Faculty

By far, one of the greatest influences on a student's life at Fairfield will be his or her professors who themselves exhibit a wide and varied diversity. Although Fairfield is a Jesuit university, the majority of the approximately 180 full-time faculty are lay persons who represent many faiths and creeds. Both lay and Jesuit faculty hold degrees from over 75 American and European colleges and universities, and over 85% of them hold the highest degree available in their discipline. Many have had practical experience in various careers and professions before becoming teachers. Without exception, students will find their professors eager to sit with them and talk about the academic program and help in any way that they can. An important aspect: Fairfield University does not use graduate students to teach in any of its colleges and schools.

Although the faculty have varied backgrounds, they have come to Fairfield because they share common goals: the striving for excellence in every area of life; the commitment to intellectual integrity, discipline and inquiry; the ideals of liberal education; the expression of Christian values through concern for and service for others.

All members of the Physics Department faculty share personally and actively in the responsibility for providing students with educational, career and personal guidance. One of the hallmarks of a Fairfield education is the personal interest each professor takes in students. Classes are not large, and there are ample opportunities for close student-teacher relationships. Members of the Physics faculty make themselves available for informal discussions, advice and encouragement well beyond their normal office hours. In addition, Physics faculty provide substantial mentoring to their students and, in many cases, develop close, collaborative relationships in areas of research interests.

Upon entering Fairfield as a Physics major, students are assigned one of the Physics department faculty as an ongoing faculty advisor. This faculty advisor will be available to meet regularly with the student, to offer appropriate counsel, to monitor the student's progress, and in general, to help him or her to fully and successfully complete the program at Fairfield.

Physics Department Faculty

Jack W. Beal, Ph.D.
Michigan State University, 1964
Analytical Techniques of Environmental Science

Angela Biselli, Ph.D.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Experimental Medium Energy Particle Physics

Michael J. Brienza, Ph.D., visiting Assistant Professor
University of Notre Dame 1964
Lasers and Electro-Optics

Evangelos Hadjimichael, Ph.D., Professor
University of California - Berkeley, 1964
Nuclear Theory

Leslie E. Schaffer, Ph.D., visiting Assistant Professor
Cornell University
Theoretical Mechanics

David R. Winn, Ph.D., Chairman
Office: Bannow Science Center 117
University of Wisconsin, 1979
High energy Physics and Opto-electronics

Michael Zabinski, Ph.D., Professor
Yale University, 1969
Engineering Physics