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News Release January 12, 2007
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| Boise
State physics professor Alex Punnoose holds a thin film of a novel magnetic semi- conductor developed in his lab that could become the heart of future nano- electronic technology called spintronics. (Click image to enlarge) |
Boise State
University physics professor Alex Punnoose has received the 2007 BSU College of
Arts and Sciences Award for Distinguished Teaching and the Award for
Distinguished Research — the first professor in the college to receive both
awards in the same year.
Punnoose, who joined Boise State’s faculty in 2002, received the awards the
first year he was eligible to be considered, according to Martin Schimpf, dean
of the College of Arts and Sciences. The awards were presented during the
college’s spring semester meeting earlier this week.
Punnoose was cited for his dedication and skill in the classroom and for his
contributions to the development of future scientists. Punnoose teaches classes
both for the undergraduate physics program and the graduate materials science
and engineering program. He also was praised for his outstanding research
program in two of the hottest fields in science and technology today,
nanotechnology and spintronics.
“Measures of the success of Dr. Punnoose’s work are easy to come by; more than
20 refereed papers, which have been cited more than 350 times; numerous
invitations to address international meetings, $4.1 million in grants, including
the highly prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER grant, and three
patents,” Schimpf said.
Punnoose is researching ways to make semiconductors smaller (nanotechnology) and
more effective by making use of the magnetic behavior of electrons (spintronics).
In 2005, he received the NSF’s most prestigious award for early career faculty —
a $400,000 grant that recognizes his effectiveness at integrating education and
research.
The CAREER award, given to outstanding faculty from across the nation who are
most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century, supports
Punnoose’s research. The grant also provides funding for as many as 15 Boise
State graduate and undergraduate students to work in his lab over five years.
Punnoose involves both undergraduate and graduate students in his research
program, and collaborates with researchers in industry and academia in the
United States, India, Switzerland and other locations. In addition to his NSF
CAREER award, Punnoose currently has funding from the U.S. Department of Energy,
the Petroleum Research Fund and the NSF’s Experimental Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research. Among his new research endeavors is a collaboration with
Boise State biology professors Denise Wingett and Kevin Feris in a new area of
nano-biotechnology.
Punnoose received a cash award from the College of Arts and Sciences and his
plaques will be added to the “Wall of Fame” outside the college’s main offices.
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Contact: Alex Punnoose, Department of Physics, (208) 426-2268,
apunnoos@boisestate.ed
Media contact: Janelle Brown, University Communications, (208) 426-1790,
jbrown2@boisestate.edu
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Last reviewed on Friday, January 12, 2007
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