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The JQI would like to congratulate Kena Allison, science teacher at Thurgood Marshall Academy, who recently received a Milken Educator Award for her "commitment to teaching science." Called the "Oscars of teaching," the award comes with $25,000. PFC graduate student researcher Jeff Grover has been visiting Allison's classroom over the last few years, integrating physics demonstrations into her curriculum. Thurgood Marshall Academy is a D.C. Public Charter School located in the Anacostia region.

Ana Maria Rey, a former UMD graduate student who did her thesis work with Charles Clark, was named a 2013 MacArthur Foundation Fellow. Rey, a native of Colombia, is currently a JILA fellow and University of Colorado professor.

Recently four members of Ian Spielman's group departed JQI for new endeavors. Matthew Beeler, a NIST ARRA postdoctoral fellow, now works at the Applied Physics Laboratory near Baltimore. Lindsay LeBlanc, postdoc, has accepted an assistant professor position at the University of Alberta (her alma mater) , which starts in the Fall 2013. She plans to build up a laboratory to continue studying ultracold atomic physics. Ross Williams, postdoc, is now a Senior Research Scientist position at the National Physical Laboratory, the British equivalent of NIST.

Rajibul Islam was recently awarded UMDs Distinguished Dissertation Award for his thesis work on quantum magnetism with ions in Chris Monroe's Trapped Ion Quantum Information group.