Physics Faculty

I'm keenly interested in exploring our home, broadly and interestingly defined. As a astrophysicist, that's meant research that has focused on theoretical modeling of the origin of Solar Systems, the Earth-Moon system--and end states of stars. More recently I am fascinated with Foundations of Physics, because the deep ontological questions are both puzzling and rich with meaning. I'm also keenly devoted to amplifying the voices and stories of people (and peoples) who have not been recognized as they should in my field--from the work of Elda Anderson on the Manhattan Project to our varied cultural Celestial Heritage in the night sky. As a teacher and a pedagogical researcher, I work diligently to give students a better experience than I had, meeting them where they are and helping them realize they can do physics and astronomy. More specifically with respect to teaching at Lawrence, I enjoy teaching with my colleagues and across disciplines, with courses like Newtonian Lit, Origins, Apocalypses, the Science of Super Heroes, and of course FRST. We are the Cosmos contemplating itself, and yet in all this vastness: only one of each of us. Exploring what that means is why I am a scientist and a teacher, and why I'm at a place like Lawrence.