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Exploring Laws of the Universe

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Washington State University is built around a small but highly productive faculty whose research expertise provides students a wide variety of research experiences. The highly-rigorous undergraduate program prepares graduates to be competitive in top graduate programs or for employment. The PhD program and the thesis Master’s degree blend demanding coursework with cutting-edge research to prepare graduates for jobs in academia, industry, and government labs. Our programs emphasize core academic competency and research excellence.

Night sky with lots of stars and a tree and people

Laser

People using large telescope

Physics…

is the study of the material world. Its historical mission was to push the boundaries of superlatives: the smallest subatomic particle, the quickest time interval, the most precise measurement, the most perplexing of unexplained phenomena.

In the 21st century, these challenges are augmented with a need to understand how particles interact under extreme conditions or complex situations. For instance, we seek to fulfill the promise of nanotechnology, quantum technologies and quantum degenerate gases, computational simulation, and biophysical understanding.

Astronomy…

is the study of the universe from the size scales of planets to the ultimate size scale of all. It encompasses the risks of meteor impacts, the intricate ballet of planetary systems, and the warping of spacetime near a black hole.

The WSU Department of Physics and Astronomy aims to prepare young scientists for careers in these and related areas.We offer bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees for students that aspire to the challenge of pushing back the frontiers of human knowledge. Please explore these pages to find out more about our laboratories, programs, and internationally respected faculty.

Adjunct/Affiliate/Emeritus Faculty

Adjunct/Affiliate/Emeritus Faculty

Adjunct/Affiliate Faculty


Koen Clays

Adjunct Professor

Research: Nonlinear Optics

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

E-mail: koen.clays@fys.kuleuven.be

Nathan Dawson
Nathan Dawson

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Research: Optical Materials
Hawaii Pacific University
College of Natural and Computational Sciences

Email: ndawson@hpu.edu

Hergen Eilers
Hergen Eilers

Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy

Research Professor and Associate Director ISP/Applied Sciences Laboratory

Washington State University

Phone: (509) 358-7681
E-mail: eilers@wsu.edu

James Hawreliak
James Hawreliak

Associate Professor

Research: High Energy Density Physics

Phone: (509) 335-1901
E-mail: james.hawreliak@wsu.edu
Website: Institute for Shock Physics

Michael Landry
Michael Landry

Adjunct Professor
Head of LIGO Hanford Observatory

Research: Nuclear particle physics, astrophysics, cosmology, gravitational waves

Phone: 509-372-8133
E-mail: mlandry@caltech.edu
Website: https://people.ligo-wa.caltech.edu/~michael.landry/

Rick Lytel
Rick Lytel

Adjunct Professor

Research: Physics of Computers and Networks

First Degree Innovation

Phone: (650) 393-0854
E-mail: rlytel@wsu.edu
Website: Rick Lytel

John McCloy

Adjunct Professor

Research: Nuclear, Optical, Magnetic, and Electronic Materials

Interim Director, Institute of Materials Research
Dana 239D
509-335-7796
Email: john.mccloy@wsu.edu
Website: McCloy Research Group

Greg Mendell
Greg Mendell

Senior Researcher

Research: Astrophysics and Gravitational Waves

Laser Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Observatory Hanford
P.O. Box 159
Richland, WA 99352

E-mail: gmendell@ligo-wa.caltech.edu

Javier Perez-Moreno
Javier Perez-Moreno

Adjunct Professor

Research: Nonlinear Optics

Skidmore College
Physics Department
Dana Science Center 230

Phone: (518) 580-5122
E-mail: jperezmo@skidmore.edu
Website: Javier Perez-Moreno

Maren Mossman
Maren Mossman

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Research: Quantum Hydrodynamics

University of San Diego
Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Physics

email: mmossman@SanDiego.edu
Phone: (619) 260-4191

Website: Maren Mossman

Sean Mossman
Sean Mossman

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Kevin Vixie
Kevin Vixie

Affiliate Associate Professor

Research: Geometric Analysis, High Dimensional Geometry and Data Science and their applications to other sciences, Environments for Innovation
Department of Mathematics
Washington State University

Phone: 310-740-2835
Email: kvixie@wsu.edu

Website: https://geometricanalysis.org/

Matthew Zacate
Matthew Zacate

Adjunct Professor

Research: Computational Materials Science

Northern Kentucky University

E-mail: zacatem1@nku.edu
Website: Matthew Zacate

Emeritus and Retired Faculty

Susan Dexheimer

Professor Emerita

Cambridge, MA
Research Website

J Thomas Dickinson

Emeritus Professor
Emeritus since 2017

Pullman, WA

Miles J. Dresser

Professor of Physics
Emeritus since 2001

Lincoln City, OR

M. Howard Miles

Professor of Physics
Retired since 2001

Albuquerque, NM

Michael D. Miller

Professor of Physics
email: mdm at wsu.edu

Research: Many Body Theory

James Park

Professor of Physics
Retired 1994

In Memoriam

Feature Stories


Fred Gittes and graduate assistant Chris Varney

Fred Gittes and graduate assistant Chris Varney:
Physicists find a new angle on blood spatter

Planetarium equipment

Michael Allen and Guy Worthey:
Science in the Sky: The WSU Planetarium

 

More Featured Stories

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate Students

Faraz Abounorinejad

Faraz Abounorinejad

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Matthew Derrick Adams

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Elijah Allen

 

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Sandra Auttelet

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Swadheen Bhowal

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Audrey Brutman

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Ian Caula

Tristan Cobb

Tristan Cobb

Liam Crafton

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Ethan Danielsen

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Darnell Darden

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Harley Estrada

Isabella Farnsworth

Isabella Farnsworth

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Adrian Garcia

Alex Heinrich

Alex Heinrich

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Tyler Hendrix

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Coral Hinson

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Zachary Hyde

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Cody Ingraham

Julia Jitkov

Julia Jitkov

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Chandler Ketelsen

Wasee Khan

Wasee Khan

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Ian Kleditz

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Eli Lawrence

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Julianna Lewis

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Christopher Lum

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Yuxiang Luo

Daniel Marks

Catherine Martin

Catherine Martin

Cherise Mayo

Cherise Mayo

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Benjamin McDonald

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Michael Meserve

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Hunter Meyer

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Juan Pena

Andrew Peters

Andrew Peters

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Jacob Pierson

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Sarah Probst

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Philip Rickey

Camdon Ritterby

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Louisa Sanders

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Taylor Sorrell

Emma Speight

Emma Speight

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Brendan Velasquez

Mitchell-Williamson
Mitchell Williamson

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Laina Wyrick

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Benjamin Zerba

Graduate Students

Graduate Students

Allison Acosta
Allison Acosta
Baldassare Group

Office: Webster 926
Email: allison.acosta@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Obaid Alqahtani
Obaid Alqahtani

Zahra Armanfard

Zahra Armanfard

Lauren Barmore

Lauren Barmore
McCluskey Group

Office: Webster G36
Email: lauren.barmore@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Akshara Binu

Adam Cameron

Pavan Chawhan

Pavan Chawhan

Garrett Compton

Bailey Conrad

Ryan Corbin

Ryan Corbin

Edyn Davies

Edward Eskew
Edward Eskew

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Robert Ford

Emily Frank

John Freiberg

Devin Grabner

Devin Grabner

Collins Group

Office: Webster 525
Email: devin.grabner@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Corey Halverson

Harlan Heilman

Scott Hillen

Alexander Johnson

Erin Kimbro

Erin Kimbro

Baldassare Group

Office: Webster 926
Email: erin.kimbro@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Alexander Mantilla

Gu Group

Office: Webster 934
Email: alexander.mantilla@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Lauren McDermott

Tanner Melody

Alex Messick

Alexander Messick

Baldassare Group

Office: Webster 926
Email: alexander.messick@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

 

Julie Miller

 

Heather Moon

Heather Moon

Nishad Muhammed

Annesh Mukhopadyay

Annesh Mukhopadhyay

Engels Group

Office: Webster 652
Email: annesh.mukhopadhyay@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Windy Olsen
Windy Olsen

Kamrul Hoque Ome Md.

Tathagata Pal

Tathagata Pal

Guy Group

Office: Webster 948
Email: tathagata.pal@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Anthony Papol

Jacob Parker

Acacia Patterson

Acacia Patterson

Brenna Peever

Chris Powers

Christopher Powers

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Vyasgowtham Prabhakar

Jethin Pulikkottil Jacob
Jethin Pulikkottil Jacob

Marlo Ramo Morales

Duez Group

Office: Webster 947K
Email: marlo.ramomorales@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Cassandra Remple
Cassandra Remple

McCluskey Group

Office: Webster G36
Email: cassandra.remple@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Macarena Santillan

Macarena Santillan

Saptarshi Rajan Sarkar
Saptarshi Rajan Sarkar

Colby Schimelfenig

Colby Schimelfenig

Heidi Schlunt

Heidi Schlunt

Federico Serrano

Guan Group

Office: Webster 947J
Email: federico.serrano@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

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Fangyu Shang

Sterling Smith

Sterling Smith

Kartik Sreedhar

Elliot Steissberg

Jarod Tall

Jarod Tall

Eleanor Terry-Welsh

Praveer Tiwari
Praveer Tiwari

No Photo
Os Vy

Bryant Ward
Bryant Ward

Erik Wasleske

Baldassare Group

Office: Webster 926
Email: erik.wasleske@wsu.edu
Website: (Link)

Chelsea Weaver

Brice Williams

William Wills
William Wills

Kexuan Wu