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Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do.

Donald Knuth

Physics department mission statement


Physics lies at the core of all scientific and technical disciplines. Our department has a two-fold mission –to provide students who will make a wide range of career choices with an outstanding learning experience in which they develop strong analytical, quantitative, and problem solving skills with a deep appreciation of the role physics plays in technical innovations, and to foster cutting-edge research that expands the horizons of science and technology.

This mission will be accomplished by:

  • providing students with rigorous and comprehensive courses that allow them to perform at a high level
  • fostering curiosity and excitement about the physical world
  • providing an exciting learning opportunity for non-physics and non-science majors that provides basic understanding of physics and problem-solving skills
  • maintaining a research environment, in which key scientific and technical innovation are generated
  • providing undergraduate and master’s students research experience, through which they contribute to the scientific enterprise
  • Maintain healthy level of external research funds allowing us to provid financial support for PhD student during their thesis research and prepare them to academic, research, and industial carriers
  • having faculty bring exciting and current research perspectives to the classroom
  • preparing undergraduate physics majors and pre-engineering students for graduate studies or technical careers
  • providing an M.A. program, which helps students expand their career goals, and a M.S. (PSM) program that would prepare students for rewarding employment in photonics related industries
  • providing service and outreach activities to the college and broader community
  • maintaining machine and electronics shop facilities that enhance undergraduate, graduate and research laboratories in the College