NEWSLETTER VOL.1 NO.1
Welcome to the HamSCI newsletter! It amazing to see how this initiative has grown since starting it in 2015; I am thrilled we now have such a vibrant community with enthusiastic volunteer participants launching this regular publication. At its core, HamSCI is focused on the “continuation and extension of the amateur’s proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art,” a primary purpose of amateur radio as defined by Part 97 of the United States FCC rules. Building on more than a century of scientific and engineering contributions by hams, the spark of experimentation and pursuit of new knowledge continues to be alive and well in the amateur radio community today. While I am now proud to lead the HamSCI initiative as an associate professor of Physics and Engineering at the University of Scranton, it is the skill and passion of the amateur radio community that really drives the progress and direction of HamSCI today. I would like to extend a huge thank you to all the current and past HamSCI participants and warmly welcome all who join us now and in the future! — VY 73 de Nathaniel W2NAF
hamsci.org
| FALL 2024
TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND COMMUNITY AT THE NEW W3USR HAM RADIO STATION By Stan Zygmunt Vibrant views of Jesuit education already occurring at The University of Scranton’s state-of-the-art amateur radio station were celebrated at the formal dedication of the facility located on the fifth floor of the Loyola Science Center. University of Scranton President, Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., referenced the teaching, research and engagement with students and the greater community already taking place at the station in his remarks at the ceremony. “Dr. Frissell and his colleagues in the Physics and Engineering Department have sparked the curiosity of students – starting a student amateur radio club (W3USR), leveraging the station’s capacities in courses, and involving students in research projects,” said Father Marina, who also blessed the station at the ceremony. “True to a Jesuit education, the station’s resources have turned outward in service to others – whether inviting Cub Scouts in to encourage interest in science or leveraging the station’s capabilities for the emergency
communication needs of area agencies.” Father Marina also mentioned the numerous research projects led by Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., associate professor of physics and engineering at the University, and his colleagues in the Physics and Engineering Department. “The research has supported projects with NASA with students sharing their discoveries in presentations at national conferences. Research has involved partnerships with other colleges, such as Case Western, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the University of Alabama,” said Father Marina. At the dedication, Dr. Frissell (W2NAF) provided an overview of the station’s state-of-the-art antennas and communication equipment, as well as some of the research projects that have leveraged the station’s capacities, including the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) network he developed through projects supported by National Science Foundation