2017 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships funded by NIST

Posted Feb. 6, 2018 at 8 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Tonya Coffey, professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, received $18,522 in funding from the United States Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for two Appalachian undergraduate students to complete 2017 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The NIST website states: “The program gives the students a chance to see and experience the excitement that comes with a technical research career by working side-by-side with one of our own NIST scientists or engineers during their summer break.”

According to NIST, undergraduates come from 100 different schools (from two-year colleges to major research universities) and represent states and territories across the United States, from California to Puerto Rico. The summer’s program culminates in a three-day colloquium, where the undergraduates present a 20-minute talk.

The 2017 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships were completed by Appalachian students Ethan Finlay, a senior physics major from Fayetteville, and Josh Edgerton, a graduate student in the engineering physics program at Appalachian and a native of Clayton.

About the Department of Physics and Astronomy

The Department of Physics and Astronomy’s curriculum has an applied nature that includes a core of fundamental physics courses and laboratory experiences. The department prepares graduates for a variety of scientific, teaching or engineering professions, as well as future educational endeavors. Learn more at https://physics.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.