Teaching

Physics 4061/5061 – Geometrical and Physical Optics

This class is intended to be an introduction to optics including reflection, refraction, diffraction, lenses, polarization, birefringence, interference, coherence, and selected introductory topics in modern optics.

Physics 4031/5031 – Electricity And Magnetism

This class, the first in a series, is intended to be an introduction to electrodynamics. We will begin with a review of vector analysis and calculus, cover electrostatics and Coulomb’s Law, discuss special techniques for solving electrostatics problems, electrostatic fields in matter, effects of magnetostatic fields on charges, generation of magnetostatic fields by steady currents, Biot Savart Law, vector potential, magnetostatic fields in matter, and finish with the topics of magnetization and magnetic susceptibility.

Physics 2701 –Electronics Lab

This class is intended to be an introduction to basic electronic circuits by integrating design and analysis with hands-on circuit construction. We will cover topics including DC electronic elements, passive components, AC circuits, and active components. By the end of the course you should feel knowledgeable and comfortable enough with basic electronic circuits to design and build your own custom (and possibly even useful!) circuits.

Physics 3701 – Intermediate laboratory-Electrons and Photons

We will cover fundamental experiments on electron properties including charge and mass, wave properties, atomic binding, spin, and conduction as well as experiments on photon properties involving optics and lasers.

Physics 2001 – Introduction to Physics

Continuation of 2001. Second course in physics; open to students from all areas. Students should have a background in algebra, trigonometry and geometry, but no calculus required. Topics include electricity, magnetism, waves, sound, light, relativity, quantum physics, atomic physics, and nuclear physics.

CAS 1110: TRADITION & INQUIRY
Sinners, Saints, and Scientists

In this class we will study and discuss sociological, philosophical, and literary texts that show the overlap between science and the humanities. The course will explore how human attitudes and impulses shape scientific inquiry, how scientists present their work to society, how scientific knowledge is perceived by society, and how scientific knowledge impacts philosophy, literature, and art. We will examine these issues by considering how scientists discover or create new knowledge, how that knowledge gets presented to the public, and how the public reacts to it. We will discuss scientific controversies, focusing on how they originate, and how they make their way into various media and into our lives.