NEWS AND FEATURES
[2023/10] Our department ranked 201-300th (56-72nd among U.S. universities) in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023 | Learn More |
[2023/10] A team of scientists, including Dr. Michael Fausnaugh, has used multiple space and ground-based telescopes to observe an exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst, GRB 230307A, and identify the neutron star merger that generated an explosion that created the burst. This groundbreaking observation has just been announced by NASA and published in the Nature. | Learn More [1], [2], KLBK news, Texas Standard |
[2023/10] Two of our students won awards at the Texas Section of APS Meeting! Amaris McCarver (UG) received the Robert S. Hyer Research Award for excellent undergraduate research! Sandeep Puri (GS) won the outstanding graduate student oral presentation award. Congrats!
[2023/09] Dr. Myoung-Hwan Kim has been named the 2023 Emerging Inventor of the Year for Texas Tech University. The award is sponsored by the Office of Research Commercialization. Dr, Kim will be honored at the Inventor Celebration on October 19th. | Learn More [1], [2], [3] |
[2023/09] Dr. Thacker received an NSF grant for the project “Evidence-based Materials for Teaching Quantum Information Science and Technology” for three years. The total funding of the award is $299,390. Congratulations, Dr. Thacker!
[2023/09] Dr. Luis Grave De Peralta, Emeritus Faculty, has published a new book, “Relativistic and Non-Relativistic Quantum Mechanics: Both at Once” in English and Spanish. | YouTube |

[2023/08] Drs. Michael Fausnaugh (Assistant Prof.), Yun Suk Eo (Assistant Prof.), and Hanna Moussa (Associate Prof. of Practice) join us in Fall 2023. Welcome to the department!
[2023/08] Dr. Corsi has been promoted to the rank of Full Professor, effective Sep 1st, 2023. Congratulations, Dr. Corsi!
[2023/08] Dr. Owen was featured in Texas Tech Today regarding his recent NSF award and research related to this grant. | Learn More | KLBK news |

[2023/08] Physics major Karina Kimani-Stewart has been accepted by the FUTURE at Caltech program, whose goal is to "support the ambitions of aspiring young women in physics". Congratulations, Karina!
[2023/08] Dr. Maccarone recently received three NASA grants (totaling ~$100K) for the proposals entitled “Correlated Radio/MM-X-ray Timing of Cygnus X-1”, “The Faintest Persistent X-ray Binary”, and “Black Hole Jet Launching Physics with MIRI”, respectively. Congrats Tom!
[2023/08] Congratulations to all the Physics and Astronomy graduates! Learn More [Video1], [Commencement Program]
[2023/07] Texas Tech Today featured Dr. Myoung-Hwan Kim's recent NSF grant! Dr. Kim will use the grant to do research in the up-and-coming field of quantum information science. | Learn More |
[2023/07] Dr. Corsi was featured in Texas Tech Today regarding her recent NSF award and research projects associated with this grant: “Cosmic Collisions, Relativistic Blasts, and their Remnants in the Era of Multi-Messenger Astronomy”. | Learn More |

[2023/6] The NANOGrav Collaboration, including TTU scientists Dr. Romano and Dr. Palliyaguru, has detected additional evidence of gravitational waves. This groundbreaking discovery has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. | Learn More [1], [2] |

[2023/06] Dr. Alessandra Corsi and Dr. Beth Thacker were re-appointed to the President's Excellence in Research Professorship and the President's Excellence in Teaching Professorship, respectively, renewed through 2026.
[2023/06] U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the High Energy Physics group a grant of half a million dollars to "provide training and mentorship for the next generation of scientists". | Learn More |
[2023/05] Texas Tech places final steel beam on Academic Sciences Building. The 131,000-square-foot structure will house first-class teaching laboratories and research facilities for five departments including Physics and Astronomy. Learn More: | Texas Tech Today | Video |
[2023/05] Congratulations to all the Physics and Astronomy graduates! Learn More [Video1], [Video 2], [Commencement Program]
[2023/04] Dr. Vallia Antoniou has been awarded 11.5 days of observing time on the Chandra X-Ray telescope. Her research program was the only very large program approved in Cycle 24. | Learn More |
[2023/04] Congratulations to Aryan Chugh who earned the First Place Award (in Technology Impact) at Undergraduate Research Conference 2023. [Photo]
[2023/03] Our department ranked 401-450th (78-89th among U.S. universities) in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023: Physics & Astronomy | Learn More |
[2023/03] Red Raiders (re)present at the APS March Meeting in Las Vegas! Pictured here: members of Physics and Astronomy's Condensed Matter Physics Group.
[2023/03] TTU's NASA Einstein Fellow Dr. Alex Tetarenko is part of an international research team that recently made a groundbreaking discovery (published in Nature)! The group discovered a neutron star that consumes matter in a manner previously observed only in black holes | Learn More |
[2023/03] Dr. Maccarone has won a $530K DOD's DURIP grant through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Dr. Maccarone's project is to install the new Long Wavelength Array mini-station near Crowell, Texas | Learn More [1], [2] |
[2023/02] Dr. Kim was awarded an ONR (Office of Naval Research) Summer Faculty Fellowship

[2023/02] Imtiaz Ahmad (CMP group) has been awarded a TTU Graduate Student Research Support Award. Congrats, Imtiaz.
[2023/02] Our department leads the 67th Annual South Plains Regional Science and Engineering Fair for K-12 Students. 309 students from 31 schools presented their projects in the biological and physical sciences. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and participated! | Learn More |
[2023/02] Congratulations to Dr. Duncan and CEES team for winning $1.15 million in funding from the Department of Energy (ARPA-E)! The team will develop accurate materials fabrication, characterization, and analysis to attempt to resolve the physical understanding of NENR | Learn More [1], [2] |
[2023/01] Dr. Kim was highlighted in the “Research Commercialization at Texas Tech”, concerning his quantum research. | Learn More |

[2023/01] Please join us in congratulating physics doctoral student Zach Brown and undergraduate physics major Sabrina DeBreau for winning the 2023 Office of Naval Research NREIP Award.
OUR VISION

The Texas Tech Physics & Astronomy Department is committed to achieving important research while still providing a high quality of education for our students at the undergraduate and graduate level. We have five active areas of research. For descriptions of current research topics at TTU, click Research Topics in each research area.
Job Openings
- The Endowed Bucy Chair in Experimental Particle Physics: [34577BR]
- Assistant/Associate Professors in Experimental Particle Physics: [34588BR]
- Tenure-track faculty position in Gravitational Wave Astrophysics: [35247BR]
- Tenure-track faculty position in Astronomy: [35243BR]
Featured Video
The 2023 Solar Eclipse Event in Lubbock by TTU Department of Physics and Astronomy
TAMEST 2020 O'Donnell Award in Science: Alessandra Corsi, Ph.D. [Credit: TASMEST]
Neutron Stars [Credit: Texas Tech University/Marco Rodriguez]
Creating Learning Spaces [Credit: K. Griffith & C. Lee (STEP Program/TLDPC)]
The Sounds of Science [Credit: Texas Tech University/Sally Logue Post]
Featured Audio
Dr. Whitbeck talking about his research in particle physics.
Events
- [12/14/2023] Holiday Happening
- [11/13/2023] Family STEM Night [Photo]
- [11/03/2023] Special Seminar on 2023 Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry: [Event Page] [Photo]
- [10/31/2023] Halloween Treats & Costume Contest: [Photo]
- [10/14/2023] Experience The Eclipse @ YWCA of Lubbock: [Event Page] [Photo]
- [10/06/2023] 2023 Departmental Poster Competition: [Event Page] [Photo]
- [09/07/2023] Physics & Astronomy Welcome BBQ Party 2023 [Photo]
- [05/18/2023] Academic Sciences Building: Topping Out Ceremony [Photo: 1, 2, 3]
- [04/28/2023] The Annual Department Banquet [Photo]
- [04/28/2023] Sigma Pi Sigma Induction Ceremony [Photo]
- [04/21/2023] Astronight [Photo]
- [04/21/2023] Recruitment Event: Blockchain Networks or Quantum Computing? [Photo]
- [04/19/2023] 2023 Bucy Distinguished Lecture (Dr. Tony Heinz) [Photo]
- [04/14-15/2023] Annual Big 12 LGBTQIA & Allies Summit | PHAS Reception for Dr. Esquivel
- [03/21/2023] Dr. Lodhi's 55+ Years of Service Pin Presentation [Photo]
- [02/24/2023] Astronight
- [02/16/2023] South Plains Science Fair [Photo]
- [12/10/2022] Astronight
- [11/17/2022] Astronight [Photo]
- [11/04/2022] Special Seminar on 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics [Photo]
- [10/31/2022] Department Halloween Party [Photo]
- [10/18/2022] 2022 Spanish Bucy Distinguished Lecture [ English | Spanish ] (Dr. Davide Lazzati) [Photo]
- [10/15/2022] Astronight[Photo]
- [10/07/2022] 2022 Departmental Poster Competition: [Event Page], [Photo]
- [09/30/2022] Triple "P" Night (Physics, Philosophy, and Pizza)[Photo]
- [09/16/2022] Astronight[Photo]
- [09/08/2022] Physics & Astronomy Welcome Party 2022[Photo]
- [08/20/2022] Astronight[Photo]
- [07/11-15/2022] QuarkNet Summer Workshop[Photo]
Department of Physics and Astronomy
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Address
Texas Tech University, Physics & Astronomy Department, Box 41051, Lubbock, TX 79409-1051 -
Phone
806.742.3767 | Fax: 806.742.1182 -
Email
physics.astronomy.webmasters@ttu.edu | physics.academic.advising@ttu.edu