Upon joining the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota in 1988, I have built up a research program in experimental condensed matter physics, with particular emphasis on complex and disordered systems.
My current research ranges from the Nano to the Neuro, with active studies of the optical and electronic properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films containing nanocrystalline inclusions in addition to investigations of voltage fluctuations recorded from the brains of awake, behaving rats. The former project seeks to elucidate the properties of these mixed phase materials in order to optimize their characteristics for solar cell applications and thin film transistors, while the neuroscience program has led to the identification of a coherent oscillation in the striatum which may have implications for our understanding of Parkinson's Disease.
Education
Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1985
M.S., University of Chicago, 1982
B.S. (Summa cum laude), City College of New York, 1979
Professional Background
- Taylor Distinguished Professor, University of Minnesota, 2008 - present
- Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of Minnesota, 2007 - 2010
- Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, University of Minnesota, 2001 - 2004
- Associate Professor, University of Minnesota, 1993 - 2001
- Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota, 1988 - 1993
- Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Xerox-Palo Alto Research Center, 1985 - 1988
- Summer Research Assistant, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 1979, 1978
Scientific & Professional Societies
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Fellow, American Physical Society
American Association of Physics Teachers
Materials Research Society
Phi Beta Kappa
