|
Juan R. Burciaga | |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting Assistant Professor |
||
| Department
of Physics 345 Boyer Ave. Whitman College Walla Walla, WA 99362 Phone: (509) 527-4916 FAX: (509) 527-5904 e-mail: burciaj@whitman.edu | ||
Favorite Activities: banging things together to see what happens, taking things apart to see why they work, building things with blocks and stuff |
||
| B.S., Univ. of
Texas at Arlington, 1975 M.A.,Univ. of Texas at Arlington, 1977 Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 1986 |
||
This is a biographical homepage. More interesting pages which I maintain are listed below.
Teaching Philosophy and Experience
I started teaching at Whitman College during in the Fall of 2006.
In addition to being here, I have been lucky enough to teach at other schools that also place a strong emphasis on excellence in teaching and
participation of undergraduates in research. Most recently I have taught at Lafayette College, Vassar College and Colorado College. In addition to physics,
I have also taught astronomy, mathematics and chemistry. I am very interested in helping students
more effectively learn physics and astronomy. My work in this
area has led me to adopt a non-teaching style in the classroom
where students are very active in teaching themselves. We use
group discussions, in-class experiments, and computerized
simulations to keep things moving. Some of my recent pedagogical papers and talks are listed below. I enjoy teaching intro courses and advanced
physics courses in quantum theory and electromagnetic theory. But
I also enjoy experimental work where I have a zillion pieces in
front of me and no instructions. Research Interests
My research interests are varied but center
around atomic physics and astronomy. My masters thesis at the
University of Texas at Arlington was based on positron-atom
scattering and my doctorial work at Texas A&M was studying
how rapidly hydrogen molecules photodissociated into their
component atoms. Recently I became interested in the pervasive role of
molecular hydrogen in astrophysical phenomena and I have restarted my research
program on perturbation effects in molecular hydrogen.
Several of my research papers are listed below. I enjoy working with students on projects. Sometimes we
will work on some of my interests and other time we will work in areas
where I have little experience but the student has a great deal of
enthusiasm for the project. Below is an abreviated list.
I think of myself as a physcist and as an educator. Most
of my work in organizations has been with the
American Association of Physics
Teachers. I have served on the Astronomy Education Committee from
1996-98 (Chair '98) and the Committee on Undergraduate
Education (Chair '01). I am also an Education Officer for the National Society of Hispanic Physicists. I have just been appointed Book Editor for the AAPT.
I have represented AAPT or NSHP on several task
forces studying issues of diversity, policies of tenure and reappointment,
and guidelines for the undergraduate curriculum.
I belong to several other physics and astronomy organizations but my lack of time permits me
only to pay fees.
Passion and wonder.
The universe is filled with beauty, mystery and unexpected delights. From
the puzzling quantum world of the very small to the majestic motion of
galaxies; from the wonderland world of the very fast to the almost
motionless world of the very cold; from a single atom trapped in a well to
the uncountable number of stars in the universe; from the beginning of
time to the unfathomable future -- all of the physical universe is the
realm of physicists.
Many people think of
physicists as formal, stiff and overly-analytical. But what
drives us is our passion to understand the universe and our
delight in the wonder we see. Last updated 28 August 2006
PKAL Regional Meeting Enhancing Connections: The K-16 Community and
Integrating Science in the Curriculum,Bryn Mawr, PA April 2002
Organizations
Why go into physics?