Physics professors, with some exceptions, do not lead interesting lives worthy of a biography. I am not one of the exceptions. B.S. in Physics from Rhodes College and a PhD in Physics from Washington University.
B.S. in Physics from Rhodes College, PhD in Physics from Washington University
Research Interests
Physics of asteroid impacts. Physics of Climate change. Dimensional Analysis as a way of understanding physics. Understanding the degrowth-decoupling debate (before making up my mind, not that it matters what my opinion is). Following human rights issues in US foreign policy with at best a tenuous connection to anything I teach (so, no, I don’t inflict my political opinions on students except to some extent in the Honors class). Ages ago, in grad school — nucleation theory and dust formation around novae, a topic I only pursued because it was distantly related to my interest in dust produced by asteroid impacts (which might have killed the dinosaurs) and my advisor knew more about novae.
Presentations
Optical Tweezers (student presentation by Abagaile Kimbrell 2021)
The physics of falling chains and (separate project) using an anemometer to measure air flow near a hovering drone as a test of actuator disc theory (a student presentation by Paul Owens 2018)
College Algebra, Development of Physical Science, Statics, Dynamics, Mechanics of Solids, Material Science, Thermodynamics, Atomic and Nuclear Physics, Electricity and Magnetism, Linear Networks, Astrophysics ( once), Science, Technology and Cultural Development (Honors) Calculus III, Differential Equations, Vector Analysis and PDEs, Probability and Statistics.