Faculty Development Plan
Physics & Astronomy
2004
I. Self Assessment
I find self assessment a very difficult process. I struggle with holding something up and saying “I do this well” because I can easily find room for improvement and I can always find others that do it better. Add to this a disposition against “bragging” and I struggle and feel very uncomfortable with assessing and documenting my so called strengths. I can however easily find pages of short comings and faults. I will however make every effort to pick highlights in each case.
In the past I have felt that I was good at and enjoyed making connection to students. I try to, and feel successful with, bringing physics to the students level and helping them see that it is everywhere around them. Research wise I feel I have important and valuable skills that are becoming more and more necessary to condensed matter physics and other materials related fields.
My key shortcomings are discipline and time management. I struggle with the “less fun” aspects of science like writing papers and proposals.
II. Teaching
I believe that success in physics courses comes not from innate ability (oh, you must be smart) but from how hard the student is willing to work. Physics is in my opinion accessible to anyone willing to learn the mathematical toolbox and learn how to think in a clear and logical process. At the same time, there is an “interest” hurdle to get over for most students. I try to inspire interest by giving day to day examples of where we see physics. Last fall I ran into a former student that had clear memories of me bringing in a couple toys from my children’s burger kings kids meals to class. I had showed a couple of events with these toys and then explained the physics behind it. Physics is really a persons every day life and experience but with a quantative description. My goal when I teach and interact with students is to help them see the how’s and why’s of the physical world around them and have to tools to find those how’s and why’s themselves.
Course Goals: It would be nice say I will get perfect course evaluations. However, I feel the only valid goals are those I have direct control over. Thus, while I do desire good evaluations of my teaching, my goals will be the means to those desired evaluations and not the evaluation themselves. I desire to teach my courses so that I personally feel happy with them. To do that, I need to take ownership of it. I need to make decisions as well as have the responsibility to carry them out. If I am then happy with the course, I will have done the best I am able and that is really all that I can ask of myself. To this end, there are a few key things I will do during with my teaching:
-Online Homework
-Weekly written quiz
-Open class with prayer
-Make a more significant effort to learn everyone’s names.
-Compile and grade (with help) my own exams or if exam are joint, adopt the exam as my own.
-Make sure students know why I think they are required to take physics: Training their thought processes not just finding the right formula.
BYU’s physics department just like every other in the nation needs faculty that are not only willing and able but are good at teaching large introductory courses. The department needs to recognize the time that is needed to do it well and provide sufficient help and support in terms of TA’s, demo’s, and office help. I have no concerns in this area.
III. Scholarship
The new TEM facility is a major investment for the university, college, department and even myself. This facility is a major factor in both my scholarship and citizenship efforts. My goal of course is to make that investment pay off for everyone and develop a world recognized facility. This facility will produce reputable and unique research as well as trained students going into the work force or on to graduate school. Much of that unique research and student training will rest on my own scholarship efforts. To that end I propose some minimum tasks and goals.
Recurring tasks:
- two proposals as PI per year. Several as co-PI.
- 2 student ORCA proposals submitted per year.
- Two manuscripts submitted per year originating from my research group.
Short term (1 year) goals:
- Career Proposal due in late July.
- NSF proposal in Fall highlighting new unique TEM facility.
- Lithium Aluminate (LiAlO2) manuscript submitted by fall.
- Implanted Cr and V manuscript submitted by year end.
The long term research theme that will drive my scholarship efforts is the atomic scale characterization of materials. This involves structure, composition, and chemistry at atomic scale or near the atomic scale. Thus, nanostructures, interfaces, boundaries, defects and the information of how things change across these structures is my goal. The primary tool is the transmission electron microscope being run in either the tradition or scanning mode. The application of analytical tool to determine composition and chemistry will be fundamental to my efforts.
In my mind the research requirement for students in the department has greatly strengthened the program. At the same time, research opportunities must be found for the large number of students. TEM is of course (if only to myself) an extremely exciting research area that is also accessible to undergraduate students and will give them marketable skills for both industry and graduate school. I have every intention to have a large mentored undergraduate research program to support the department needs.
TEM research is of course not cheap. In particular the continued upkeep of a TEM is significant. The college and university have made commitment in this area and further discussions are underway to clarify how those long term needs will be met. The college has also made a commitment to meet our operating expenses so that we can make the TEM resource available at least with the college for no cost. Thus, assuming those needs continue to be met, my scholarship needs are at the sample prep level. The department current levels of financial commitment are reasonable for this need and I will of course be making continued efforts to find external funding to support this habit.
I would also ask the department to recognize the significant time that is required to maintain the microscopes in good condition and to train users on their operation. The commitment that was made to hire XXX as the lab manager will go a long way to help many users take advantage of the facility. However, the training of advanced users takes many hours of working one on one with students.
To date, one TEM is installed and the second is currently being installed. Six undergraduate students have been working in the lab over the summer. Of these six, one on an ORCA fellowship, one is on department funding, two are being paid on a MEG, and one is an REU student. Three students submitted ORCA proposals last fall, and I submitted and received one MEG. Last fall I was the lead PI on a NSF-NIRT proposal that was unfortunately not funded.
IV. Citizenship
Citizenship is a broad and varied component of being a university faculty member. It is in short how you interact with your departmental colleagues, university colleagues, community, and profession. I feel I play a dual role: first as a faculty member and second as the director of the new TEM facility. Because my own research and education efforts are so tied to the TEM’s these two roles may not be easy to separate. I of course plan on being a helpful colleague and collaborator. This is especially relevant with my research area as many people need TEM done but do not have that skill. Of course interaction with colleagues is much more than just at the research level. I fully expect and am willing to serve on department, college, and university committees and assignments. At the same time, I have experienced excessive loads of committee assignments and will pick my “yes” and “no’s” with great care. I see acting as director of the new TEM facility as a citizenship role. While my scholarship is integrally linked to the facility, much of what we implement is designed for widespread accessibility and not just for my needs. I would like to use the facility as a means to develop industry contacts. I believe this is good for all parties involved. I would also like to begin getting involved with local chapters of professional societies. In Florida I served as treasurer for the local chapter of the AVS and Microscopy Society of America. I enjoyed the interactions and felt that it gave me a broader viewpoint on the role of university faculty.
The main resource needed in this area is time. I would add that this is an area where it is easy to over commit. The struggle is not to find things to do in this area but to choose wisely on what you can commit to do.
To date, I have become involved with the University Microscopy committee and a college review committee. I have been asked to serve on several students’ honors and masters committees but have not yet been called on in any significant way. I am of course actively serving as the director of the new TEM facility.