|
Future of the Physics and Astronomy Department
New research directions
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is building on its traditional strengths while extending its research activities into new directions. Our most recent hires reflect this emphasis. Rene Lopez (Fall 2006) is a materials physicist who was hired jointly with the Institute for Advanced Materials, Nanoscience and Technology. His primary interests are in the optical properties of smart materials and nano-optical arrays. This program expands the sphere of nanoscience research at UNC exemplified by the North Carolina Center for Nanoscale Materials, among other efforts. Reyco Henning joined our nuclear physics group in Spring 2007. He is a neutrino physicist who is involved in multi-institutional collaborations to search for direct evidence of dark matter, as well as experiments in neutrinoless double-beta decay to determine the mass of the neutrino. He therefore extends our nuclear physics activities into new realms beyond the few-nucleon studies that have been at the heart of our program based at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL). Sheila Kannappan, who will join our astrophysics group in Fall 2007, is an observational astronomer who will strengthen our efforts in galactic dynamics and evolution. She will be a major user of our SOAR telescope.
Additions to our faculty in the near future are expected to enhance our efforts in experimental biophysics in conjunction with UNC's Biomedical Research Imaging Center, as a complement to the work of our Center for Computer Integrated Systems for Microscopy and Manipulation. We also intend to strengthen our efforts in theoretical particle physics, cosmology and gravity by additions to the GCHEP group.
Educational initiatives
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is adding several new courses to its instructional offerings in academic year 2007-08. PHYS 361 Biophysics will be taught by Prof. Richard Superfine in Fall 2007. Intended for science majors interested in physical processes in living things, it has as prerequisites the introductory physics sequence PHYS 116/117. The course will explore the fundamental thermodynamic and physical processes that underlie biological phenomena such as diffusion, entropy at the molecular and system level, electrostatics and hydrophobicity. These will form the basis for an understanding of self assembly and force generation that are responsible for molecular and cellular processes such as DNA replication and repair, intracellular transport and cell division.In Spring 2008 Prof. Superfine will teach PHYS 133 How Biology Works, a general education course. This course, which will be taught in a style similar to the very popular PHYS 100 How Things Work, will introduce non-science majors to the physics of biology and biotechnology, regarding life as an assembly of molecular machines that manipulate DNA, replicate cells, propel bacteria and contract muscles. Also in Spring 2008, Prof. Chris Clemens will teach ASTR 205 Medieval Foundations of Modern Cosmology. This course will examine science as it emerged and developed in the West starting in the 13th century. As examples it will consider three problems that remain relevant to modern science: the mechanics of celestial bodies, the finite age of the universe, and the nature of the void. It is part of the "Science and Faith" cluster of courses on the intersections between faith and science in the pre-modern and early modern periods, offered to fulfill the Integrative option of the Supplemental General Education requirement for students pursuing A.B. degrees in the College of Arts & Sciences.
In partnership with the School of Education, the Department of Physics and Astronomy is launching a "fast track" program that will allow physics majors to prepare to become high school physics teachers while they complete their physics degree. In addition to three Education courses, students will also take a new elective course in the teaching and learning of physics, which will count toward the physics degree requirements. In this course students will study the cognitive science of how people learn, specific findings on the learning and teaching of physics (including the role of epistemology and misconceptions), techniques for effective teaching of physics concepts and problem-solving skills, methods of assessment (including statistical analysis), and the social context of physics education. The course will include a practicum in which students serve as Learning Assistants in introductory physics recitation and laboratory sections, honing their teaching skills as they apply what they have learned about pedagogy. The program will culminate in a formal student teaching experience in the public schools, and upon completion the students will be eligible for licensure by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The program is supported by the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), a network of institutions engaged in the production of increased numbers of better-prepared science teachers committeed to interactive, inquiry-based approaches to teaching. A parallel program is being established by the Department of Biology, and we hope in future to add the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Geological Sciences. The physics program is scheduled to begin in Fall 2008. Inquiries can be directed to the Chair of the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Prof. Laurie McNeil.
Updated June 2007
|
