Faculty Members Conducting Research
Students are encouraged to work with faculty mentors on research.
Joseph Collins, Associate Professor, Ph.D. IIT, studies biological liquid crystals with particular interest in self-assembly behavior as a function of temperature and chemical environment in order to advance our understanding of intercellular communication and certain diseases such as sickle cell anemia.
Ruth Howes, Professor and Chair, Ph.D. Columbia University, studies nuclear structure physics at the National Superconducting Cyclotron. She also has interests in women in physics and physics education.
Paul Joseph, Lecturer, M.S. University of Utah, is the Chief Meteorologist of the Journal Broadcast Group’s Milwaukee operation of Today’s TMJ 4, WTMJ and WKTI. He has been forecasting Milwaukee’s weather for over 33 years and has a strong interest in science education.
John Karkheck, Professor, Ph.D. SUNY Stony Brook, develops and analyzes statistical models of fluids in order to advance our understanding of transport processes and irreversible behavior in fluids and of the nature of interparticle forces.
Andrew Kunz, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Minnesota, simulates magnetic materials in order to better understand the dynamic response of such systems. The simulation results are used to create physical models for magnetoresistive and other spintronic devices. He is also interested in improving physics education.
Rev. Donald Matthys, S.J., Professor, Ph.D. Washington University, develops optical measurement and imaging techniques for precision determination of surface deformation and contouring.
Michael Politano, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. University of Illinois, models populations of interacting binary stars with emphasis on model populations of cataclysmic variable stars, such as novae. He is interested in physics education and teacher preparation.
Zbigniew Sorbjan, Research Associate Professor, Ph.D. Warsaw, models turbulence, diffusion and clouds in atmospheric boundary layer, the lowest mile of the atmosphere.
Christopher Stockdale, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Oklahoma, is actively engaged in a multi-wavelength study of core collapse supernovae. He observes the radio emission from these events and their surroundings using a variety of instruments, but primarily the Very Large Array in Socorro, New Mexico.
