked-shell model, show that 70As
is likely dominated by collective behavior at high spin, making it more
similar in this regard to
72As than 68As. Collectivity and deformation also seem to increase with
neutron number in the light proton-rich arsenic isotopes.”
Perhaps some more general comments would be helpful to understand the
magnitude of Bruckman’s research, which he conducted last summer at Ohio
Wesleyan University as part of the Research Experience for
Undergraduates. He was awarded full funding for travel and lodging to
the conference from the CEU, whose director, Warren F. Rogers, wrote,
“The award decision is based on the high quality of your research
abstract and contribution to the general group effort.”
Added MC physics professor Chris Fasano, who accompanied Bruckman to
Oakland, “We’re really proud of Jonathan’s accomplishment.”
Bruckman said his research was a data analysis of an experiment
conducted at Florida State University in 2005. At Ohio Wesleyan, he
worked under the guidance of physics professor Robert Kaye.
“It was received very well,” said Bruckman of his poster. “It’s not a
hot topic in nuclear physics right now, but plenty of people stopped by
and asked really good questions. People from Yale were especially
interested.”
Bruckman explained that gamma ray spectroscopy is a special interest of
the Ivy League school, and the university looks to recruit individuals
who do those types of projects.
Yale might be an intriguing option for Bruckman’s graduate work, but the
Burnham, Ill., resident said he is more interested in staying in the
Midwest to complete his “five or six years” of instruction in nuclear
physics. When his course work is completed around 2015, Bruckman will
have a Ph.D. and will be a prime candidate “to be a physics professor at
a small liberal arts college like Monmouth.”
Fasano has certainly been a strong influence on Bruckman’s academic
career at Monmouth – in fact, the two are currently collaborating to
analyze wind data from a metereological tower just outside town – but
Bruckman has also learned from faculty members like Carolyn Suda in
music and Mark Willhardt in English. That across-the-curriculum
connection, Bruckman said, is part of the appeal of one day teaching at
a similar school.
“My experience here has been absolutely fantastic,” he said. “I love
this place. I chose Monmouth because it was not too far from home, but
not too close, and (admission representative) Peter Pitts played a big
role. What kept me here was a mixture of things, including my
fraternity, ZBT, and outstanding faculty. I’ve had a course every
semester with Carolyn Suda. I’ve had her for ‘Music 101’ and for
orchestra, and she also taught my ‘Reflections’ course. That was
extremely enjoyable. Professor Willhardt was my ILA instructor. They
have both been semi-advisers and friends. I can talk to Professor Fasano,
too, but the others have provided mentoring to me from different
angles.”
“Jon came in with great preparation, but then did what the best students
always do: he developed more and better skills, ones which allowed him
to excel not only because of his natural gifts but also because of his
newfound insights,” said Willhardt. “Though Jon is a physics student,
he’s not just a physics student. Our conversations range from his latest
experiment to his latest favorite film. In this regard, he’s nicely
embodied the breadth and achievements of liberal arts.”
Added Suda, “One of the things that I enjoy and respect so much about
Jon is his love of science as well as the arts. We have had wonderful
talks about music and literature, and he usually has profound things to
say about both. And, of course, he plays the cello,” which is also
Suda’s specialty.
Bruckman’s approach to his Monmouth College education has been to soak
up as much information as he possibly can from a variety of sources,
showing that, as Willhardt said, he’s much more than a physics student.
“I like to learn,” he said. “All of the faculty here really support
interdisciplinary learning. It’s been very fulfilling to take classes
outside of my major. I feel like I have really pulled a lot of knowledge
and experience from this place. I’ve had a broad range of experiences
and that’s going to contribute to a better overall experience later in
life.”
In other words, he fits Fasano’s description of Monmouth’s integrated
learning to a tee:
“Integrated learning is a really different way of educating a student.
We think that a student, who then becomes our graduate, is more
productive, is more successful, is ready for anything that the world
throws at them and is ultimately a happier and a better citizen.”
And who knows? A decade from now, the world might throw Jonathan
Bruckman right back to the Monmouth College campus, and the circle of
integrated learning can start once again.
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Released
by the Office of College Communications
Barry McNamara, Associate Director of College Communications
Phone: 309-457-2117
Fax: 309-457-2330
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