Faculty
Cacey Bester
Assistant Professor of Physics
Physics & Astronomy-Physics
Contact
Links
Research interests: experimental soft condensed matter, granular flow, and sediment transport
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/cbester1/Cacey-Bester%20%281%29_0.jpg?itok=OrF6UAn-)
Michael Brown
Morris L. Clothier Professor of Physics
Physics & Astronomy
Contact
Links
Research interests: Plasma physics, experiment (SSX), plasma turbulence, magnetic reconnection, solar physics, and fusion. I am past-chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and past-chair of my scientific society: American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics. I am currently a Councilor for the American Physical Society.
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/mbrown3/Leah-Andrew-457.jpg?itok=f5VAgE7i)
David Cohen
Professor of Astronomy
Physics & Astronomy-Astronomy
Contact
Links
Research interests: Massive stars, stellar winds, X-ray astrophysics, and exoplanets.
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/dcohen1/DCohen_headshot_oct2023_crop1.jpeg?itok=FH10owET)
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/ecollin3/EMcollins.jpg?itok=MKGdds_t)
Catherine Crouch
Professor of Physics
Department Chair, Physics & Astronomy
Physics & Astronomy-Physics
Contact
Links
Research interests: Physics education, protein-cell membrane interactions, and nanoparticle physics
![Catherine Crouch](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/ccrouch1/CHC_headshoulders_cropped_1.jpg?itok=cYKEFQ2G)
Ben Geller ’01
Associate Professor of Physics
Director, Swarthmore Summer Scholars Program and Coordinator of NSE Educational Support Initiatives
Physics & Astronomy-Physics
Contact
Links
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/shackle1/Stephen%20Hackler%202021-wo%20title_0_0.jpg?itok=ZFRQKlzo)
Jeffrey Hyde
Visiting Assistant Professor
Physics & Astronomy
Contact
Links
Research Interests: Particle astrophysics & cosmology, neutrino physics
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/jhyde1/swat-profile-photo.png?itok=24gy0EDt)
Eric Jensen
Walter Kemp Professor in the Natural Sciences
Dean of Academic Success
Student Affairs
Physics & Astronomy-Astronomy
Contact
Links
Research interests: Extrasolar planets and planet formation, particularly in binary star systems.
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/ejensen1/2016-05-25-EJ_headshot_square_0.jpg?itok=7h8OCC9g)
Jesus Rivera
Laboratory Lecturer and Observatory Manager
Physics & Astronomy
Contact
Links
Research interests: radio astronomy, dusty star-forming galaxies, gravitational lensing, galaxy formation and evolution
![Jesus (Jesse) Rivera](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/jrivera3/jesse-swarthmore-portrait.jpeg?itok=BGwqm38j)
Hillary Smith
Associate Professor of Physics
Physics & Astronomy-Physics
Contact
Links
Research Interests: materials physics, energy storage materials, phonon dynamics, scattering
![Hilary Smith](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/hsmith3/hillary_smith.png?itok=QU4KQxQe)
Tristan Smith
Associate Professor of Physics
Physics & Astronomy-Physics
Contact
Links
Research interests: Early universe cosmology; tests of modified theories of gravity; analysis of the cosmic microwave background
![Tristan Smith, Professor](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_photos/smith_tristan_list.jpg?itok=U5NbeVWc)
Lecturers
Mary Ann Klassen
Senior Laboratory Lecturer
Physics & Astronomy
Contact
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/mklasse1/Mary%20Ann%20Klassen.jpg?itok=-MCS4Dyj)
Kristen Recine
Laboratory Lecturer
Physics & Astronomy
Contact
![Image of Kristen Recine. She is a white woman with mid-length brown hair. She is smiling at the camera with a green background of trees. She is wearing a black jacket and a white shirt with stars on it.](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/krecine1/Headshots%20Summer%202017-0002.jpg?itok=AcKWn-h-)
Staff
Paul Jacobs
Electronics & Computer Coordinator
Physics & Astronomy
Contact
![Paul Jacobs](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_photos/jacobs_paul_110.jpg?itok=tW3JKHWO)
Steven Palmer
Machine Shop Supervisor
Physics & Astronomy
Contact
![Steven Palmer](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_photos/spalmer1.jpg?itok=cAXhQiTL)
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/cwarfel1/2023_0921_Lums%20Pond.jpg?itok=8dhQUL8u)
Emeriti
John Boccio
Emeritus Physics & Astronomy
Contact
Links
Research interests: Foundations of quantum mechanics and galaxy-galaxy collisions.
![John Boccio](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_photos/boccio_hs.jpg?itok=wqmaM0YR)
Peter Collings
Morris L. Clothier Professor Emeritus of Physics
Emeritus Physics & Astronomy
Contact
Links
Research interests: Soft condensed matter, liquid crystals, and molecular assembly.
![](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/pcollin1/PeterGermany_0.jpeg?itok=EftRjGvk)
Amy Graves
Walter Kemp Professor Emerita of Natural Science, Professor of Physics of Physics
Emeritus Physics & Astronomy-Physics
Contact
Links
Research Interests: Computer simulations of soft matter systems. We study the jamming phase transition between fluid and disordered solid. We also simulate "active matter", to understand transport and self-organized behavior in crowds of self-propelled particles.
![Amy Graves](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_profiles/abug1/forCollegeSite2019.jpg?itok=3Vtt8PZv)
Frank Moscatelli
Edward Magill Professor Emeritus of Physics
Emeritus Physics & Astronomy
Contact
Research interests: Biomedical imaging and spectroscopy; laser physics; atomic cooling and trapping.
![Frank Moscatelli](https://www.swarthmore.edu/sites/default/files/styles/headshot/public/assets/images/user_photos/moscatelli_frank_110.jpg?itok=oMUFetqM)