Our educational programs rest on four pillars:
- A rigorous, yet flexible curriculum
- A community of faculty and students
- Professional and caring advising
- Enriching research experiences
Rigorous & Flexible Curriculum
We provide physics majors with opportunities to satisfy their basic curiosity about nature, to sense the excitement that drives scientific discovery and to gain the knowledge and skills to succeed in their chosen careers with a physicist's unique approach to solving disciplinary and multidisciplinary problems.
Community of Faculty and Students
Student clubs, regular social get-togethers of students and faculty and annual special events all provide a community where students find support, encouragement and relaxation.
Student Advising
All students know that they have faculty advisors and faculty friends who are willing to provide advice on academic and other issues.
Research Experience
Student research is an essential part of life in our department. Faculty and students join in pushing the frontiers of science.
Teaching Awards
Our faculty are dedicated to providing our students with a great educational experience. One sign of this dedication is the many educational awards our faculty have won.
University Awards
The William H. and Frances S. Ryan Award for Meritorious Teaching:
- Barry Luokkala, 2020
- Curtis Meyer, 2008
- Thomas Ferguson, 1998 (emeritus)
- Helmut Vogel, 1989
- Robert Kraemer, 1982 (emeritus)
- Robert Eisenstein, 1979 (emeritus)
The Award for Outstanding Contributions to Academic Advising and Mentoring
- Stephen Garoff, 2002
- Sara Majetich, 2000
The Mark Gelfand Service Award for Educational Outreach
- Leonard Kisslinger, 2009 (emeritus)
College Awards
The Richard Moore Education Award for Outstanding Contributions and Dedication to Excellence in Education
- Manfred Paulini, 2021
- Stephen Garoff, 2018
- Helmuth Vogel, 2015
- Gregg Franklin, 2013
- Richard Holman, 2010 (emeritus)
- Hugh Young, 1998 (deceased)
The Julius Ashkin Teaching Award for Unusual Devotion and Effectiveness in Undergraduate Education
- Markus Deserno, 2023
- Hael Collins, 2018
- David Anderson, 2017
- Robert Swendsen, 2014
- Curtis Meyer, 2006
- Barry Luokkala, 2001
- Ruth Chabay and Bruce Sherwood, 1999 (emeriti)
- Sara Majetich, 1997
- Reinhard Schumacher, 1995
- Helen Goldberg, 1992 (deceased)
- Thomas Ferguson, 1990 (emeritus)
- Helmut Vogel, 1988
- Robert Kraemer, 1983 (emeritus)
- Julius Ashkin, 1981 (deceased)
Student Awards
The Hugh Young Graduate Student Teaching Award
- Rebecca Rapp, 2021
- Siddharth Sapathy, 2017
- Samuel Rauhala, 2010
- Ben Beppler, 2009
- Daniel Hennessey, 2004
- Andrew Harey, 2001
- Brain Diggs, 1999
- Shubo Banerjee, 1998
- Elaine Brunsman Kirkpatrick, 1995