Events

The Department of Physics and Astronomy is pleased to announce this year’s Physics 123 Line-up.  “What Physicists Do” is our annual series of five lectures by invited speakers, many of whom are Carleton Physics alumni.  It is intended to introduce students to a broad range of real-world physics and to give some perspective on the kinds of work done by people with a physics background.  The course is open to all interested students; those considering a major in physics are particularly encouraged to enroll. Students who are unable to enroll are encouraged to attend the talks that fit their schedule.

The presentations are in AND 036 on Fridays during 6th period (3:30-4:30pm). The only requirement for registered students to receive credit, beyond attending five talks, is to read an assigned article beforehand and then to submit a short (one page) typed essay afterwards commenting on both the talk and the reading. Non-registered students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend any and all talks that fit your schedule!  Speakers will be available for informal discussions over refreshments afterward.  Questions: Arjendu Pattanayak, Olin 237, arjendu@carleton.edu

May 15th Allison Churnside, Teacher, Niwot High School

“Using my powers for good: what physicists do in biophysics and high school teaching”

A primary driving question in my career has always been: “How can I use my powers for good?” In other words, I’ve steered my career toward projects that I believed would have a positive impact on society, and also allow me to be an engaged parent and citizen. This has taken me down many paths. My talk will be in two parts. First, I will give an overview of the biophysics projects that I worked on in graduate school, at a federal lab, and in industry. I will briefly discuss the ways that I applied physics to some difficult biological problems such as protein folding and DNA sequencing. I will also share my own experience in each unique professional environment. In the second part of the talk, I will highlight my current work as an International Baccalaureate (IB) physics and math teacher at a public high school. More than just standing at the front of the room and lecturing, teachers of adolescents must engineer experiences and emotional environments that make learning possible. Overall, the talk will provide one perspective on what a nonlinear but satisfying career path can look like.