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Welcome to the Department of Physics, which excels in quality education with small classes for majors and research with one-on-one interactions between students and faculty. The Department's long historical commitment to undergraduate research led to its playing a crucial role in 1987 when UNCA founded the annual National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).
Dr. Forest Davenport of our department collaborates with the international Fermilab near Chicago in his research on elementary particles. Dr. Bennett, co-author with Serway and others on an introductory physics text, has conducted much research with the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Faculty Dr. Katherine Whatley and Judy Beck have authored instructor's resources for the Walker and Wilson/Buffa physics texts. Dr. Michael J. Ruiz was featured as a top story on CNN in the area of science/technology for his innovative online e-texts. Dr. Randy Booker, who has pioneered the use of spreadsheets in astronomy labs, is our department chair.
The Department has modern lab facilities in modern physics, optics, lasers, nuclear physics, molecular physics, and electronics. All majors give presentations to the Department in their upper-level lab courses. Below, Root is putting the finishing touches on his experimental lab project and getting ready for his seminar talk.
Physics Major Root Kirbach Working in our Optics Lab
UNCA also works closely with the nearby Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI). Students have opportunities to perform research in radio astronomy at this facility which was formerly used by NASA and later by the United States Department of Defense. The university's distinguished UNCA Glaxo Wellcome Professor is Dr. Brian Dennison, a radio astronomer who does research at PARI.
One of the Two Large Radio Telescopes at PARI, Rosman, NC
The multi-million dollar PARI facility is located in Rosman, NC, about a 45-minute drive from UNCA. Radio astronomer Dr. Dennison, who is also a faculty member in our department, helps to coordinate the research between UNCA and PARI.
PARI, Rosman, NC
Both PARI and UNCA are located in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
Mt. Pisgah as Seen from UNCA
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