News and Events

The Department of Physics and Astronomy hosts several events and lectures throughout the year. Public events are posted to the university calendar, while department events are promoted via email.

The WVU Planetarium—located atop White Hall—hosts free, public shows year-round. Check out their website for details and showtimes! During the academic year, our colloquia are held most Wednesdays in White Hall G09 from 2:30pm to 3:20pm. Pre-colloquium refreshments are usually available at 2:00pm in the main office (White Hall 111).

If you have any questions about departmental news or events, contact a member of the Staff.

Recent News

Beyond the Lab: Himmele, Bowman, and Perera shine in outreach excellence

Connecting community to accessible science is the pillar of outreach. Our exceptional graduate students are leading an array of impactful educational community outreach opportunities to connect communities to physics. 

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Regan receives the 2024 Jocelyn Bell Burnell Medal and Prize

“Regan is also redefining our knowledge of plasma physics at Mars. She has conducted expert analysis of spacecraft observations from Mars Express and the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, and classified over 4400 magnetic boundaries ... In particular, Regan has newly discovered that the boundary dips towards the surface over areas of Mars’ crustal magnetic fields, due to plasma confinement in these regions.”

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We're Hiring! | Tenure-Track Faculty Positions (Theoretical and/or Computational Plasma Physics)

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

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Crashing Into Mars: WVU physicist takes a closer look at solar wind crashing into Mars to better understand its unique evolution

Research Assistant Professor Christopher Fowler is a planetary science researcher in the West Virginia University Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics. Fowler analyzes in-situ plasma measurements obtained by spacecraft, including the NASA Mars MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission, where he works on the instrumentation team. 

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We're Hiring! | Assistant/Associate Professor (Experimental Plasma Physics)

WVU is a comprehensive land grant university and WVU’s Carnegie Classification is R1 (“Doctoral Universities - Very High Research Activity”). Morgantown is centrally located and regularly makes “Best Place to Live” lists because of its good schools, excellent health care, low unemployment rate, low crime rate, and abundant recreational opportunities. WVU provides faculty members with a supportive environment for developing a visible and productive career (https://talentandculture.wvu.edu/new-employees) and commits to assist in partner employment. 

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