Department of Physics

Watch Physics Students Conduct NASA Project
Running time: 1 min., 41 sec.

Watch Physics Students in Microgravity
Running time: 3 min., 23 sec.

Students Launch Experiment at
NASA's Johnson Space Center
(full video - requires iTunes)

The Science of Physics is concerned with the physical laws that determine the nature and interactions of matter and energy which underlie all physical phenomena in the universe. Physics has always been the fountainhead of fundamental knowledge and remains so today.

Physics is the underlying science for most branches of engineering and technology and has innumerable applications in medicine, industry and everyday life. Physics is also at the heart of much of today's modern technological development. Many allied disciplines such as chemistry, astronomy, materials science and geology have Physics as a unifying theme.

The disciplines of Applied Physics and Engineering transform theoretical knowledge into practical development and technology which, in turn, serves the welfare of all.

At Fairfield, Physics students are guided to an understanding of many important and relevant physical laws and their applications. Students are instructed in advanced mathematics, the use of computers; and they undertake hands-on, laboratory studies aimed at promoting experimental skills and knowledge of modern instrumentation. Classes are small, typically 8-10 students for upper-division classes, and are rigorously challenging; the laboratories are fully equipped with much state-of-the-art equipment. Computer facilities are abundant ranging from PCs to mainframe hardware and software with full access to the Internet and the WWW. The campus, including the residential dormitories, are networked via high-speed fiber optic connections. The Physics faculty all have excellent credentials and most have ongoing research interests.

A capstone independent study project, experimental or theoretical, during the student's senior year, puts the finishing touches to one's undergraduate education in the Physics Department. This project is usually done in collaboration with one of the faculty members, and in many cases, results in published papers describing the student's work.

This education leading to a B.S. degree constitutes the key to a wide variety of careers in the public and private sector. This education also forms the basis for additional graduate studies which culminate in the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees.

For further information on Physics at Fairfield University, please call (203) 254-4000 and contact Professor David R. Winn, Department Chairman, at extension 2359 or via e-mail at winn@mail.fairfield.edu.