Status and first visit to the Nielsen building

OK first status report. The University has my application and my transcripts from WT. I hope they don't look at that 2nd semester.....

Anyway, that was 17 years ago so I think they will appreciate that I have come quite a way since be young, dumb and....well you can fill in the rest. I called the administration of the AISD yesterday to confirm that they receive the faxed transcript request and talked to a lovely woman named BJ who instantly recognized my name and promised to send off my high school transcripts. So hopefully I will get my acceptance soon and learn which of my credits will transfer to UT (if any).

I met with Dr. James Parks who is the Director of the Undergraduate Labs for the physics department. There was a slight miscommunication so I ended up waiting for about 30 minutes and missed Dr. Levin who apparently had been appointed to talk to me. But Dr. Parks was nice enough to escort me on a quick tour through the labs which are his his area of expertise and responsibility. We saw the electronics lab, the newly renovated and supplied optics lab and the modern physics lab. He explained a number of experiments that were underway in all of the labs. Although I didn't fully understand everything he said, I did get at least a rough outline of the types of things they are working on. It seems most of the focus is on energy as lasers are prominent throughout and not so much on classical mechanics. But perhaps most of that is covered in the first year physics classes.

He explained a little about the history of the building which was constructed in the early 60s. When they first built it, they needed very large canisters to hold the gasses needed to complete the spectroscopy experiments which were cutting edge at the time. Each tank was about the size of 12 refrigerators and they required 2 of them. Now the same experiments can be completed with a device the size of a shoebox. So the building is an awkward labyrinth or weird halls and elevators that have 2 sides. It certainly has quite a bit of character. On either a positive or negative note, the building is on what is known as "The Hill" on campus. There are no parking spaces on this hill and there's some substantial construction going on. So you have to walk up the hill which is a bit of a workout. Maybe I'll lose a little weight at the same time.

All in all it was a good visit although I wish I would have been able to me Dr. Levin at the same time.