Skip to main content

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College

Physics & Astronomy

  • Alumni
  • Campus Community
  • Parents
  • Visitors
  • A-Z Index
  • Calendar
  • Contacts
  • Alumni
  • Campus Community
  • Parents
  • Visitors
  • Home
  • Admissions & Aid
  • Academics
    • Ancient History
    • Anthropology
    • Arabic
    • Art
    • Art History
    • Asian Studies
    • Astronomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Biology
    • Black Studies
    • Chemistry
    • Chinese
    • Classics
    • Cognitive Science
    • Comparative Literature
    • Computer Science
    • Dance
    • Economics
    • Educational Studies
    • Engineering
    • English Literature
    • Environmental Studies
    • Film & Media Studies
    • French & Francophone Studies
    • Gender & Sexuality Studies
    • German Studies
    • Greek
    • History
    • Interpretation Theory
    • Islamic Studies
    • Japanese
    • Latin
    • Latin American & Latino Studies
    • Linguistics
    • Mathematics
    • Medieval Studies
    • Modern Languages & Literatures
    • Music
    • Peace & Conflict Studies
    • Philosophy
    • Physics
    • Political Science
    • Psychology
    • Religion
    • Russian
    • Sociology
    • Spanish
    • Statistics
    • Theater
    • Design Your Own Major
    • Explore the Course Catalog
  • About
  • Student Life
  • Athletics
  • Libraries
  • News & Events
  • Giving
  • A-Z Index
  • Calendar
  • Contacts
  • Physics & Astronomy Home
  • Academic Program 
  • Courses 
  • Research 
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Colloquium Series 

Faculty

Michael Brown

Michael Brown

Morris L. Clothier Professor of Physics (on leave 2017-18)
doc@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8648
Office: SC 119, Lab: SC 116
Website
Profile

Research interests: Plasma physics, experiment (SSX), plasma turbulence, magnetic reconnection, solar physics, and fusion.

david cohen

David Cohen

Professor of Astronomy, Department Chair
Physics & Astronomy
dcohen1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8587
Office and Lab: SC 125 and 124
Website

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

Catherine Crouch

Catherine Crouch

Professor of Physics
ccrouch1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8386
Science Center Office: L39 Research Laboratory: L04
Website

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

Benjamin Geller

Visiting Assistant Professor and NSE Division Education Resource Specialist
Physics & Astronomy
bgeller1@swarthmore.edu
610-957-6287
Science Center L38
CV
Profile

Amy Graves

Professor of Physics
abug1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8257
Office: SC 117A, Lab: SC 117
Website
Profile

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. 

Eric Jensen

Professor of Astronomy; Faculty Coordinator, Environmental Studies
ejensen1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8249
Office: SC 123, Lab: SC 122
Website
Profile

Research interests: Extrasolar planets, planet formation, and young stars.

Wing-Ho Ko

Visit Asst Prof- Physics/Astro
Physics/Astronomy
wko1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8255

Adam Light

Visiting Assistant Professor
Physics & Astronomy
alight2@swarthmore.edu
610-690-6825
SC Office: L40
Tristan Smith, Assistant Professor

Tristan Smith

Assistant Professor of Physics
tsmith2@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8259
Office: SC 127A, Lab: SC 127
Website

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

Hilary Smith

Hillary Smith (Starting Fall 2018)

Assistant Professor of Physics
Physics & Astronomy
hsmith3@swarthmore.edu
610-690-5521
Google Scholar

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

Lecturers

Mary Ann Klassen

Senior Laboratory Lecturer
mklasse1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8384
Science Center L36

Adam Neat

Laboratory Lecturer
aneat1@swarthmore.edu
610-690-6886
Science Center L37

Emeriti

Peter Collings

Morris L. Clothier Professor of Physics (Emeritus)
Emeritus Physics & Astronomy
pcollin1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-7791
Fax: 328-7895
Science Center Office & Lab, SC 118
Website

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

Frank Moscatelli

Frank Moscatelli

Edward Hicks Magill Professor of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (Emeritus)
fmoscat1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8256

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

Researchers

Manjit Kaur

Post Doc Research Fellow
Physics & Astronomy
mkaur2@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8258
Science Center 116

Staff

Paul Jacobs

Paul Jacobs

Instrument Technician
Physics and Astronomy
pjacobs3@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8248

Carolyn Warfel

Administrative Assistant II
Physics & Astronomy
cwarfel1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8258
Science Center 131

Steve Palmer

Machinist
Physics & Astronomy
spalmer1@swarthmore.edu
610-328-8251
Science Center L62

Physics & Astronomy

  • Academic Program 
  • Courses 
  • Research 
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Colloquium Series 

Resources

  • Directions
  • Catalog of Demos
  • Physics T-Shirts

Contact Us

Join us on Instagram

  • Swarthmore Physics & Astronomy on InstagramSwarthmore Physics & Astronomy on Instagram

Physics & Astronomy Department
Swarthmore College
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore, PA 19081-1397

Phone: (610) 328-8258
Fax: (610) 328-7895
Email: physics@swarthmore.edu

Physics & Astronomy Home

  • Academic Program 
  • Courses 
  • Research 
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Colloquium Series 

Popular Destinations:

  • Arts@Swarthmore
  • A-Z Index
  • Campus & Community Store
  • The Bulletin
  • Campus Calendar
  • Campus Map
  • Career Services
  • Lang Center for Civic & Social Responsibility
  • Make a Gift
  • Scott Arboretum
  • Work at Swarthmore
  • Alumni
  • Campus Community
  • Parents
  • Visitors
  • Swarthmore College on Facebook
  • Swarthmore College on Twitter
  • Swarthmore College on Snapchat
  • Swarthmore College on Instagram
  • Swarthmore College at LinkedIn
  • Swarthmore College on YouTube

Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081 Phone: Call 610-328-8000 Submit Site Feedback

If you are experiencing difficulty accessing information on this site due to a disability, or if you have questions or concerns regarding the accessibility of content on this site, please tell us about the issue so we can assist.

© 2018 Swarthmore College. All Rights Reserved. See Privacy Policy.