This is a short introduction to our personnel and their interests. You can click on the menu or links to get more information about each one and about student projects completed under his or her supervision.

Brian Collett: Ph.D. Princeton University. Computational Physics and Instrumentation.
Currently collaborating with Gordon Jones on projects in Nuclear Physics. Brian's interests focus on modelling physical systems with computers and building new kinds of physics instruments. Recent students have worked with him on modelling and mapping magnetic fields, creating a computer controlled current controller, and a novel kind of low-frequency NMR apparatus. Students in his course, Electronics and Computers, learn machine language programming and computer interfacing including robotics.
Natalia Connolly: Ph. D. University of California at Santa Barbara, Experimental High Energy Physics. Natalia's most recent research has been in experimental cosmology and, in part, involves study of type Ia supernovae as cosmological distance indicators. Her work uses data from the Hubble Space Telescope. She is also an active member of a team designing the next generation of space telescope.

Gordon Jones: Ph.D. Princeton University, Experimental Nuclear Physics.
His research has involved a mix of lasers, optics, NMR, and low energy nuclear physics. His present interests center on the production and uses of polarized Helium-3. Applications include neutron spin filters and the imaging of human lungs using inhaled He-3 and magnetic resonance imaging. He teaches courses on quantum physics and research methods.

Seth Major : Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University, Theoretical Physics.
Seth works in quantum gravity, a field devoted to finding the structure of spacetime on the smallest possible scales. Recently, his research focuses on finding observable consequences of quantum gravity and constraining the theory using current astrophysical observations. He has been a Lise Meitner Fellow at the Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University of Vienna. His work appears in journals including American Journal of Physics, Classical and Quantum Gravity, the New Journal of Physics, and Physical Review D.

Peter Millet: Ph.D. Syracuse University. Non-Linear Systems, Astronomy, and Acoustics.
Recent student projects with Peter include a study of non-linear dynamics in an impact oscillator, a study of complexity and cellular automata with an application to traffic flow, and the application of Maple to the analysis of the gravitational three body problem.  He teaches courses on statistical physics and astronomy among other topics.

Philip Pearle (Emeritus): Ph.D. M.I.T. The Foundations of Quantum Theory.
Phil's theory of Continuous Spontaneous Localization has attracted considerable international attention. Examples of student projects with him are Perfectly Disturbing Measurements with Toru Ohira '86, Apker Finalist, Statevector Reduction in Discrete Time with Akihiro Nakano '92, and Spontaneous Radiation of free electrons in a Nonrelativistic Collapse Model, Qijia Fu '96, Apker Finalist.

Steve Pullman
Steve works with us to design and build new equipment, and organize and maintain the equipment we have. He has extensive experience in metal and wood working, and in electronics construction and repair.

James Ring (Emeritus): Ph.D. University of Rochester.
Nuclear Physics, Psychophysics and Environmental Physics (including solar energy, radon, nuclear physics and the indoor climate, and ancient Roman baths). Students have joined him in projects in all of the above fields. Work with students on the Solar Classroom at Hamilton and computer energy management at the College has been presented at international conferences. Recently, using his experience in experimental nuclear physics, he has worked with Professor Gene Domack (Geology) on radioactive dating of Antarctic core layers.

Jim Schreve: M.S. University of Wisconsin at Madison
Jim teaches laboratory physics and supports the department in a variety of ways including collaboration in the design and fabrication of experiments, the creation and organization of experiments used in lecture and laboratory classes, and the supervision of our technical staff.

Ann Silversmith: Ph.D. Australian National University, Laser Spectroscopy of rare earth based solids.
With the help of grants from Research Corporation and N.S.F. she has established a laser lab here. One of her students, Brandon Collings '94, won the Apker Award for undergraduate research, a national award offered by the American Physical Society. Current research focuses on synthesis and spectroscopy of sol-gel glasses containing rare earth impurity ions.

Walt Zarnoch: Walt has extensive experience using and teaching fabrication techniques in both industrial and academic settings. He has helped design and fabricate laboratory equipment at Hamilton in connection with projects that are part of national scientific collaborations.

Physics People