BS in physics from Kansas State University (1996). At Kansas State, my research involved the characterization of the liquid-vapor surface of a critical binary liquid mixture using ellipsometry. The mixtures I studied were polymer solutions and ionic solutions.
PhD in experimental physics from Cornell University (2001). At Cornell, my research involved strategies for improving protein crystallization, emphasizing the role of impurities in limiting protein crystal quality. Primary experimental techniques included two-photon fluorescence microscopy and x-ray topography.
Current interests at Westminster include computational materials science, the use of physical computing in introductory physics classes, and the projects I am currently working on with my experimental physics students and/or capstone students.
I run ultramarathons.