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Corporate Gift from Hunter Industries

Let's work together to continue to build this great University. To find out more, contact Lauren Tucker in University Advancement at 760-750-7313.

Physics Lab Gets a Makeover

laboratory

Hunter Industries contributed to this state-of-the-art laboratory for applied physics.

A classroom in Science Hall 2 recently received a major facelift to benefit hands-on undergraduate learning opportunities and faculty research in physics thanks to a $60,000 gift from Hunter Industries, a residential and commercial irrigation company located in San Marcos. The renovation created state-of-the-art laboratories for applied physics Assistant Professors Stephen Tsui and Gerardo Dominguez.

The applied physics degree program is one of the fastest growing at CSUSM according to College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Dean Katherine Kantardjieff. She says CSUSM students majoring in applied physics stand out and are highly valued in regional industries based in defense, programming, healthcare and engineering because of the hands-on experiences and mentorship they receive from faculty. But due to the growth of the program, laboratory space has been in short supply.

"When they were built, Science Halls 1 and 2 were designed to create instructional capacity for a younger, smaller university," said Kantardjieff. "With our tremendous growth in enrollment and hiring of research active faculty, we've struggled to provide adequate space for instruction and research. This gift from Hunter Industries was instrumental in getting the ball rolling on this expensive project."

An educated work force is the foundation of a growing economy and essential to the prosperity of businesses and our community. We are proud to be partners with CSUSM...

Greg Hunter, president of Hunter Industries

Tsui, an experimental condensed matter physicist, says the new space is allowing him to take his research and mentorship of students to the next level.

"My former laboratory space was never designed to fit more than three people at a time-it was literally a converted storage room. In this new, larger lab space, I'm able to expand my research into nanoparticles, which required use of a fume hood which I didn't previously have."

"This new lab is allowing me to carry out some of my exciting research at the intersection of astrophysics and chemistry-research that is being carried out in part by undergraduate STEM students at CSUSM," said Dominguez. "It is the epicenter for what I hope will be the beginning of a long tradition of carrying out important fundamental research that will advance our understanding of nanoscale physics and surface chemistry, isotope geochemistry, and our origins from an astrophysical perspective."

Greg Hunter, president of Hunter Industries, said, "An educated work force is the foundation of a growing economy and essential to the prosperity of businesses and our community. We are proud to be partners with CSUSM, a vital educational institution in our region, and hope that we can inspire others to step forward and support the applied physics program in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics."