Welcome

I am an Assistant Professor of Physics at Pacific University in Forest Grove Oregon. I joined the faculty at Pacific in the Fall of 2008 after graduating from the Department of Physics at Duke University. As a professor, I am committed to the idea that active learning environments and innovative teaching pedagogy are fundamental to effective science education. In addition to my teaching efforts, I maintain a research lab that involves undergraduate students in summer and senior-capstone research projects. I am generally interested in several fields of physics including: atom cooling and trapping, pattern-forming nonlinear optics, slow- and fast-light, and the application of optical systems to quantum and classical information science.

Brief Biography

I came to Pacific University in the Fall of 2008 after graduating from Duke University in May 2008 with my Ph.D. in Physics. My six years at Duke followed four years at Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA) where I graduated in 2002 with a B.A. in Physics. The research I conducted as an undergraduate created many opportunities for graduate study and I ultimately decided on Duke after meeting many of my potential classmates, peers, and the department faculty. My pre-college life was spent in Moscow Idaho, home of the University of Idaho and a fine town in its own right.

My wife Leslie and I live in Forest Grove with our three sons Carter (4), Griffin (2), and August (3 months). One of our favorite things about Forest Grove is being able to walk to campus, downtown, and the farmer's market. When the sun is out, you can find us in the back yard playing, gardening, or cooking out. In addition to our dog, we have a small flock of chickens so feel free to contact me if you are in need of organic free-range eggs.