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Faculty & Staff

Faculty

Cacey Bester

Assistant Professor of Physics

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-6825
  2. Science Center L40

Research interests: experimental soft condensed matter, granular flow, and sediment transport

Michael Brown

Morris L. Clothier Professor of Physics

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8648
  2. Science Center 119/116

Research interests: Plasma physics, experiment (SSX), plasma turbulence, magnetic reconnection, solar physics, and fusion.  I am past-chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and past-chair of my scientific society: American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics.  I am currently a Councilor for the American Physical Society.

David Cohen

Professor of Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy-Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8587
  2. Science Center 124

Research interests: Massive stars, stellar winds, X-ray astrophysics, and exoplanets.

Eva-Maria Collins

Associate Professor

Biology

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-5380
  2. Maxine Frank Singer '52 Hall 403

Catherine Crouch

Professor of Physics

Department Chair, Physics & Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8386
  2. Science Center L39
  3. Office Hours:

    Fall 2023: Monday and Wednesday, 3-4 PM, and by appointment 

Research interests: Physics education, protein-cell membrane interactions, and nanoparticle physics

Catherine Crouch

Ben Geller ’01

Associate Professor of Physics

Director, Swarthmore Summer Scholars Program and Coordinator of NSE Educational Support Initiatives

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 957-6287
  2. Science Center 38

Stephen Hackler

Visiting Assistant Professor

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 957-6320

Jeffrey Hyde

Visiting Assistant Professor

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-3352

Research Interests: Particle astrophysics & cosmology, neutrino physics

Eric Jensen

Walter Kemp Professor in the Natural Sciences

Dean of Academic Success (Interim)

Student Affairs

Physics & Astronomy-Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8249
  2. Science Center 123/122
  3. Parrish Hall 108

Research interests: Extrasolar planets and planet formation, particularly in binary star systems.

Jesus Rivera

Laboratory Lecturer and Observatory Manager

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 957-6414

Research interests: radio astronomy, dusty star-forming galaxies, gravitational lensing, galaxy formation and evolution

Jesus (Jesse) Rivera

Hillary Smith

Associate Professor of Physics

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-5521
  2. Science Center 121

Research Interests: materials physics, energy storage materials, phonon dynamics, scattering

Hilary Smith

Tristan Smith

Associate Professor of Physics

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8259

Research interests: Early universe cosmology; tests of modified theories of gravity; analysis of the cosmic microwave background

Tristan Smith, Professor

Lecturers

Mary Ann Klassen

(she-her-hers-herself)

Senior Laboratory Lecturer

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8384
  2. Science Center 036

Kristen Recine

Laboratory Lecturer

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-6886
  2. Science Center 037
Image of Kristen Recine. She is a white woman with mid-length brown hair. She is smiling at the camera with a green background of trees. She is wearing a black jacket and a white shirt with stars on it.

Staff

Paul Jacobs

Electronics & Computer Coordinator

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8248
  2. Science Center
Paul Jacobs

Carolyn Warfel

Administrative Coordinator

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8258
  2. Science Center 131

Steven Palmer

Machine Shop Supervisor

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8251
  2. Science Center L62
Steven Palmer

Emeriti

John Boccio

Emeritus Physics & Astronomy

Contact

Research interests: Foundations of quantum mechanics and galaxy-galaxy collisions.

John Boccio

Peter Collings

Morris L. Clothier Professor Emeritus of Physics

Emeritus Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-7791
  2. Science Center 118

Research interests: Soft condensed matter, liquid crystals, and molecular assembly.

Amy Graves

Walter Kemp Professor Emerita of Natural Science, Professor of Physics of Physics

Emeritus Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8257
  2. Science Center L42

Research Interests: Computer simulations of soft matter systems.  We study the jamming phase transition between fluid and disordered solid.  We also simulate "active matter",  to understand transport and self-organized behavior in crowds of self-propelled particles. 

Amy Graves

Frank Moscatelli

Edward Magill Professor Emeritus of Physics

Emeritus Physics & Astronomy

Contact

Research interests: Biomedical imaging and spectroscopy; laser physics; atomic cooling and trapping.

Frank Moscatelli