Physics and Engineering: Research

Introduction

Although the focus of the department is excellent teaching and mentoring, all faculty members of the department are involved in physics and physics-related research. Students in the department are also involved with research through collaborations with faculty in the department as well as summer research experiences at universities and laboratories nationwide. Brief descriptions of current and recent areas of departmental research are given below.

History of Physics

Although her prior graduate training was as a physicist, Prof. Linda McDonald's current research focus is the history of physics. In addition to being a faculty member at North Park, Prof. McDonald is a full-time Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago in the history of physics.

Climate Dynamics

Using simple as well as comprehensive global climate models, Prof. Johnny Lin studies the dynamics of the climate system, with focus on the interactions of small-scale physics with large-scale atmospheric circulation. He heads the Climate Research Group in the department. The group is currently recruiting students interested in participating in climate research. A paper describing Prof. Lin's research, written for a general audience, can be found here.