Department of Physics & Astronomy

Welcome to the Physics & Astronomy Department

Quarks, black holes, gravitational waves, nanotechnology and chaotic systems–discoveries like these make front-page news as physicists continue to learn about the universe’s fundamental structure. Studying how matter and energy behave, beginning physics majors and senior physicists alike find challenges and excitement in solving problems and discovering new concepts. Physicists in business and industry work with revolutionary technology, such as lasers, superconductors, and modern electronic and optical devices. Jobs in these fields are often in high demand and pay well. Perhaps the most fundamental of all sciences, physics provides a background for understanding other scientific disciplines, as well as many aspects of everyday life. Physics principles are crucial to such diverse applications as home electrical wiring, the motion of a rocket or skydiver, solar energy, and an echocardiogram of the human heart. Thus, understanding physics helps us make sense of our world.