by wood5 | Apr 11, 2025 | Staff
Michael Wood, PhD, professor of physics and faculty member in the Department of Quantitative Sciences, recently participated in the latest experiment in Hall B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). The experiment is a 3D map of the interior of the Helium-4 nucleus.
All atomic nuclei are made of protons and neutrons. The protons and neutrons consists of more fundamental particles called quarks.
One goal of the experiment is to understand how the Helium nucleus emerges from a collection of kinetic quarks. The measurement uses an electron beam traveling at 99.9% the speed of light that scatters off of a Helium target. Particles created in the reaction are collected in the CLAS12 detector (https://www.jlab.org/physics/hall-b/clas12) and the new ALERT tracking system (https://www.anl.gov/phy/quantum-chromodynamics-in-nuclei). The ALERT detects the low-energy recoiling particles in order to measure a complete reaction. JLab is a Department of Energy national lab located in Newport News, VA (https://www.jlab.org/). Its mission is to study the building blocks of matter and probe the particles and forces that make up the atomic nucleus. A typical Hall B experiment collects data 24-7 for two-to-three months and requires the help of the more than 200 national and international collaboration members
Submitted by: Michael Wood, PhD, professor, physics
by wood5 | Apr 7, 2025 | Staff
The Department of Quantitative Sciences and the larger Canisius community mourn the passing of Dr. Kenneth Scherkoske on April 2, 2025.
Ken joined the Physics Department at Canisius College in the early 1980’s. He brought with him a background in theoretical nuclear physics and a love for mathematical physics. During his 35 years at the premier Jesuit university of Western NY, he taught a range of courses from introductory physics for health science students to Quantum Mechanics for Physics majors. Over the years, his students have remarked that he set a high standard of mathematical rigor in his classes. He felt at home in both the Physics Department and the Mathematics Department. He was also known for this sharp wit. His obituary can be found below:
View Obituary
Ken and his family are in our thoughts.
In the Hands of God
More than ever I find myself in the hands of God.
This is what I have wanted all my life from my youth.
But now there is a difference;
the initiative is entirely with God.
It is indeed a profound spiritual experience
to know and feel myself so totally in God’s hands.
– Pedro Arrupe, SJ
Submitted by: Dr. Michael Wood, Professor of Physics
by wood5 | Apr 3, 2025 | Staff
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Department of Quantitative Sciences Ignatian Scholarship Day Poster Competition!
The competition is open to students who are pursuing a major or minor in a program in the department (Computer Science, Mathematics, Data Science, Pre-Engineering, Data Analytics, or Cybersecurity) and present a poster on their research at the Ignatian Scholarship Day.
It was quite a competition this year and made for a difficult decision for the judges. This year’s winners are
First ($100 Amazon gift card) – Grace Baumgartner, “Computational Chemistry Study of Alkaline-Earth Monoamides”
Second ($50 Amazon gift card) – Julie Heard, “Determining the Transverse Momentum Broadening of Quarks to Study Subatomic Proton Structure”
Third ($25 Amazon gift card) – Hope Gryglewicz, “Group Theory in Chemistry”
Thanks go out to the judges
– Dr. Nathan Fox (Mathematics)
– Dr. Justin DelVecchio (Cybersecurity/Computer Science)
– Dr. Phillip Sheridan (Chemistry/Biochemistry)
– Heather Campbell (Director of the Canisius Center for Analytics and Data Ecosystems)
To all of the ISD presenters: keep up the good work of original research.
The real prize is finding something new out there – Vera Rubin, astronomer and discoverer of dark matter.
Submitted by: Dr. Michael Wood, Professor of Physics, Department of Quantitative Sciences
by wood5 | Nov 1, 2023 | Faculty
Please join us at the Engineering and Physics Seminar on Friday, November 3 to hear from Dr. Nathan Fox, assistant professor of mathematics at Canisius University, on the topic of Mathematical Models of Genome Rearrangement.
In biology, a major driver of evolution is mutations in DNA structure. Given two organisms with similar but not identical genetic structure, biologists are interested in quantifying how “related” these organisms are. They are also interested in exploring what sequences of mutations might have led to these organisms. In this talk, I will give an overview of three mathematical models used to study genome rearrangement: The Single Cut or Join, Single Cut-and-Join, and Double Cut-and-Join models. Then, I will frame some of the biological questions in the language of these models and discuss some results. Then, time-permitting, I will go into depth on some of the mathematical tools used to analyze these models.
Date: Friday, Nov. 3, 2023
Time: 2:10pm
Place: Science Hall, Room 1053
Submitted by: Dr. Michael Wood, Physics Professor and Chair, Qunatitative Sciences
by wood5 | Sep 6, 2023 | Faculty
The Canisius community is invited to sit in on what is sure to be an engaging and thought-provoking talk, titled “Can Generative AI Solve My Math Homework.” The event is set for Friday, September 8, from 2:10 – 3:10 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 1053.
The discussion will delve into the realm of generative AI and its potential to tackle one of the most common challenges students face: math homework. With the advent of powerful AI models like GPT-3.5, we explore the capabilities and limitations of AI in assisting with mathematical problem-solving tasks.
The presentation begins by introducing the audience to the concept of generative AI, showcasing its remarkable ability to understand and generate human-like text. We then embark on a journey through the world of mathematics, highlighting the diversity of problems students encounter in their homework assignments, from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus.
The talk is presented at the Engineering and Physics Seminar.
Submitted by: Michael Wood, PhD, professor, Physics; chair, Department of Quantitative Sciences
