Physics and Astronomy
Department Chair: Adrian del Maestro
Our department is driven by an engaged faculty pursuing fundamental research and eager to develop the next generation of scientists.
Our physicists helped put our state on the periodic table, study multi-messenger astronomy and explosive stellar events, and search for new physics with their colleagues at CERN. They describe the properties of nuclei and neutrons and test the limits of superconductivity with new models and novel materials. With lab-on-a-chip devices and pattern formation studies, they merge physics and biology at the cellular level. They're building an interdisciplinary approach to lead transformative research on quantum materials and devices, information science, and artificial intelligence. Our students have a breadth of research opportunities on campus, at nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and at facilities all over the world to set them on the path to promising careers.
Physics and Astronomy Departmental Page