Dr. Solomon Bililign
Professor
Office: Marteena 306
Telephone: (336) 285-2110
Fax: (336) 334-7423
E-Mail: bililign@ncat.edu
http://www.noaaiset.org/bililign/
Education
2005 NATO ASI International School of Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy, Erice, Italy.
1991 Ph.D. University of Iowa, Atomic. Molecular, and Laser Physics
1987 CERTIFICATE: International Center for Theoretical Physics; Trieste, Italy.
1985 M.S. Addis Ababa University Surface Science
1977 B.S. Addis Ababa University. Physics Education, with a minor in Math
Area of field of specialization
Experimental and Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics /and Chemical Physics, Atmospheric Chemistry
Research Interests
Previous Research
Spectroscopy of Transition State Dynamics (1988-1991)
State-to- State Photochemistry (1988-1991)
Laser Spectroscopy and Photodynamics (1991-1993)
Electronic Structure Calculations, Quantum calculations (1991-Present)
Photodetachment of H- (summer 1995) (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
Photochemistry of Metal CVD precursors in cluster environment and nano chemistry within clusters: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1996) NCAT: 1999-2005
Current Research
1. Spectroscopy of Transition State Dynamics (1998-present)
2. The research includes the study of laser induced chemical reactions within molecules, and laser induced energy transfer collisions between atoms and molecules. Current studies include laser induced chemical reaction dynamics of LiH2, LiCH4 and other hydrocarbon complexes in gas phase, and kinetic and dynamic studies of the quenching of excited states of Li by several alkane and alkene hydrocarbons, rare gases and nitrogen.
Atmospheric Chemistry (2006-
1. Vibrational Overtone Cavity ring down spectroscopy using
2. Laboratory determination of the relative gas-phase acidities of the simple carboxylic acids, propionic, butyric and others, and some isotopomers of acetate which play a central role in the VOC chemistry using Negative Ion Proton Transfer Mass Spectrometry (NI-PTMS).
Professional Experience
2006- Director, NOAA-ISET Center
2004 Fellow: National Institute of Aeronautics (NIA)
2003-Present Professor
2003 Visiting professor, Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry Facultes de St-Jerome 13397 MARSEILLE
2000-2001 JILA-NIST visiting fellow
2001-2006 Chair, Department of Physics
1998- 2003 Associate Professor, Department of Physics, North Carolina A&T State University.
1993-1998 Assistant Professor: Department of Physics, North Carolina A&T State University.
1996 (summer) and NRC/HBCU Faculty Fellow: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
1997 (summer) Chemical and Biological Physics Section
1995(summer) Visiting Assistant Professor: University of Connecticut, Department of Physics, Storrs.
1995(summer) AWU-DOE Faculty Fellow: Los Alamos National Lab.
1994(summer) Visiting Assistant Professor. University of Utah, Department of Chemistry, 1991-1993 Post Doctoral Fellow: University of Utah, Chemistry Department, Salt Lake City, Utah
1988-1991 Research Assistant: University of Iowa, Department of Physics, and Iowa City, Iowa.
1985-1987 Lecturer: Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
1983-1985 Research Assistant, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Synergetic Activities
Dr. Solomon Bililign a professor of Physics has been active in research and education since joining North Carolina A&T State University in 1993. His area of specialization includes Experimental and Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics /and Chemical Physics. He has conducted collaborative research at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (photodetachement studies), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (chemistry of nanoclusters) and University of Connecticut (Mercury detection) and was a JILA visiting fellow in 2000-2001(ultrafast wavepacket dynamics), and recently he was a visiting professor at the University of Marseille in France. (quantum chemistry). With several awards (including an NSF-CREER award, and NSF-MRI award) in Experimental Physical Chemistry from NSF, he contributed to the development and building of a nationally competitive research program, the physics research infrastructure and graduate education at A&T. He was one of nine PI’s in a seven million NSF- information technology research BIOGEOMETRY: which was an interdisciplinary collaborative project involving researchers and students from Duke University, Stanford University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and North Carolina A&T University whose goal was the development of new computational techniques and paradigms for representing, storing, searching, simulating, analyzing, and visualizing biological structures. He was also a Co-PI in an NSF proposal to develop a geophysics track and international collaboration in geosciences in the Department of Physics. He has pursued international collaborations since he joined the University. He is a subcontractor with Penn State on a very competitive partnership for international education and research NSF-PIRE multi million award that promotes geophysics research at NCA&T and international experience for students in South Africa. He also has an NSF-IRES international research experience for student’s award that promotes interdisciplinary research activity in atmospheric sciences and geosciences for NCA&T students in Ethiopia. Most recently Bililign lead a team of thirty-one scientists and engineers in eight institutions to win a $12.5 million award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As a consequence he is now the director of the NOAA-ISET Center. In 2001-2003 he was named "Outstanding Senior Researcher “ for NCA&T. Bililign has received over 15 million in grants, authored 3 book chapters and over 25 refereed publications and made over 50 presentations.
Bililign has been active in undergraduate and graduate education in the department of Physics. Throughout his tenure at NCA&T he provides high quality training and education to undergraduates at A&T and developed several new courses, degree programs and interdisciplinary projects. Through Grants from the SLOAN foundation he has been able to attract high quality students to the Physics program. Using NSF funds he provided international experience to NCA&T students in South Africa, France in the past and will continue to provide more opportunities in Ethiopia, and South Africa in the coming years. He served as the coordinator of the graduate program in Physics 1997-2001 and he was a research advisor for more than half of the graduate students enrolled in the department. He has helped develop several new courses and degree concentrations in the department and most recently the BS program in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology... He is active in the community as well. He conducted summer camps to school children, visited local schools, helped in science fairs, organized teachers workshops, and promoted science education in local schools. Over the last 10 years he provided service to the scientific community as a panel member at NSF and NIH, as a journal article reviewer, and conference organizer. He was awarded an Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award by NCAMP in 1998 (NSF funded program) and was teacher of the year for College of Arts and Sciences in 2006.
