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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Hello everyone,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">I just wanted to keep you up to date on a few goings-on around the department.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Physics Day was a huge success with around 35 students and numerous high school teachers attending! The energy generated by this large group was both
figuratively and literally palpable (the literal energy being in the form of heat). A very special thanks to Robynne, Will, Blake, Clay, SPS, and all faculty who attended! Now if we can just convert those into enrollments…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Cheri and Steven spent this week at the 2024 Digistar Users Group conference in Salt Lake City. We expect them to come home with lots of exciting ideas
for our planetarium!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Please remember to look over the Spring 2025 teaching schedule (<a href="https://appsprod.tamuc.edu/Schedule/Schedule.aspx?Term=202520&Dept=PHAS">https://appsprod.tamuc.edu/Schedule/Schedule.aspx?Term=202520&Dept=PHAS</a>,
now up-to-date). Please let me know of any problems or conflicts ASAP!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Also please finalize and communicate your spring textbook selections as requested in Lydia’s email yesterday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">The November 15 deadline for many PHY and AST NSF grants is rapidly approaching. If you haven’t already started working on a proposal, please do so
and notify the Office of Sponsored Programs as soon as you can.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Many of you know that Nancy McFarland, wife of former university president Dr. Keith McFarland, passed away recently. The McFarlands were instrumental
in the development and construction of the Planetarium. On Monday we will have a condolence card to be sent to Dr. McFarland in the main office for you to sign. I am looking into options for a gift from the department in Nancy McFarland’s memory.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:black"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Finally, this weekend is a great time to see a comet with your naked eye! Just go out about 30-45 minutes after sunset and look to the west south west;
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS should be very low but bright. The comet will get higher in the sky in the following week, but it will also fade rapidly and the Moon will be getting brighter. For more details, see
<a href="https://skyandtelescope.org/press-releases/bright-comet-evening-view/">https://skyandtelescope.org/press-releases/bright-comet-evening-view/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Have a fantastic weekend!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Cheers,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Kurtis<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:#00386C">Dr. Kurtis A. Williams (he/him/his)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352">Professor and Department Head</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352"><a href="https://www.tamuc.edu/physics"><span style="color:#0088CE">Department of Physics and Astronomy</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;text-transform:uppercase">P: 903.886.5488</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:#4F5352"><a href="https://www.tamuc.edu/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#0088CE">Texas A&M University-Commerce</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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