Kent State Professor of Physics Dr. Satyendra Kumar recently was honored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with its Director’s Award for Excellence for recognition of exceptional performance in coordinating merit review of interdisciplinary condensed matter physics proposals. In all, seven program directors received the distinction during a ceremony held in Arlington, Va.

The NSF Director’s Award is the highest award presented in recognition of those employees who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to the tradition of equal opportunity by promoting its principles and actions within the Foundation, as well as in the scientific and engineering communities.

Kumar has been a program director for the Condensed Matter Physics (CMP) program of the Division of Materials Research at the NSF since November 2005. The three program directors administer approximately $30 million in research grants annually to fund research into conventional and high-temperature superconductivity, quantum fluids, nano-materials, photonics, fluid dynamics, and other areas of interest to physics and materials science communities.

Approximately half of the faculty members in the Kent State physics department and Liquid Crystal Institute currently receive funding from the Division of Materials Research. About 90 percent of the tenured physics faculty members currently have major extramural grants.

___________________________________________

Media Contact:
Lisa Lambert, 330-672-8514, lalamber@kent.edu

Kent State's Expert Media Sources:
http://www.kent.edu/media/sources

Kent State News and Story Tips:
http://www.kent.edu/media

Kent State's Resources for Media:
http://www.kent.edu/media/resources

Kent State's Media Relations Staff Contacts:
http://www.kent.edu/media/contactus