Prize Recipient

Murtadha Khakoo
California State University, Fullerton

"For his challenging and sophisticated experiments in electron-atom collisions that have provided significant tests of atomic theory and for his energetic, sustained mentoring of students in his research."

BSc Honors (1975) and PhD (1980) both at University College, London (U.K.) Post-doctoral experience: Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech NRC-NASA Resident Research Associate (1981-1984) Electron Scattering Group, Windsor, Canada (1984-1987). Research Assistant Professor: University of Missouri-Rolla, USA (1987 - 1989) Present: 1989- Tenured Professor, California State University, Fullerton, Physics Department Memberships held at present: Member of American Physical Society Member of Council of Undergraduate Research Member of Institute of Physics Significant Grants and Awards: Research Corporation Grant (1990-1992) - $28,000; PI Petroleum Research Fund ACS (1991-93) $20,000; PI Five CSUF Junior/Senior and Mini Grants (1990-present) $20,000; PI NASA Astrophysical Program (1997) $28,000; PI NASA Planetary Atmospheres’ Research (2002-2004) $40,000 (co-PI) Five NSF_RUI grants (1992-present) $1,300,000 Fellow of American Physical Society (2001) Fellow of U.K. Institute of Physics and Chartered Physicist (2001) Research Highlights: 62 peer reviewed papers published - 25 with undergraduate as authors. Significant (on-going) research on fundamental electron collisions: Monte-Carlo simulation of spin-polarized electron scattering from foil targets Electron-photon coincidence - He 31P and 41P electron-excitation cross-sections Electron-impact excitation and ionization of atomic hydrogen Electron-impact excitation of the rare gases Electron-impact excitation of molecular hydrogen and molecular nitrogen.

Michael Ervin Sadler (Chair), Frieda Stahl (12/04), Dhiraj Sardar ('03 winner)(12/04), Enrique Galvez (V. Chair)(12/05), Bruce Callen (12/05)