BYU's Scott D. Sommerfeldt elected to ASA Executive Council

Scott D. Sommerfeldt, dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at Brigham Young University, has been elected a member of the Executive Council of the Acoustical Society of America. His three-year term began in May 2009.

“My interactions with others in the ASA have led to numerous research ideas that have formed the basis for my research career,” said Sommerfeldt. “I am honored to join the executive council and look forward to trying to give back to the Society.”

Sommerfeldt's research focuses on active noise control and active vibration control, techniques that seek to minimize unwanted sounds and vibrations by generating other sounds and vibrations that interact and cancel them out.

After earning a B.A. in music education from BYU in 1983, he obtained an M.S. in physics from BYU in 1986 and a Ph.D. in acoustics from The Pennsylvania State University in 1989.

From 2003-2007, Sommerfeldt served as chair of the BYU Physics and Astronomy Department. He also served on the board of directors of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering of the United States of America from 2002-2005.

Sommerfeldt is an ASA Fellow and was a member of the ASA Technical Council from 2000-03. He also served as general chair of the ASA’s 153rd meeting in 2007.

The Acoustical Society of America is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science of technology of sound. Its 7,500 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics.

 

More Information on This Article

Article Source/Further Information

News and Events

Please remember to submit abstracts for the 2026 student research conference. Abstracts are due January 31 at midnight.
This year’s Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Kent Gee, delivered his forum address on the science of sound and how he and BYU students have contributed to significant research in the acoustics industry.
In July 2025, Drs. Branton Campbell and Harold Stokes (BYU Emeritus Professor) will receive the Kenneth N. Trueblood Award from the American Crystallographic Association for exceptional achievement in computational crystallography.
A group of undergraduate students braved the heat and heights of the ESC roof to install a new weather station. The station is up and running, and will hopefully record data for years to come.
Using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, a new study suggests that an object previously thought to be a binary system may be a rare triple system of orbiting bodies.
In early January 2025, a group of 16 students from Brigham Young University’s Physics & Astronomy Department showcased their research at the prestigious American Astronomical Society (AAS) in National Harbor, Maryland.
Dr. Gus Hart received the 2024 Karl G. Maeser Research and Creative Arts Award for his work in computational material science and his continued innovation in computational methods.
This winter, ten students in BYU’s new “Advanced Planetary Astrophysics” taught by Darin Ragozzine course gained hands-on experience in planetary science research, mastering interdisciplinary skills to prepare for future careers in astronomy.
Starting Fall 2025, BYU will offer a new Applied Physics: Data Science major that combines rigorous physics training with data science skills to prepare students for the growing demand in data-driven careers.
BYU's new Biological Physics course introduces students to the physics behind biological processes, fostering interdisciplinary skills to tackle complex biological questions.
Dr. Kent Gee has been named the recipient of the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award
The BYU Physics & Astronomy department recently introduced the Applied Physics: Acoustics degree.
After 3 years of being offered as 513R, elementary particle physics is finally an official course and accepted for credit in the physics major!
BYU Physics and Astronomy Professors Dr. Davis and Dr. Vanfleet recently received the 2024 award for outstanding achievement in technology transfer from the BYU Technology Transfer Office.
Dr. Michael Ware hopes to help students develop the skills to navigate discussion of science and religion