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The study of the universe, from the largest to the smallest possible scales, is the province of physics.
Department Chair:
Deonna Woolard, PhD
Phone: 804-752-7329
E-mail: dwoolard@rmc.edu
Physics
In studying physics, you explore the fundamental principles and mysteries that govern existence itself. The physics department at R-MC promotes active, engaged learning through research, study, and close collaboration between students and faculty.
Physics curriculum: From the practical to the theoretical, the comprehensive physics curriculum explores everything from basic offerings in classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, relativity, and quantum physics, to courses in digital and analog electronics, solid state physics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, Special topics courses examine areas of particular interest, and advanced laboratories consider phenomena as diverse as physical optics, x-ray diffraction, spectroscopy, and radioactivity. The department also offers courses in astronomy and astrophysics and students may pursue a pre-engineering focus or an astrophysics minor.
Personalized education: While offering the same broad scope of study you'd find at a larger research university, R-MC's physics program is student-focused, with a teaching faculty dedicated to working closely with each student. Unique opportunities to pursue in-depth research and hands-on experience include independent study, internships, and the option for physics majors to propose a year-long research project in their senior year. Recent investigations have included an automated detector to study diffuse solar insolation, an analysis of the frequency components of human voices as a prelude to computerized voice recognition, effects of radiation damage of high Tc superconductors, and a combined experimental and theoretical study of the Rubens' flame tube.
Beyond R-MC: Recent graduates have enrolled in physics, astrophysics, and engineering PhD and master's programs at universities including Notre Dame, the University of California-Merced, VCU, George Mason, and Virginia Tech. Also among the department's alumni are a high school teacher, civil engineer, Naval staff scientist, and a police department crash investigator.
| A well-rounded education
Katherine Rueff '07, Phi Beta Kappa, graduated cum laude from R-MC with a major in physics and concentrations in math and astrophysics, and is continuing her studies as a PhD candidate in the Department of Physics at the University of Notre Dame, where her thesis will focus on astrophysics. Katherine says, "I came to Randolph-Macon knowing that I wanted to study physics, and I specifically chose Macon because the college offers a minor in astrophysics." However, she also liked that R-MC offered plenty of other opportunities as well; her R-MC experience included a J-term trip to Ireland and involvement with drama, music, and the Alpha Gamma Delta women's fraternity. "My R-MC education allowed me to be as well-rounded as I desired," she says. And as for her challenging field of study? Katherine advises students considering her major, "You'll know if physics is right for you if it's one of the only areas of study that you can't inherently figure out, if it leaves you lost in your head, and if it challenges you to the point of frustration, collapse, and defeat. As a wise R-MC physics professor once quipped, 'How do you eat an elephant?... One bite at a time.'"
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