Physics Department Overview

The Physics Department plays a central role in the University's Mission of educating students to live in the increasingly technological, highly complex society of the present. The department provides a range of excellent physics and engineering programs for its majors and high quality courses and laboratories for science majors from other departments, and for non-science majors. All these courses are taken in the context of a liberal arts core so that the technical training provided by them is blended with the knowledge acquired from the study of humanities.

Established in 1942, the department focuses on applied physics. A strong emphasis has been placed on electronics, acoustics, solid state physics, optics, and more recently complex fluids. A unique feature of the department, since 1954, has been undergraduate research. Students work closely with faculty members on research which as been sponsored since 1956 by ONR, NSF, AFOSR, AOR and NASA. The number of undergraduate student co-authors of papers published in leading journals is among the highest in the nation. Over 50% of graduates go directly to graduate school in physics, engineering, medicine, and law. The physics alumni have received Ph.D's not only in physics but in material science and electrical engineering. Five students have also received M.D. degrees. Those who go into industry generally are employed as engineers and high school teachers. The recent graduates have been employed by GE, Rockwell International, Keithley, and IBM. Alumni remain very active in department activities and scholarship committees.

The department also has a research mission. An important feature of this mission is that the students are actively engaged in research with faculty members on research projects which develop the students as independent, active learners and provide faculty members as role models. Interdisciplinary teaching and research with other science departments is also encouraged. The department schedules seminars, open to the public, to educate all segments of the University and local community on important scientific issues. The department collaborates with and provides services to local industry including the sharing of our facilities. Finally, the department encourages the Society of Physics Students and especially the Physics Honor Society to engage in activities which serve others. All programs and activities are committed to excellence. The mission of the department is consistent with the Jesuit tradition to teach, serve and educate leaders and it emphasizes student activity in the learning process and life long openness to growth.