Daniel L. Stein

Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics, Biophysics.
Ph.D., Princeton University, 1979
dls@physics.arizona.edu

2001 State of the Department Address (continued)

The good news is that we were able to preserve our other search, for a high-energy experimentalist, and that search is currently underway. Our last hire in this area was six years ago. With the current intellectual excitement in the field, and the central involvement of our experimental high energy group in that excitement, we believe in the program's continued growth. So, by pooling the high energy group's already existing resources with those of the Department and the College, we were able to mount a search this year. That alone is a stunning success in the face of adversity.

Although we were unable to fill our experimental position this past spring, we were successful in hiring a theoretical astrophysicist on our second try. Good things come to those who wait; and we're very pleased with the final outcome of our efforts. We managed to land our first choice, Dr. Dimitrios Psaltis from MIT, whose work covers an important and exciting area of astrophysics --- the study of rapid time variations in the physical characteristics of compact objects, such as neutron stars and stellar-sized black holes. These topics complement well the other areas now covered at the University of Arizona. We anticipate that Dimitrios will be a valuable addition to the Department's astrophysics program, and will greatly strengthen ties between us, the interdepartmental Theoretical Astrophysics Program, and the Astronomy and Planetary Sciences Departments (all of whom helped us with our search). Dimitrios is spending this year at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and will join us next year. I hope you all join me in welcoming him to our department, and we look forward to branching out into yet another exciting new area of physics.

The year 2001 also saw two retirements, of Bob Chambers and Sigurd Kohler. (Sigurd technically will be retiring January, 2002, but it's close enough!) We want to thank them both for many years of service, and hope they remain active in departmental life for a long time to come.

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