Highlights for Undergraduates
From the smallest confines of subatomic particles, to the farthest expanses of the universe; from the interactions of single quanta of light with individual atoms, to the macroscopic behaviors emergent from billions of atoms interacting together; from the properties of artificial man-made materials, to the function of biological molecules that form the foundation of life; the faculty and students of the Department of Physics and Astronomy are engaged in explaining and predicting the behavior of the physical world around us.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester combines the best features of a small liberal arts college and a major research university. We are a moderately sized department with an accessible faculty dedicated to excellence in teaching. Also, we have a vigorous research program that was ranked 26th nationally among research universities in the last survey of the National Research Council (in atomic/molecular/optical/plasma physics, the 2002 US News survey ranks us 6th!). The numerous University and national awards our faculty and students win each year testify to this dual commitment.
Careers for which a physics or physics and astronomy degree can be beneficial include basic research, education, industry, computer science, medicine, communication, publishing, environmental science, consulting, law, business, engineering, and space and earth sciences. Our degree programs, especially the B.A., have substantial room for electives. This flexibility can be exploited to produce a broad range of customized study plans.
Teaching
For the major, we offer B.A. and B.S. degrees in physics, or in physics and astronomy. We can show you how to combine your interests in physics with another major, or with premed, prelaw, or teacher certification programs. We strongly recommend our honors introductory sequence for all suitably prepared prospective majors, and encourage it for any student who has had a good high school introduction to differential and integral calculus. For the non-major, learn how musical instruments work in Physics of Music, learn about the scientific approach through a series of interactive experiments in Physics by Inquiry, or make your own astronomical observations at the University's C.E.K. Mees Observatory in Elementary Astrophysics. Whether a scientist or a musician, the Department of Physics and Astronomy has a course for you!
All lectures are typically given by our full-time faculty, who have a strong record of distinction for their teaching. Most recently, Prof. Arie Bodek was given The Pake Professorship in honor of George E. Pake (2005) and received the University Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching (2004). Prof. Steven Manly was named Mercer Brugler Distinguished Teaching Professor in the College of Arts and Science for his innovations in the introductory physics sequences (2002). Prof. Joseph Eberly recently won the University's Goergen Award for Distinguished Achievement and Artistry in Undergraduate Education, for his teaching in the introductory honors sequence (2000). Prof. Lynne Orr won the University's Curtis Award for Excellence in Teaching (1999). In general, all our faculty rotate teaching assignments among undergraduate and graduate courses.
Graduate students and upper class majors assist with workshops, recitation sections, and labs. The Department is dedicated to quality in teaching at this level as well, and has developed a TA Training Program in which other science and engineering departments at the University now participate as well. The success of this program may be judged by the fact that the University's Curtis Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student has been won by a Department of Physics and Astronomy graduate student in almost every year since 1996. For upper class majors, the Department offers a Teaching and Technology Internship Program, designed both to help prepare undergraduate majors for teaching assignments later in their careers, as well as to improve instruction at the undergraduate level by providing peer group mentors.
Research
We believe that the best instruction in physics is given by those actively pursuing research at the forefront of the field. The Department has internationally recognized research efforts in virtually all major subfields of physics and astronomy. Twenty-three of our faculty are Fellows of the American Physical Society, three are Fellows of the Optical Society of America, and one is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
We believe that the best training in physics is obtained by having students experience research for themselves. Each year a sizeable fraction of our upper class majors are involved in faculty sponsored research projects through the Department's NSF funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. During the summer REU program, students have carried out projects with research groups in the Department, at the University's Laboratory for Laser Energetics, the C.E.K. Mees Observatory, local industrial laboratories, and several of the national laboratories such as Fermilab. One of our recent students (Govind Krishnaswami, B.S. 1999) won the national 1999 Apker Prize of the American Physical Society for his research conducted as an REU student; another (Albert Wang, B.S. 2001) was one of three finalists for the 2001 Apker Prize. A description of individual REU research projects carried out in the last several years may be found here. Many summer REU students continue with their research as senior projects throughout the following year. Each year the Department hosts the Rochester Symposium for Undergraduate Physics Students, a Northeast regional conference at which undergraduate students present talks on their research projects.
Student Life
Each year's class typically, consists of around 20 physics or physics and astronomy majors. Student activities are organized through the University's chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS), a national organization affiliated with the American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society. The SPS sponsors lectures by the faculty on topics of current interest, co-sponsors the annual SPS/Department of Physics and Astronomy Colloquium by a distinguished visiting scientist, and offers tutoring services for the introductory physics and astronomy courses. The SPS also hosts the annual Department picnic in the Spring, and the annual Faculty vs. Undergraduate Quiz Bowl, in which any question unrelated to physics or astronomy is fair game!
Upon graduation, our Department majors pursue a variety of career options. Some continue on to graduate school in physics or astronomy, gaining admission to a variety of graduate programs including the most competitive. Others continue to graduate school in a related field of science or engineering. Yet others seek employment. For a summary of where our majors have gone following graduation, go here.
Further Information
To find out more, please consult the Undergraduate and Special Programs pages of our Department Website, or our online Undergraduate Manual. Questions may be addressed to our Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Ms. Janet Fogg-Twichell.
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