Release date: Oct. 7, 2002
Contact: Nancy Seideman, Director, University Media Relations,
at 404-727-0640 or nseidem@emory.edu

Department of Physics

Ray DuVarney, Chairman

With the opening of the new Mathematics and Science Center, Emory’s physics department is poised to move to a new level of teaching and research distinction with state-of-the-art facilities and room to grow, says department chairman Ray DuVarney.

"The building was designed to fulfill the modern needs of a university physics program, and is an excellent teaching and research facility for us as a result," says DuVarney.

Among the features are an expanded machine shop to build the instruments and measurement systems integral to physics experiments and research. A 180-seat classroom auditorium provides the space for lectures and physics demonstrations. And a 60-seat planetarium and a rooftop observatory with a 24-inch diameter telescope will allow the department to offer degree programs in astrophysics and astronomy for the first time.

Another bonus for the department is the proximity to other science departments at Emory, such as mathematics and computer science, says DuVarney. "Mathematics is the language of physics, and being together is extremely important for our departments, allowing us to collaborate in new ways," he says.

The department currently has 30 undergraduate majors and minors and 12 graduate students. The center also provides room and facilities for the department to attain its goal of 45 undergraduate majors and 30 graduate students over the next five years.

The department’s major focus is on undergraduate education and preparation, backed by graduate degree programs of study and faculty research in a broad range of areas, DuVarney says. The department’s best-known research strengths include biophysics and complex materials, especially the study of nonlinear dynamic processes. Other research areas include semiconductor physics, astrophysics and particle physics.

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