Department of Physics & Astronomy
We provide students a complete and rigorous undergraduate education in physics culminating in a Bachelor of Science degree. Our curriculum provides the ideal preparation for physics or engineering graduate school, careers in scientific research, or professions as educators. We are a dedicated faculty that is passionate about teaching and we are committed to the meaningful involvement of undergraduates in research. With small class sizes and varied research opportunities, we offer a unique learning opportunity for students interested in the natural sciences.
New Publication!
An article by Prof. Semak of Physics & Astronomy, his student Jeremiah Schwartz, and Prof. Heise of Sport & Exercise Science on "Examining Human Unipedal Quiet Stance: Characterizing Control Through Jerk" has been published in the journal Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine.
Explore Science: Earth & Space
Professor Lazarova and her Astronomy 100 students hosted close to one hundred 4th graders from Scott Elementary school for an exciting day of astronomy-related hands-on activities. Participants had a chance to (safely) explore the surface of the Sun, discover how light interacts with matter, visualize our expanding universe, witness how Einstein described gravity, learn how craters form, and much more!
Bears Football
UNC Physics major Jace Bobo poses with a proud mom and dad and an excited Prof. Chaloupka after a stunning Bears Football win. Jace stopped a fourth quarter Idaho drive with a play-of-the-game interception, setting up the Bears for the game-winning field goal. Go UNC Physics and Go Bears!!
New Publication!
Prof. Kuehn and collaborators recently published an article in the journal Acta Astronomica on Variable Stars in M13. III. The Cepheid Variables and their Relation to Evolutionary Changes in Metal-poor BL Her Stars.
Astronomy Night
Profs. Charles Kuehn and Dick Dietz attended the Muscular Dystrophy summer camp at Rocky Mountain Village in Empire, CO. They helped campers look at some binary stars, a globular star cluster, and Jupiter through telescopes, and attendees even got to hold one of the department meteorites.
CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!
(left-right): Sergio Chacon, Jordan French, Robert Ensley, Tyler DeVerse, Rydell Stottlemyer, Juan Marcos Avina, Natthakan Koetchaeng, Alec Bennington, (not pictured): Daniel Herrera, Joseph Maletta, Tyler Onufrak, Clayton Orback, Andrew Roth, Quinton Snouffer
May the Fourth
On Friday, May 3rd Dr. Charles Kuehn, Dr. Mariana Lazarova, and student Alec Bennington visited S. Christa McAuliffe STEM Academy in Greeley as part of their annual Star Wars Day festivities. Over 550 students learned about how we see far, far away galaxies as they were a long time ago, how black holes work, and the differences between asteroids, comets, meteors, and meteorites; students even got to hold a real meteorite.
Congratulations!
Graduating physics major Clayton Orback, who has successfully completed the upper-division honors program, was awarded the Becky R. Edgerton Memorial Honors Scholarship Award for outstanding honors thesis! Congratulations Clayton, this prestigious university-wide award is the result of your hard work, creativity, and committment to your research project.
Space Research Symposium
Rydell Stottlemyer, Brian Smith, Robert Ensley, Quinton Snouffer, and Juan Marcos Avina presented their research at the 2019 Colorado Undergraduate Space Research Symposium held at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Their work was sponsored by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, a NASA-funded and state-wide organization involving 21 colleges, universities and institutions around Colorado. Read more ....
APS April Meeting
UNC Physics & Astronomy was well represented at the American Physical Society April Meeting held in Denver April 13-16, with three poster presentations and an oral presentation. Pictured here, Juan Marcos Avina, Clayton Orback, and Noah Blair discuss their research with interested meeting participants.
Demosat Launch!
Undergraduate students from UNC’s Department of Physics and Astronomy designed, constructed, and tested an experiment that was part of a balloon payload launched from Eaton Middle School in Eaton, CO on April 6th. Their work is a part of the DemoSat Program conducted by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. Read more ...
Bears Go Big
UNC Bears go out into the world to do BIG and significant work. Meet Adam Wilson, Founder of Sphero and a 2010 UNC Physics Alum.
UNC helped me prepare for my success [and] gave me the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research.
