Dr. Frank...

lt was a cold and stormy night,

A shiver ran down her spine as his clammy hands trembled.

His purpose was intriguing and deeply disturbing.

He left her in a frightened trance with her face emerged in disgust as he paid her.

His plumb body was not conditioned for the climb,

Sweat mixed with the cold rain as he ran the wire to highest point.

His loyal servants had aided him in ramming the metal steak into the ground.

He saw moving lights at the bottom of the hill.

He interrupted the faint voices with his thoughts: “Dr. Frank…” 

“Witch hunters!” he thought angrily.

It was tonight or never.

His life’s work must come alive.

He waited, hoping that lightening would strike before the mob reached him.

His senses were filled with white plasma!

His final thoughts before passing out raced with exhilaration,

“After all!  I am Dr. Franklin!”

Das Ende                                            by J. Magnes 
                                                                                                     May 2010

Franklin flew kite into lightening storm to prove that lightening is electric in 1752.  He was creepy in the sense that he was an out-of-shape drunk and womanizer.  Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818. Both characters, the real Franklin and the fictional Frankenstein, were in love with electricity and lightening.  This makes me wonder if the resemblance in their names is coincidental. 

Delaware State University Talk and Modern Teaching

Don't let the Benchbugs bite...iPhysics, Click and Clack, Wake me AP

Assistant Professor Jenny Magnes

Physics & Astronomy Department

Vassar College

11:00 A.M. – 11:50 A.M. — Thursday, March 11, 2010

MLK Student Center Meeting room A

I am giving a talk on modern teaching techniques at DESU. 

"What I didn't learn in graduate school:  How do I keep my students from snoozing off during the lecture? What are 'peer instruction', 'ev'ry day physics', and 'physics workshop'? How do I use media that today's students embrace? What are 'personal response systems' and how do I use them effectively? How do I create a classroom community and what for? What is AP credit? Dive into the world of modern teaching techniques during this seminar."

Darwin Days at Vassar College

At 7 p.m., on March 1st, 2010, I'll be introducing Frances Sternhagen for a dramatic reading about Vassar's first Professor, Maria Mitchell.  The event will take place in Martel Theater at Vassar College.  Maria Mitchell started her career at Vassar College in 1865 as America's first female professor.  Though Maria Mitchell was an internationally recognized Astronomer, she did not hold a college degree since formal education was a rare opportunity for women at the time.  Maria Mitchell was not only a passionate researcher but also a creative educator and feminist.  Professor Mitchell hosted "Dome Parties" during which she wrote poems about her students.  During this party Professor Mitchell served strawberries while poems were read.  One of the poems reads,

While Saturn's ring is poised aright
And Saturn's moons still glow
The five who watched them many a night
Will not from memory go. "

The current director of the Vassar Observatory, Professor Fred Chromey, brought Maria Mitchell's dome parties back to life, only he serves Turkey in a Tuxedo.

The Maria Mitchell Professorship at Vassar College is still held by one of the most famous astronomers in the world.  The current Maria Mitchell Professor is Professor Debrah Elmegreen, who is currently serving as the president of the American Astronomical Society.  Professor Elmegreen has also recently travelled to Vatican City to receive a medal from the current pope.  Interestingly enough, Maria Mitchell was the first woman to even enter the Vatican Observatory.

The dramatic reading about Maria Mitchell was written by Vassar alumn, Barbara Gibbins Duffy and performed by her very famous classmate Frances Sternhagen.

Biophysics Calls for Quantum Dots

Spending time at the 54th Meeting of the Biophysics Society in San Francisco.   It appears that quantum dots are infiltrating all walks of life.  Literally!  The little nano-sized semiconductors act as dimensional oscillators allowing for absorption of a broad range of frequencies and emit relatively narrow band of electromagnetic radiation.  Most interestingly proteins can be attached to quantum dots, which serve as a communicator and fluorescence enhancer.  Under investigation are uses of quantum dots with microbial materials and even single molecules.  The effect of quantum dots on living organisms is unclear since nano particles do appear in nature infrequently.  These are particles that can easily be absorbed through skin.  Thankfully, scientists of this millennium are remembering some of the painfullessons history has to offer.  It is clear that the research presented at the biophysical conference is as ingenious as it is cautious and thoughtful.

DIFFRACTION PATTERNS OF LIVE C. ELEGANS: ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS

I am presenting on Wednesday 24th Feb. 2010 at the 54th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society. 

3879-Pos/B603 

Session Title: Imaging & Optical Microscopy IV

Jenny Magnes, Kathleen M. Raley-Susman, Rahul Khakurel, Alicia Sampson, Margo Kinneberg, Rebecca Eels.
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA.

parameters of diffraction experiments are explicitly discussed. The commentary will elaborate on the hardware for this type of diffraction experiment.

CME Disclosure:  J. Magnes, None; K.M. Raley-Susman, None; R. Khakurel, None; A. Sampson, None; M. Kinneberg, None; R. Eels, None.

Ideal studies of any type of biological systems are conducted in the subject's natural environment. Microscopy has made huge strides during recent years. Images of life systems are not only available but phenomenal. Nevertheless, powerful microscopic systems can be costly with images tied to focal planes. Sometimes there are other hard to control parameters such as wavelength, intensities, and phosphorescence. Here we present an alternative technique to observe physical and biological parameters of live C.elegans using diffraction. Physical parameters such as worm growth can be observed and quantified over extended time periods using video analysis. Three-dimensional organismal activity, such as locomotion, behavioral response to crowding, egg-laying or physiological processes such as defecation, can also be observed in real-time and quantified.Experimental setup and limiting parameters of diffraction experiments are explicitly discussed. The commentary will elaborate on the hardware for this type of diffraction experiment.

Hiring Discussions Behind Closed Doors

Ever wonder about what hiring committees talk about behind closed doors?  There are a few interesting thoughts that come to mind when one is for the first time in the position to evaluate and hire personnel.  We live in a highly competitive era.  It is not unusual to have 30 or more applicants for one position that meet qualifications.  Below is a checklist, which includes some points I have not seen on any other site:

1. First and foremost, try to have your application materials completely submitted as soon as possible.  The earliest complete applications get the most attention.  The interviewer does get burned out when reading lots of applications.
2. Know the organization that you are applying to.  At a minimum, name the organization in your cover letter.  Say why you would be a good fit for this particular organization.
3. Put some thought into your application package.  It must be easy to read and well organized.
4. You must convince the organization that this is the place you want to be.  Everyone else is 2nd choice!  This is particularly an issue if you are overqualified.
5. Be sure to ask people that will say good things about you to write you letters of recommendation.
6. Somehow you must convince the hiring committee that you are easy to work with and helpful to others.  That usually comes out in letters of recommendation.  Start being nice with your co-workers now.
7. Convince the interviewer that you are what the organization needed all along.

I hope this helps :-)

Get More Education...

http://chronicle.com/article/The-Big-Lie-About-the-Life-of/63937/ tells about what the education push has doe to people's lives and the deceit.  Universities are blindly recruiting and making promises that can't be kept. With students blindly taking on educational loans and  paying college coaches fees that take a life time to pay off.

Well, yes... it is insane that we are constantly pushing for more education when the job market in academia is essentially no-existent. My (semi bad) plumber makes about triple what I make with a Ph.D. in physics. It seems that skilled workers are only available through a secret underground pipeline. Why is there vocational training in the US essentially no-existent? This would actually create jobs. The myth of academia continues while tuition is at a record high and salaries... are not talked about since they are too depressing. I say, "Obama, please dump some money into vocational education like the 'Boces' programs."

about a minute ago · 

Peer Review Gender Biases in Science

Well, I just finished being part of a panel discussion on women in science.  Depressing!  While other disciplines are routinely double blind reviewed, the science community keeps embracing the good 'ol boy system using gender, name, race, institution etc as biases.  I wonder why that hasn't hit the press yet?!  Biases?!  Statistics prove that the gender bias during peer review makes a difference of 33% in acceptance rates.

Quick Takes: Gordon Gee Wants to Talk About Tenure Criteria - Inside Higher Ed

Quick Takes: Gordon Gee Wants to Talk About Tenure Criteria - Inside Higher Ed

No kidding! What a stupid way we have now to evaluate a professor's work. The publishing companies are making a killing of this requirement. .. Also, what is wrong with academia?! Why can't professors respect each other's work and give credit where credit is due. It seems that profs are in the business of constantly de-valuing each other's work rather than appreciating and CONSTRUCTIVELY critisizing.

Quick Takes: San Francisco City College Kills Summer Session - Inside Higher Ed

Quick Takes: San Francisco City College Kills Summer Session - Inside Higher Ed

Imagine you paid (a lot of) tuition and can't get the classes needed for grad school!

Tenure... Whose idea...

Well, well, well,... who wouldn't like to have tenure?! What a great idea to ensure academic freedom. What would would most of us do if we had a job that we couldn't get fired from as long as we showed up? It is amazing how most academics go to work every day taking their responsibilities very serious. Maybe because they love what they do...

Have you ever met someone who give unsolicited advice wholeheartedly? Maybe a neighbor who knows exactly how YOUR yard should look or how to raise YOUR children? And even though that neighbor raised children 30 years ago they keep telling you how to raise yours... Well, you are free to take this neighbor's advice or leave it. This is not so easy i other areas of life. What does one do with well meaning senior faculty who do not have a good understanding of modern teaching and research? As a matter of fact they may have gotten tenure on one or two peer reviewed papers... if any. Times change and universities are a lot more competitive than they used to be. Fair enough! Nevertheless, at least acknowledge that fact! At least acknowledge that you are not up on teaching research. Acknowledge that junior faculty works more than humanly reasonable. Because they do. Acknowledge that you haven't read your own teaching evaluations because they are abusive.

What is the due process for junior faculty? None. Really! Except to acknowledge that life is just not fair. You want a career in academia? Think twice! First you will be a slave to your graduate advisor, then a slave to your postdoc advisor, then a slave to senior faculty, only to be a well trained slave master in the end.

Having written the lines above, I have to say that it really is amazing how well academia functions without due process...without any oversight...with tenured professors ruling over their own universes (and most of them do an amazing job)... Could the academic world be better? more equitable? more considerate? better performing without academics stumbling all over each other? Sure.

Blog Site for Advanced Physics Course

Great place for students to share computational and analytical physics experiences. modeling and experimental tools

Peer Review - Schneer Review

Just got a turn back from Journal of Applied Optics. The editor declared in broken English that he is not even entering manuscript to be peer reviewed under the pretense that optical shape recognition doesn't fit into Applied Optics. LOL!!! What is broken here?! And why do we pay these high membership fees to OSA when we are treated this way? Also, why isn't there a BLIND peer review process like in other disciplines... Please tell me that this does not have anything to do with gender, race, or ethnic biases. Does non-blind peer review in the sciences assure that ivy league institutions get preferential treatment?