Faculty

"I am interested in critical phenomena in liquid crystalline and other soft condensed matter systems. I am currently investigating surface molecular ordering and fluctuations in molecular ordering in liquid crystals near their phase transitions between the disordered liquid (isotropic) and the ordered liquid crystalline (nematic or smectic) states. With the help of Knox students, I am using a variety of techniques-evanescent-wave ellipsometry, magnetic and electric field-induced birefringence, and light scattering-to probe the molecular ordering near surfaces and fluctuations in bulk samples. The goal of this research is to understand how the length scales and energy scales associated with molecular ordering change in the vicinity of the phase transition."

"My research is in molecular biophysics, an area that overlaps physics, chemistry and biology. I use spectroscopy -- study of the molecule's physical properties by measuring the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation absorbed -- as a tool in working toward understanding how metalloproteins' structure allows them to perform their specific catalytic activities. Specifically, I use Mössbauer Spectroscopy, in which we measure the absorption of gamma rays by the nucleus of the iron found at the active site of many proteins. A good example is the hemoglobin protein, an iron-based molecule that carries oxygen in the blood. Knowing the relationship between a protein's structure and its function is essential to understanding the operation of living systems. It also has the potential to aid in the treatment of genetic diseases. Several of our undergraduate physics majors have been helpful collaborators in my research, in developing the apparatus for collecting data in developing computer software for data analysis, and in using Mössbauer to study metalloproteins."

"My research interests include two main thrusts, magnetic characterization of materials and using magnetic resonance techniques to investigate defects in semiconductors."