Department of Physics

190 SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING BUILDING (248) 370-3416
Fax: (248) 370-3408

Chairperson: Andrei Slavin

Professors emeriti: Abraham R. Liboff, John M. McKinley, Ralph C. Mobley, Norman Tepley, Paul A. Tipler, W. D. Wallace, Robert M. Williamson

Distinguished professor: Michael Chopp

Professors: Ken Elder, David Garfinkle, Bradley J. Roth, Andrei Slavin, Gopalan Srinivasan, Uma Devi Venkateswaran, Yang Xia

Associate professors: George Martins, Alberto Rojo

Assistant professor: Evgeniy Khain

Visiting assistant professor: Eugene Surdutovich

Adjunct professors: Stephen L. Brown, Carl Bleil, Howard J. Dworkin, Jae Ho Kim, Joseph V. Mantese, Harold Portnoy, Hani Sabbah, Di Yan

Adjunct associate professors: Kapila Clara Castoldi, Constantine Demetropoulos, James R. Ewing, Quan Jiang, Robert A. Knight, Jian Liang, Patrick N. McDermott, S. David Nathanson, Stephen E. Robinson

Adjunct assistant professors: Susan M. Bowyer, Dan Ionascu, Kenneth Jenrow, Martha Matuszak, Tiezhi Zhang, Zheng-Gang Zhang

Adjunct instructor: Ray A. Carlson

Lecturers: Rao Bidthanapally, Sally K. Daniel

Chief Adviser: David Garfinkle

Courses within the Department of Physics are grouped into two categories — pre-professional career programs and experiences in science for students with broad interests in contemporary human culture. The latter are strongly recommended for students planning any of a wide range of careers, including law, business, criminology, art history, music, government, education and journalism. High school students intending to major in physics should refer to the Admissions section of the catalog for specific preparation requirements.

Programs of study lead to the Bachelor of Science degree with majors in physics, medical physics and engineering physics, Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in physics, Master of Science degree in physics, and Doctor of Philosophy degree in biomedical sciences with specialization in medical physics.

The Bachelor of Science in physics is intended for students who plan to become professional scientists. It qualifies students for graduate studies in physical sciences or research positions in government and industry. Students pursuing this degree should consult with faculty members on different available specialties.

The Bachelor of Arts in physics is primarily designed for students who desire a broader, less professionally specialized background in physics. The minor in physics is available for students who want to supplement their work in other fields with an introduction to physics. A secondary teaching minor in physics is available.

The Bachelor of Science in medical physics is based on a group of physics courses plus relevant biology, chemistry and mathematics courses. These students take ‘‘Biological Physics’’ and ‘‘Medical Physics.’’ The degree, with the addition of select biology courses, offers an excellent preparation for medical school. Students should consult an adviser in pre-medical studies regarding the selection of these courses.

The Bachelor of Science in engineering physics, which is offered jointly with the School of Engineering and Computer Science, is intended for well-qualified students who seek a broad education in physics and mathematics along with basic preparation in engineering.

Advising

Chief adviser: David Garfinkle

Advisers in the various physics fields are professors David Garfinkle (astrophysics and secondary teacher education program), Bradley Roth (medical physics, biophysics), Andrei Slavin (engineering physics, geophysics), and Gopalan Srinivasan (materials physics). Independent research projects are available in each area.

Departmental honors

Departmental honors may be awarded to students on the basis of high academic achievement and either independent research or meritorious service to the Department of Physics