A day in the life of a physics professor – The Stute

Since the fall of 2004, Assistant Professor Christopher Search has been working with the Physics department. For five years, Search exclusively taught graduate-level courses until he was offered the opportunity to teach undergraduate-level courses. When asked about the nature of the transition from graduate to undergraduate classes, Search said, It is like what the Romans did to the Christians: they threw them to the lions. He later added, It is not because students are disruptive or disinterested, but, rather, there were too many students in a given lecture.

Students who have taken Electricity & Magnetism with Search, such as myself, are familiar with his distinct teaching style of drawing connections between physics theories and how they manifest in the real world. Search emphasized, I like the lower-level courses more than graduate courses because there is more attention to fundamental physics concepts that entail some proficiency in mathematics, but it does not involve fancy mathematics to provide an explanation of how the world works.

Search declared that many of his students have sought him out for career advice or general advice, which he is happy to share. Not unlike many undergraduate students trying to find their niche in engineering, business, or other fields, Search received two masters degrees: one in Biomedical Engineering and one in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, after obtaining his bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Arizona. This was an effort to ascertain the direction of his physics career. For Search, the moment of clarity followed his elective course in Quantum Mechanics, which inspired him to pursue a Ph.D. in Applied Physics.

As of now, Search, in collaboration with other faculty, is working on developing the fairly new Optical Engineering degree program here at Stevens. As the Associate Chair for the Undergraduate Physics Program, he is responsible for class scheduling, degree requirements, and curriculum developments.

When asked about what the Physics department is currently lacking, he said, more funding is necessary in order to hire more lab TAs and upgrade lab equipment. Additionally, he maintained that the large lectures for the Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism courses create an impersonal teaching environment. This makes it nearly impossible for a professor to connect with individual students unless they stop by office hours. In contrast, the scholars class section does not have a recitation or TA. This allows Professor Search to interact with students and witness first-hand which students need extra help. Search believes that the discrepancy between the regular and scholars sections for introductory physics courses significantly impacts the learning outcomes. Lastly, he asserted, All students should get what they paid for.

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A day in the life of a physics professor - The Stute