Paul Cassak, professor of physics and astronomy, will deliver the 2018 Benedum Distinguished Lecture at 4 p.m.Oct. 18 in the Milano Room of the Wise Library. This lecture is open to all members of the campus and local community.
The talk, titled “The Explosive Sun: A Cosmic Jekyll and Hyde and Its Impacts on Earth,” will detail his work on a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection, which drives solar flares in the Sun’s atmosphere, leads to auroral light displays and space weather at Earth, and spoils confinement in fusion devices.
The lecture is a part of the Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award, a designation intended to recognize and reward WVU faculty who exemplify distinction in research, scholarship, or creative activity.
Cassak was awarded the Benedum award in the area of Physical Sciences and Technology for 2017-2018 for his work in theoretical and computational plasma physics, specializing in space physics and magnetically confined fusion. A nationally recognized scholar, Cassak has been honored by the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences for research (2012), teaching (2014) and public service (2017).
At the national level, Cassak is a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s CAREER Award and the prestigious Macelwane Medal for early-career scientists. He is also a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and received their Scarf Award for outstanding dissertation work.