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Department of Physics Self–Study January 2004

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Department of Physics Self–Study January 2004 UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Department of Physics Self–Study January 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction....................................................................................................................................................4 2. National Context ............................................................................................................................................4 3. Our biggest challenge......................................................................................................................................5 4. Department Personnel....................................................................................................................................7 4.1 Faculty composition.............................................................................................................................7 4.2 Teaching Assistants .............................................................................................................................7 4.3 Supporting Staff ..................................................................................................................................7 5. Faculty Scholarly Work...................................................................................................................................8 5.1 Eugene V. Benton.................................................................................................................................8 5.2 Brandon Brown ...................................................................................................................................9 5.3 Thomas Böttger..................................................................................................................................10 5.4 Horacio E. Camblong.........................................................................................................................11 5.5 Marcelo Camperi...............................................................................................................................12 5.6 Carl Naegele ......................................................................................................................................13 6. Physics Programs and Physics Curriculum..................................................................................................13 6.1 Honors Major in Physics..................................................................................................................13 6.2 Major in Physics (flexible enough to include double-majors)........................................................14 6.3 Minor in Physics...............................................................................................................................15 6.4 3/2 Physics-Engineering Dual Degree Program ..............................................................................16 6.5 Materials Physics Program...............................................................................................................17 6.6 Physics Service Courses and the New Core Curriculum.................................................................19 6.6.1 Physics courses in the new Core Curriculum .........................................................................19 7. Common Facilities........................................................................................................................................22 7.1 Space attrition...................................................................................................................................22 7.2 Lecture Rooms..................................................................................................................................23 7.3 Other Classrooms.............................................................................................................................24 7.4 Laboratories and the Fletcher-Jones Grant......................................................................................24 7.4.1 Computational Physics Laboratory (Harney 101)................................................................24 7.4.2 Lower-Division Laboratories ................................................................................................24 7.4.3 Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (Harney 109) .................................................................24 7.4.4 NSF-Sponsored MBL Workshops for Teachers ....................................................................25 7.4.5 Upper-Division Laboratory ..................................................................................................25 7.5 Shops.................................................................................................................................................26 7.6 Gleeson Library.................................................................................................................................26 8. Workload.......................................................................................................................................................27 9. Advising. .......................................................................................................................................................28 10. Faculty Development ..................................................................................................................................28 11. Physics Colloquium Series..........................................................................................................................28 12. Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma........................................................................................29 13. Budget.. .......................................................................................................................................................29 13.1 Full-time faculty .................................................................................................................................29 13.2 Student salary pool.............................................................................................................................30 13.3 Travel and entertainment...................................................................................................................30 13.4 Library Funds .....................................................................................................................................30 13.5 Operational budget ............................................................................................................................31 14. Conclusions and Recommendations..........................................................................................................31 Physics Department Self Study - Page 2 Appendices (Data is provided since previous program review) A. Faculty Grantmanship..................................................................................................................................34 B. Faculty in the News.......................................................................................................................................35 C. Other Physics related Activity and Honors .................................................................................................36 D. Peer-Reviewed Publications.........................................................................................................................37 E. Other Publications........................................................................................................................................41 F. Work Submitted or In Preparation..............................................................................................................42 G. Invited Talks and Conference Presentations...............................................................................................43 H. Course Development ...................................................................................................................................44 I. List of Departmental Colloquia.....................................................................................................................46 J. Student Body by the Numbers ......................................................................................................................54 J.1 Undergraduate Majors...........................................................................................................................54 J.2 Demographic Characteristics Of Entering Freshmen..............................................................................55 J.3 Demographic Characteristics Of Graduating Students...........................................................................56 J.4 Student Credit Hours .............................................................................................................................57 Physics Department Self Study - Page 3 1. Introduction The Department of Physics at the University of San Francisco, as an integral part of a Jesuit institution, inherits a long and rich tradition in education and scholarly work, founded upon the interrelated themes of Jesuit education: a focus on moral reflection, on teaching for social justice, and on the liberal treatment of subject matter. Scientifically, this tradition was borne by the work of many men of science, like José de Acosta, S.J. (a pioneer of the Geophysical
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