Kent Gee, Scott Sommerfeldt, and Scott Thomson (Mechanical Engineering) received the BYU Technology Transfer Award. This award recognizes faculty members who hve made significant research contributions that have led to the development of useful commercial products. They received the award for inventing noise-reduction technology for vacuum-assisted toilets used on airplanes. Further information can be found at //physics.byu.edu/department/news/60
August 20
News and Events
![Image for BYU’s Rising Astronomers Take Center Stage at the Winter AAS Conference](http://physics.byu.edu/images/news/news1200.jpg)
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.
![Image for Acoustics group studies the roar of SpaceX's Starship](http://physics.byu.edu/images/news/news1201.jpg)
Acoustics faculty and students measure the thunderous noise of the world’s most powerful rocket, exploring its impact on communities and the environment.
![Image for Nathan Powers, Updated labs and AAPT lab committee work](http://physics.byu.edu/images/news/news1196.jpg)
Dr. Powers initiated the effort to update BYU’s physics undergraduate lab curriculum in 2015. The revamped curriculum, aimed at teaching students how to construct knowledge from experiments.
![Image for BYU Women Represent at CUWiP 2024](http://physics.byu.edu/images/news/news1195.jpg)
21 women student attend conference at Montana State University, where students engaged in keynote speeches, panels, and research presentations.
![Image for Dr. Stephens’ Sabbatical to University of Arizona](http://physics.byu.edu/images/news/news1197.jpg)
Dr. Stephens participated in a research project at the University of Arizona focused on studying brown dwarfs using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).