George Mason College of the University of Virginia, 1964

George Mason University, 2007GMU campus, Google Earth 2007

In 1965 a small band of rebels left George

Mason Junior College which later split from the University of Virginia to form George Mason University. The department began

when Eugenie Mielczarek joined George Mason College on a full-time basis in 1965, to become the first woman so appointed to a tenure track position

in the Northeast. Two years later, Eugenie hired Dimitris Papaconstantopolous, who later became the Department’s third chair. Dimiris was preceded in the chair position

by Bill Johnston who passed away in 1999. In 1977 Bob Ehrlich then joined the department as its 4th chair. At that time the department of physics Included all of engineering, which was then only a two-year program, which split off from

Physics when the first engineering degree program was approved. After Bob stepped down as department chair after serving 12 years, Menas Kafatos

stepped in to chair the department for several years before creating SCS.Joe Lieb then proceeded to lead the department between 1990 and 1994. After Joe,

Maria Dworzecka became chair until 2007, when Bob Ehrlich again took the helm.

Some interesting snippets from early GMU brochures and catalogs

“Women are not admitted to the College of Arts and Sciences as candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts as pre-professional students or as special students. They may, however, be admitted as candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Bachelor of Science in Physics if they are at least twenty years of age and have completed in an accredited college at least two years (sixty semester-hours) of academic work with satisfactory grades.” 1960-1961 brochure on George Mason College

“The Admissions Office considers each applicant individually, using the following criteria: Evidence of academic achievement and promise, with acceptable facility in the use of the English language and understanding the fundamental mathematical processes. Evidence of good character and acceptable social habits.” 1971-72 George Mason College Catalog, p. 21.

1967

Jeannie Mielczarek, on the occasion of her 35th year of service (1999)

35 years & they give

me a pewter mug & not a gold watch!

Dimitris Papaconstantopolous, 1967

As an extra credit question on the next exam, I will ask you

to spell my name

Actually, the concept of “extra credit” had not yet been invented in 1967

Faculty Circa 1976

Surrounding Eugenie Mielczarek, the 3 central people are Flinn, Ceperley and Meshkov

-- Clockwise from upper left: Papaconstantopolous, Johnston*, Black, Kafatos, Pedroni, Lankford, Keramides, Leiter, and Lieb

*deceased

Physics Department, 1983

Standing: Lieb, Ellsworth, Gurfein, Kruppa, Johnston, Flinn, Black, Mielczarek, Hannigan, Kowalski, Evans

Sitting: Dworzecka, Ehrlich, Kafatos

From left: Lieb, Kowalski, Ellsworth, Mielczarek, Dworzecka, Evans, Ehrlich, Kafatos

1986

GMU Herschel Observatory, located off Braddock Rd, Circa 1975

Bill Lankford, circa 1975,

Supervised telescope construction by students

Bill Lankford 2005

With his CASEP group

I hope they like their

burgers rare!

One amazing student project

Menas Kafatos looking through telescope, circa 1975

Could that be a black hole?

.

…no wait,It’s daytime.

New observatory, 2007

Leonid Ozernoy, 1939 -2002

Merav Opher and grad student Rebecca Evans.

Harold Geller, Observatory Director, joined faculty in 1992

Five living department chairs of Physics & Astronomy, 2007

EM: 1965-1968, WJ: 1968-1970, DC: 1970-77, RE: 1977-1989, MK: 1989-91, JL: 1991-1999, MD: 1999-2006, RE:2006-

Amazing – we still all talk to each other!

Karen Sauer joined in 2004

Anna Wyczalkowski joined in 2001

Yakir Aharonov joined in 2006

Shobita Satyapal joined in 2001

John Evans and Peter Ceperley at the celebration of their retirement, 2007

Bob Meier joined GMU in 2003

Ernie Barreto joined in 2000

Paul So joined in 1998

Amin Jazaeri receiving a fake diploma from Dr. Menas Kafatos, his thesis advisor, at a celebration following the receipt of his real PhD, 2007. Amin joined in 2001

Jessica Rosenberg, joined in 2007

Merav Opher joined in 2005

joined in 1980

Art Poland joined in 2005

Mike Summers joined GMU in 1991 Yuri Mishin joined in 2000

Indu Satija joined in 1987

joined in 1992

Becky Ericson in 2005

Joe Weingartner joined in 2003

joined in 1997

Phil Rubin joined in 2003

Brian O’Haoloran joined in 2007

Robert Oerter

joined in 1997

Karen Sauer, and her two co-recipients of the first (2007) George Mason Emerging Researcher, Scholar and Creator Awards.

Mike Summers at the reception following his receiving the COS “Celebration of Scholarship award” for 2007

Rachel Dudik defending her Ph D. thesis, Nov 2007