Physicist to Speak on Particle Accelerators

For fifth annual Robert and Lillis Kingman Lecture Series

Robert and Lillis Kingman pictured outside of the rebuilt Kingman Observatory in 2016. (Photo by Ivony Sierra-Vargas)

The fifth annual Robert and Lillis Kingman Lecture Series will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, in the Howard Performing Arts Center on the campus of Andrews University. The featured speaker will be Michael Downer, distinguished university teaching professor of physics at the University of Texas, Austin. His lecture, titled “Small Particle Accelerators for Big 21st Century Science,” will be free and open to the public.

In his presentation, Downer will share about his research team’s efforts to pioneer a new generation of electron accelerators. These accelerators, driven by powerful lasers, are thousands of times smaller and cheaper than conventional accelerators and have applications in areas ranging from materials science to medicine. Downer will explain the basic atomic physics that has driven today's high-energy particle accelerators. He will also describe how a growing international community of physicists are using plasma to accelerate electrons and protons to energies sufficient for X-ray lasers and proton therapy on tabletops inside university laboratories.

Downer is a fellow of the American Physical Society and of Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America), winner of a 2016 Humboldt Research Prize, and a university distinguished teaching professor. Downer has supervised over 60 doctoral, masters and undergraduate research dissertations since joining the University of Texas physics department in 1985. When not teaching or supervising experiments, he enjoys leading the Hill Country Highland Dancers, an Austin-based Scottish Highland dance group.

The Robert and Lillis Kingman Lecture Series on Science & Society aims to bring significant speakers in science and mathematics onto the Andrews University campus. Robert Kingman joined the physics faculty at Andrews University in 1971 and later went on to serve as chair of the department for 31 years. In 2003, he was awarded the John Nevins Andrews Medallion in recognition of his contributions to the University, and he is currently an emeritus professor of physics. In 2016, Lillis Kingman joined her husband in funding the rebuilding and rededication of the Kingman Observatory on the Andrews campus to serve both the University and the surrounding community. Sadly, she passed away on Aug. 10, 2024.

Gary Burdick, dean of Research, notes about the Kingmans, “They entertained a dream of establishing a speaker series to bring a variety of thoughtful leaders to inform the University and larger community on important ideas and issues in the areas of science and mathematics. They had seen the benefits of bringing significant speakers in theology to the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary and recognized leaders in music performance to the Howard Performing Arts Center on campus. They felt the need to bring world-class scholars in science and mathematics as well. Thus was born The Robert and Lillis Kingman Endowed Speaker Series on Science & Society, established in 2019.”

Refreshments will be provided at the event, beginning at 6:30 p.m., allowing guests to engage in discussions and network with other participants. For further information about Downer’s presentation and to learn more about the series, please visit the lecture website.