Dr. Robert Forrey has been named Distinguished Professor of Physics at Penn State Berks. He is the second faculty member at the college to receive the Distinguished Professor title. There will be a reception in his honor on Monday, February 9, 2015, from 1?2:30 p.m. in the Janssen Conference Center for the campus community.
Penn State Berks Chancellor R. Keith Hillkirk stated, ?Dr. Forrey has shown a consistently excellent record of research, teaching and service at Penn State Berks during the last 15 years. His students recognize his rigor, his teaching approach to make difficult concepts easy to understand, and his efforts to engage students in the classroom and in undergraduate research. Indeed, Dr. Forrey has supervised many undergraduate students in different research projects and several of those projects have resulted in publications co-authored with the respective students.?
Forrey has published more than 100 articles in professional journals and given numerous invited talks at international and national professional meetings. He has received over $1,000,000 in external grant awards from NSF, NASA, and the Smithsonian Institution to support his research. He has twice been recipient of the Outstanding Researcher Award at Penn State Berks. His research focuses on applying quantum mechanics to solve problems in physics, chemistry, and astrophysics. His calculations have been used to gain a better understanding of the formation of the first stars in the early Universe, the dynamics of atomic and molecular collisions at temperatures near absolute zero, and catalytic processes of relevance to industry.
In 2011, Forrey was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). The APS is the premier physics organization in the world, representing over 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry. Election to APS fellowship is based on outstanding contributions to the field and is limited to no more than 1/2 of 1 percent of the society's membership.
Candidates for appointment as Distinguished Professors must be acknowledged leaders in their fields of research or creative activity, as documented by notable contributions to research published in leading journals and/or books and creative accomplishments widely recognized for excellence; prestigious awards and citations; and a substantial record of invited lectures or performances delivered at prestigious institutions. In addition, candidates must have demonstrated significant leadership in raising the standards of the University with respect to teaching, research or creative activity, and service; and have demonstrated excellent teaching skills and contributed significantly to the education of students who subsequently have achieved recognition of excellence in their fields.
