TowerFall2021

FALL 2021 | TOWER 9 Dr. Kunal K. Das , professor of physics, has been awarded a research grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the amount of $180,000 over three years (2020-2023). With this award, Das has been the recipient of nearly $700,000 in research funding in his career, the majority during his tenure at Kutztown. The research conducted by Das is also notable for strong involvement of under- graduate students. The current grant is for a project titled, “Quantum Sensing and Simulation with Ultracold Atoms in Ring Lattices.” Of the grant, Das said: “… it is a wonderful validation of my research and my work with students, helping me to continue doing what I absolutely love.” Similar to Das’s award, Dr. Khori Newlander , assistant professor in anthropology/sociology, received an NSF grant for $245,515 to support a three-year archaeological study that explores the effects of industrialization in 19th-century Pennsylvania. The grant will support 36 undergraduate and six graduate students as they conduct digs and artifact analysis involving two communities: Stod- dartsville and Joanna Furnace. The team will examine how physical features intersected with cultural and historical factors to define the economic and extractive activities of these communities, while shedding light on changes in demographics, economic organization, and social formations in response to the growth of industrialization. Faculty Receive NSF Research Grants $1 Million Grant to Recruit Students in Mathematics, Computer Science, IT The National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program has awarded Kutztown University a $1-million grant to fund the university’s new Emerging Mathematics and Computer Science (EMACS) Scholars Program, which will recruit and support talented mathematics, computer science and information technology students with demonstrated financial need. This program will also generate new knowledge regarding recruitment, retention and student success that will be circulated through publications and presentations. In addition to scholarships, the EMACS program will provide multidimensional support as students progress through their academic programs, such as peer tutoring, mentorship, research and internship opportunities, and career and graduate school preparation. Students from surrounding municipalities and nearby regional centers such as Reading, Allentown and Philadelphia are likely beneficiaries of this new initiative. KU Named Best for Vets for Seventh-Straight Year Kutztown University has been ranked in Military Times’ 2021 Best for Vets: Colleges for the seventh-straight year. KU was ranked 19th among four-year schools, the highest ranking in school history. The university has been a mainstay on the survey results since 2014. KU offers many services for veterans and service members including a Veterans Center whose director, Tania Brown-Berringer M‘98 , is a single point-of- contact and coordinates the services. To make the pursuit of academic goals more manage- able, KU provides military education benefits assistance, academic advising, career planning, counseling and Army ROTC. The university awards credit for military training, CLEP and DANTES, veterans liaisons are available in key offices, and faculty and staff participate in sensitivity training for veterans. For more information, visit www.kutztown.edu/veterans . Kutztown University has been ranked among Penn- sylvania’s best online graduate-level programs with its inclusion in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2021 Best Online Master’s in Education Programs. KU was ranked No. 108 of nearly 300 institutions, including seventh in the commonwealth and fourth among Pa. State System of Higher Education universities. The prestigious rankings include these four programs: art education, IT/digital classroom technology, music education and secondary education specialization in curriculum and instruction. Graduate Education Programs Included in U.S. News and World Report