Montclair State launches new Department of Physics and Astronomy

The College of Science and Mathematics now hosts a new Department of Physics and Astronomy. The department consists of 5 full-time faculty members, several adjunct faculty, administrative staff, and more than 40 physics majors. Besides a major and minor in Physics, degree programs include a concentration in astronomy, and teaching certifications for physics and physical science. Additionally, a BS Physics/MS Mechanical Engineering 5-year program with Stevens Institute of Technology was recently started.

Research areas include gravitational waves, optics, astrophysics, fluid mechanics, complex systems, and STEM education. The new department is led by Professor Dean Hamden, who is among the longest serving faculty members at Montclair State.

The Physics major, related degree programs, and research were formerly housed in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. “We are thrilled to now have an administrative structure that will allow us to more prominently highlight our degree programs, research activities, and student success,” says faculty member Marc Favata. “A Physics department is a natural part of any serious university; this change complements Montclair State’s recent Carnegie Classification as a doctoral research institution.”

“This is an exciting time to be a physicist. As the only NJ University in the LIGO international gravitational-wave collaboration, Montclair State is doing research on the frontiers of Astrophysics,” says Hamden, the new department’s chairperson.

In addition to Hamden and Favata, Professors Rodica Martin, Ernest Ma, and Ashwin Vaidya are members of the new department. (Prof. Vaidya’s appointment is held jointly with the Mathematical Sciences Department.) Emerita faculty Mary Lou West remains active in department events and continues to organize the weekly Public Telescope Nights.

The department faculty actively involve students in their research, which includes theory, computation, and experiment. They have been successful in obtaining research funding, including recent grants to Professors Martin and Vaidya from the NSF, and to Professor Favata from the Simons Foundation.

Physics students regularly travel to professional conferences, co-author papers, and work with collaborators at other universities or research institutes. An active Physics Club organizes regular activities and seminars, providing a community for students and faculty to interact. Recent physics graduates are in graduate school, have entered “Bridge to PhD” programs, are working in industry, or are teachers in New Jersey.

In addition to welcoming it’s first batch of students, the department is pursuing a number of initiatives. These include a major redesign of the core physics major, and the development of several new degree programs and general education courses. The faculty are looking forward to the completion of renovated lab, research, and meeting space in Richardson Hall in Fall 2019. The department is also committed to diversity and inclusion, encouraging women and other groups underrepresented in science to pursue physics as a major and career. Physics is for everyone.

To learn more, visit the homepage for the Department of Physics & Astronomy.