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Teaching Excellence Awards 2026 - Charles B. Murphy Award winner, David Nolte
David Nolte, Edward M. Purcell Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Science, winner of the Charles B. Murphy Award. The Charles B. Murphy Award, Purdue's highest undergraduate teaching honor, recognizes up to five recipients (nominated through individual colleges) each year as models in excellent undergraduate education.
Quantum computers take a step into real materials science
IBM — An IBM quantum computer reproduced experimental signatures of real materials, according to a new preprint from IBM and researcher partners. PhysAstro Assistant Professor Arnab Banerjee is the lead PI of this research and was quoted in the article.
Professor Andreas Jung of Purdue Physics and Astronomy
YouTube — Purdue Physics and Astronomy professor Andreas Jung’s research sits at the intersection of particle physics, detector mechanics, AI, machine learning and quantum computing. Watch the full-length video on how Jung and his team are tackling real-world problems, training students, and helping shape the future of physics at Purdue.
Rogue Planets - SMAP Live with PhysAstro's Merel van ’t Hoff
YouTube — Did you know that it is common for planets to leave their stellar orbits and to eternally wander through space? Professor Merel van ’t Hoff presented for SMAP, Saturday Morning Astrophysics at Purdue. Research group members, Deniz Kacan, Lauren Warshaw, Anirudh Kumar and Kristian Mrazek, explained how the planets are formed, how their orbits can be influenced by gravity, and even the possibilities of hosted life. SMAP is for students in grades 8-12, monthly on Zoom.
Purdue physicist earns Air Force Young Investigator award for quantum optics research
Qiyu “Grace” Liang, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Purdue University, has received the 2025 Young Investigator Program award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research for research that could expand how scientists observe and control quantum systems. According to the congratulatory notice sent to Liang, her proposal, “Quantum Optics with Rydberg Antiblockade,” was selected from more than 150 proposals.
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