Departments » Physics

The Department of Physics offers award-winning and nationally recognized research and teaching to about 100 undergraduate majors and a similar number of graduate students, in addition to providing basic physics instruction to several thousand students in other disciplines each year.

About 40 Department faculty perform theoretical and experimental research in both fundamental areas such as astrophysics and nuclear physics, and in applied areas such as optics and nanotechnology. Physics majors get unparalleled individual attention, small classes, and opportunities for research: the atmosphere of a small college backed up by the resources of a major research university.

Our faculty are equally distinguished in research and in teaching. We rank among the nation's top 25 physics departments in total research funding, and almost half of our faculty are Fellows of the American Physical Society. We also include one member of the National Academy of Sciences and several past Presidents of national scientific societies.

Our teaching distinctions include a winner of the Board of Governors Teaching Award, four Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professors, and 12 members of the Academy of Outstanding Teachers. Our Physics Education faculty have developed widely used innovative teaching methods and curricula for both majors and for large service courses. The Department as a whole received the 2002-2003 Departmental Award for Teaching and Learning Excellence. And the Department was recently recognized as the first non-person to receive the prestigious University Teaching Award.

Visit the Department of Physics website