TF GradProgDir
2016 Report
Status
ISU's Physics graduate program began offering Ph.D.s in Applied Physics in 2006 with its first Ph.D. graduate occurring in 2009. Previously, Ph.D.s degrees were awarded in Engineering and Applied Science, a multi-displinary graduate program. The physics department grew in faculty to serve this new degree in the following years reaching a peak of thirteen in 2009. The number of full time Physics faculty has been steadily dropping since 2009 and currently stands at seven full time physics faculty. As expected, this drop in faculty has resulted in fewer graduate students entering the program, a trend we seek to reverse with curriculum changes as well as an increase in the number of full time physics faculty.
Objectives
ISU's Physics departments Strategic Plan is given below.
/PhysicsWebPage#Physics_Strategic_Plan
Proposal
We propose to alter our curriculum to focus more on our specialization in Nuclear physics. This is achieved by replacing two of our most advanced courses with courses specializing in Nuclear physics. The faculty met on September 2, 2016 and voted in favor of these changes to the curriculum. Specifically, the second semester of graduate Quantum Mechanics (PHYS6625) and Electricity & Magnetism (PHYS6612) will be replace with Introduction to Nuclear Physics (PHYS5509) and Advanced Nuclear Physics (PHYS6609). We believe these changes will focus the physics graduate program in physics research that is undertaken at the Idaho Accelerator Center, Jefferson Lab, and the Idaho National Lab. We feel that this will allow us to attract replacements for at least two of the six faculty who were active at the Idaho Accelerator Center.
Link to the webpage Graduate_Programs
Faculty
History
From a 2009 peak of 13 faculty the department is now at 7 in 2016.
| year | Faculty |
| 2005 | Wells , Harmon, Knox ,Beezhold, Chouffani, Hunt , Cole, Keeter, Shropshire, Tatar |
| 2006 | Wells , Harmon, Knox ,Beezhold, Chouffani, Hunt , Cole, Keeter, Shropshire, Tatar |
| 2007 | Dale, Harmon, Knox, Shropshire, Wells , Beezhold,Cole, Keeter, Tatar, Chouffani, Forest, Hunt , Chandler |
| 2008 | Dale, Shropshire, Wells , Beezhold,Cole, Keeter, Tatar, Chouffani, Forest, Hunt , Chandler |
| 2009 | Shropshire, Dale, Wells . Beezhold ,Cole, Keeter, Tatar,Chouffani, Dimitrov, Forest, Hunt ,Chandler, Mitchell |
| 2010 | Shropshire ,Dale, Wells,Cole, Keeter, Tatar,Chouffani, Dimitrov, Forest, Hunt ,Chandler,Mitchell |
| 2011 | Shropshire ,Dale, Wells,Cole, Keeter, Tatar,Chouffani, Dimitrov, Forest, Hunt ,Chandler,Mitchell |
| 2012 | Wells,Dale, Shropshire,Cole, Tatar,Chouffani,Dimitrov, Forest, Hunt, McNulty, Y. Kim |
| 2013 | Khandaker , Dale, Shropshire ,Cole, Chouffani, Forest, Hunt, McNulty , Y. Kim,Starovoitova |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | Khandaker,Cole,Dale,Shropshire,Forest,Tatar, Chouffani, Hunt,McNulty |
| 2016 | Khandaker,Cole,Dale,Shropshire,Forest,Tatar,McNulty |