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Faculty & Staff

Faculty

Cacey Bester

Assistant Professor of Physics

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-6825
  2. Science Center 40

Research interests: experimental soft condensed matter, granular flow, and sediment transport

Photo of Cacey Bester

Michael Brown

Morris L. Clothier Professor of Physics of Physics

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8648
  2. Science Center 119/116

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.

Photo of Michael Brown

David Cohen

Professor of Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy-Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8587
  2. Science Center 123

Research interests: Massive stars, stellar winds, X-ray astrophysics, and exoplanets.

Photo of David Cohen

Eva-Maria Collins

Associate Professor

Biology

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-5380
  2. Maxine Frank Singer '52 Hall 403
Photo of Eva-Maria Collins

Catherine Crouch

Professor of Physics

Department Chair, Physics & Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8386
  2. Science Center 39
  3. Office Hours: Fall 2023: Monday and Wednesday, 3-4 PM, and by appointment 

Research interests: Physics education, protein-cell membrane interactions, and nanoparticle physics

Catherine Crouch

Ben Geller ’01

Associate Professor of Physics

Director, Swarthmore Summer Scholars Program and Coordinator of NSE Educational Support Initiatives

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 957-6287
  2. Science Center 38
Photo of Ben Geller

Jeff Hyde

Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-3352
  2. Science Center 41

Research Interests: Particle astrophysics & cosmology, neutrino physics

Photo of Jeffrey Hyde

Eric Jensen

Walter Kemp Professor in the Natural Sciences

Dean of Academic Success

Student Affairs

Physics & Astronomy-Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8249
  2. Science Center 123/122
  3. Parrish Hall 108

Research interests: Extrasolar planets and planet formation, particularly in binary star systems.

Photo of Eric Jensen

Carolyn Raithel

Assistant Professor of Physics

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 957-6426
  2. Science Center 117A

Research interests:  Neutron stars, dense-matter physics, gravitational waves, compact object mergers

Carolyn Raithel

Jesus Rivera

Laboratory Lecturer and Observatory Manager of Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy-Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 957-6414
  2. Science Center 125

Research interests: radio astronomy, dusty star-forming galaxies, gravitational lensing, galaxy formation and evolution

Jesus (Jesse) Rivera

Hillary Smith

Associate Professor of Physics

On Leave - Academic Year

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-5521
  2. Science Center 121

Research Interests: materials physics, energy storage materials, phonon dynamics, scattering

Hilary Smith

Tristan Smith

Associate Professor of Physics

Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8259
  2. Science Center 127A

Research interests: Early universe cosmology; tests of modified theories of gravity; analysis of the cosmic microwave background

Tristan Smith, Professor

Lecturers

Mary Ann Klassen

(she-her-hers-herself)

Senior Laboratory Lecturer

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8384
  2. Science Center 036
Photo of Mary Ann Klassen

Kristen Recine

Laboratory Lecturer

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 690-6886
  2. Science Center 037
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.

Staff

Paul Jacobs

Electronics & Computer Coordinator

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8248
  2. Science Center
Paul Jacobs

Steven Palmer

Machine Shop Supervisor

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8251
  2. Science Center L62
Steven Palmer

Carolyn Warfel

Administrative Coordinator

Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8258
  2. Science Center 131
Photo of Carolyn Warfel

Emeriti

John Boccio

Emeritus Physics & Astronomy

Contact

Research interests: Foundations of quantum mechanics and galaxy-galaxy collisions.

John Boccio

Peter Collings

Morris L. Clothier Professor Emeritus of Physics

Emeritus Physics & Astronomy

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-7791
  2. Science Center 118

Research interests: Soft condensed matter, liquid crystals, and molecular assembly.

Photo of Peter Collings

Amy Graves

Walter Kemp Professor Emerita of Natural Science, Professor of Physics of Physics

Emeritus Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

  1. Phone: (610) 328-8257
  2. Science Center L42

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

Frank Moscatelli

Edward Magill Professor Emeritus of Physics of Physics

Emeritus Physics & Astronomy-Physics

Contact

<p>Research interests: Biomedical imaging and spectroscopy; laser physics; atomic cooling and trapping.</p>

Frank Moscatelli