Physics
Modern physics plays an increasingly important role in the development of technology and in the fields of business and industry. The Department of Physics offers a broad-based, in-depth curriculum that prepares students for a wide range of career options and for graduate and professional programs. Our graduates pursue careers in medicine, engineering, computer science, architecture and business, and they hold positions in industry, government and secondary education. The program also offers the minor in physics.
Curriculum
The Preparation for Graduate School curriculum is designed to prepare students for advanced studies in physics, providing them with opportunities to do research in areas of experimental or theoretical physics.
- Applied Physics provides students with a solid background in basic physics and is flexible enough to allow them to achieve proficiency in a related field. The program prepares graduates for immediate entry into industry or government research laboratories.
- Teacher Licensure in Physics is designed for students interested in teaching at the secondary level.
Faculty
The eight full-time and five part-time faculty members are dedicated teachers whose professional interests encompass a wide range of current research areas in physics and physical science fields, including atomic physics and lasers, experimental nuclear physics, theoretical elementary particle physics, molecular physics, radio astronomy, and experimental elementary particle physics. The size of the department affords ample opportunity for the close working relationships between students and faculty that we consider a major asset of the physics program at UNC Asheville.
Independent Research and Study
The faculty strongly support independent research and study, providing qualified undergraduates with opportunities for hands-on experiences that are rare in larger university settings. The department has received research funding from the National Science Foundation and the Research Corporation for projects involving faculty and students.
Physics majors have presented papers at regional meetings of the Society of Physics Students, the national meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Each year about 20 UNC Asheville students are among the 1,200 student presenters at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, which was founded in 1987 at UNC Asheville and rotates annually to universities around the country. Titles of recent undergraduate research projects by UNC Asheville Physics students include:
- Archaeological Excavation of Ancient Roman Pottery and Analysis by Mössbauer Spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction
- Radiative Lifetimes of Long Persistence Phosphors
- Telescope Pointing Model at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI)
- Improving the Pointing Accuracy of the PARI 4.6 meter Radio Telescope
- Numerical Analysis of the Inverse Trapezoid Potential
Students have received funding for research projects at Argonne National Laboratory, the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Through an affiliation between UNC Asheville and the NASA Space Grant program that began in 2006, UNC Asheville offers four Physics internships for the summer and fall. Physics students may apply for scholarships and research scholarships through the NASA Space Grant affiliation to help pay for college. Our chapter of the Society of Physics Students was recognized nationally as an Outstanding Chapter the past seven consecutive years, and Michael Ruiz was named outstanding national chapter advisor in 2000.
Facilities
The department’s laboratories (including a laser lab) are housed in Robinson Hall, a building dedicated to undergraduate education and scientific research. Computers are readily available for instrumentation and interfacing work, and physics majors have access to workstations and teleconferencing facilities.
Post-graduate Opportunities
Physics majors have pursued advanced degrees at graduate schools nationwide, including the University of Virginia, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, the College of William and Mary, the University of Michigan and other top schools. Our graduates have attended medical schools at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Georgia and other universities, and they hold positions with the Lockheed Corp. (Missiles and Space Division), BellSouth, DuPont Corp., the U.S. Patent Office and other businesses, industries and government offices.
More Information
Department of Physics
124 Robinson Hall, CPO #2430
UNC Asheville
One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804-8511
828.251.6442