THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Assistant Professor
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Director of Graduate Studies
- Director of Graduate Studies / Associate Professor / Department Liaison
Associate Professor Allison Jaynes joined the faculty at the University of Iowa in 2017 after receiving a PhD from the University of New Hampshire and working as a researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research focuses on inner magnetosphere particle dynamics, including the ring current and radiation belts and how they connect to atmospheric and auroral physics. She has been a Co-Investigator on the MMS and Van Allen Probes NASA satellite missions. She is currently serving as Co-Lead on the SCOSTEP PRESTO committee for predictions of the Sun-Earth environment, as a member of the AGU Nomination Task Force, and as a member of the National Academies study on Increasing PI Diversity and Inclusion in the Leadership of Competed Space Missions. She previously served as Co-Chair of the Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) Science and Technology Definitions Team for NASA. She was awarded an NSF CAREER in 2020.
She is currently advising one postdoctoral researcher and four PhD students, and was a recipient of the University of Iowa Postdoctoral Association Mentor Award. She teaches multiple courses including a newly developed course on spaceflight hardware (The Edge of Space: Mission and Instrument Design for Spaceflight). She is deeply committed to equity and inclusion in STEM, and is passionate about active learning and positive team dynamics.
Job Titles:
- Graduate Teaching Assistant
Education
MS, Physics, University of South Dakota-Vermillion
Job Titles:
- Instructional Services Specialist
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Senior Systems Administrator / IT Advisor
- Senior Systems Administrator and IT Advisor
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Assistant Professor
Biography
Bilki received his PhD in 2011 from the University of Iowa before becoming spokesperson for the T-1041 CMS upgrade program at Fermilab. He is a member of the CALICE collaboration and has contributed significant effort to that program. He also currently holds a position with Beykent University in Istanbul, Turkey. His current work involves the protoDUNE at CERN as well as CMS detector upgrade R&D.
Burak Bilki received his PhD in 2011 from the University of Iowa before becoming spokesperson for the T-1041 CMS upgrade program at Fermilab.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Director of Research Operations
- Member of Committee
Biography
Casey DeRoo studies the UV/X-ray sky and the instrumentation needed to make effective astronomical measurements at these wavelengths. His research focuses on the fabrication, characterization, and use of diffraction gratings in spectrometers and on thin, high performance mirrors for high energy telescopes. For his work developing freeform grating patterns on curved surfaces, Prof. DeRoo was named a Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellow by NASA's Astrophysics Division in 2021.
Research interests
High energy astrophysics
Astronomical instrumentation
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor Emeritus
Charles R. Newsom is an Associate Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Support - Cyerra Hutchins
- Graduate Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Administrative Support
- Undergraduate Administrative Services Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education ( CLAS )
- Professor
Cornelia Lang's research interests focus on understanding the astrophysics at the very center of our Milky Way Galaxy and of other nearby galaxies. She uses radio telescopes at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico, as well as satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Iowa Space Grant Consortium, and several UI Internal Grants. She serves as chair of the Working Group on the Galactic Center of the International Astronomical Union.
Research interests
Radio astronomy
X-ray astronomy
Observational study of interstellar medium and galactic center
Prof. Kletzing passed away on Aug. 10, 2023. See this obituary about Kletzing, a professor who combined a zeal for teaching with a decorated research career in space plasma experimental physics.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor in the
Craig Pryor is an Associate Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. His research interests include theoretical condensed matter.
Job Titles:
- Academic Program Management Associate
Job Titles:
- Facilities Coordinator
- Administrative Support
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Senior Systems Administrator
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant / Graduate Student Advisory Committee Member
Biography
David Fehr is interested in condensed matter theory research and currently works with Dr. Flatté, studying the theory of spin coherence of molecules with nanoscale confinement. Before coming to the University of Iowa, David double majored in music and physics as an undergraduate and earned a master's degree in physics at the University of North Dakota.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Associate Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department
David H. Berman is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Associate Professor / Deputy Director of Research Operations
- Deputy Director of Research Operations
- Member of Committee
David M. Miles is an experimental space physicist specializing in the development of next-generation spaceflight magnetic field instruments and particularly miniature instruments for nanosatellites and multi-point measurement constellations.
Prof. Candido is part of the Condensed Matter and Materials Physics research area at the University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Prof. Candido is also a member and mentor of the APS National Mentoring Community which supports undergraduate physics students with physics mentors.
Biography
Dustin Swarm is a high-energy astrophysicist who studies the extreme conditions of the universe: hot gas, massive stars, explosive events, and extreme gravitational and magnetic fields. He also works in technology development for X-ray and gamma ray telescopes. Swarm is designing telescope mirrors that will focus light from positron annihilation in our galaxy. Because these events are incredibly energetic, conventional telescopes are unable to focus the light they produce.
As a postdoctoral research scholar at the University of Iowa, he was named a Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellow in 2024 and received a $1 million grant in NASA's Astrophysics Research and Analysis program to create imaging technology that could generate a fuller photographic scope of the Milky Way galaxy. Swarm's research will enable telescopes to explore what makes these positrons.
Dylan is a recent BS Physics graduate from Texas A&M University. Dylan is from Houston, TX and his current research advisors are Professors Jane Nachtman and Yasar Onel.
Job Titles:
- Graduate Research Assistant
- Title / Position / Graduate Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
- Professor
Fatima Toor is an Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Iowa and has a secondary appointment in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Frederick N. Skiff is a Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. His research interests include laser spectroscopy and plasma physics.
Job Titles:
- Title / Position / Graduate Teaching Assistant
Job Titles:
- IT Advisor - Brad Carson
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Gerald L. Payne is a Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa.
Job Titles:
- Departmental Executive Officer
Gregory G. Howes is the Departmental Executive Officer (DEO) and a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Iowa. His research interests include theoretical and computational plasma physics.
Job Titles:
- Title / Position / Graduate Teaching Assistant
Hai Fu received his BS in Astronomy from Nanjing University and his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His research is in the field of galaxy formation and evolution, with current observational projects on the impact of galaxy mergers, the evolution of galactic rotation, and gas accretion flows connecting the cosmic web and dusty starburst galaxies.
Heather has been with the University of Iowa (UI) for 24 years and has worked in the Department of Physics & Astronomy for the last 21 years, currently serving as Departmental Administrator.
Job Titles:
- Title / Position / Graduate Teaching Assistant
Ivar has extensive experience in analyzing large, complex data sets, primarily in the space plasma wave research field, as well as in implementing operations (planning and commanding) for the plasma wave instrument on the Cluster spacecraft and will be doing similar work for the TRACERS mission.
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus
- Professor in the
Jack D. Scudder is a Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. His research interests include space plasma physics.
Job Titles:
- History of the Department
James Van Allen is seen at the Iowa City airport, circa 1951, conducting tests of high-altitude weather balloons and research equipment and telemetry. Press-Citizen File Photo.
In 1951 he returned to Iowa as a Professor and Head of the Department of Physics at the (State) University of Iowa. In Iowa City, he developed a low-cost balloon-borne rocket, called a "rockoon," that could reach altitudes comparable to those achieved by the V-2 and Aerobee rockets. This work led to the first latitudinal survey of the cosmic ray intensity above Earth's atmosphere using a series of rockets launched from ships as part of the International Geophysical Year, 1957-58.
Wetzel received his PhD from the University of Iowa in 2014, where he develops R&D programs for Professor Yasar Onel.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Director of Undergraduate Studies
- Director of Undergraduate Studies ( DUS )
Jane Nachtman received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1997 followed by a postdoc at UCLA under Professor David Saltzberg.
Job Titles:
- Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department
John A. Goree is a Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. His research interests include experimental plasma physics, statistical physics and soft condensed matter physics.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Professor of Radiology
John J. Sunderland is Professor of Radiology in the Division of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Iowa, and has a secondary appointment in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Job Titles:
- Director of Applied Physics Program
John is an experimentalist whose research is focused on properties of semiconductor materials using nanostructuring to achieve unique optical and electrical characteristics and to advance state-of-the-art applications such as sensing (environmental, defense) and quantum information.
Wang has joint appointments in the University of Iowa Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and the Iowa Informatics Initiative, and secondary affiliation with the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Studies, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Center for Computer-Aided Design.
Job Titles:
- Title / Position / Graduate Teaching Assistant
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Karl E. Lonngren is a Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Visiting Assistant Professor
Ken Johnson is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the UI Department of Physics and Astronomy. His area of interests are undergraduate physics and astronomy instruction and physical sciences education.
Job Titles:
- Title / Position / Graduate Teaching Assistant
Kevin has interests in simulating how exoplanets would look within simulated data from future Direct Imaging missions and determine what characteristics can be extracted from the system.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Instruction
Kory Stiffler is a theoretical physicist with research interests in supersymmetry, black hole physics, cosmology, and string theory.
Job Titles:
- Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Markus Wohlgenannt is a Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. His research interests include experimental polymer physics.
Job Titles:
- Title / Position / Professor
Matthew's previous research includes studying and modeling of the Earth's geomagnetic field utilizing machine learning models and algorithms.
As an undergraduate, Matthew earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics, Astronomy, and Mathematics at the University of Iowa. His current research interests are in the fields of condensed matter physics and mathematical physics. He is on the Graduate Mentors leadership team.
Kian Maleki is interested in theoretical condensed matter physics. He is working as a research assistant with Prof. Flatté. His current project is about defect-phonon interaction in hBN.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Michael E. Flatté is a Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. His research interests include condensed-matter theory, materials theory, quantum coherent systems and quantum information.
Job Titles:
- Title / Position / Graduate Teaching Assistant
Ohannes Kamer Koseyan's research interests include experimental data analysis for the decay modes of the Higgs Boson and testing and development of hardware for high energy particle detectors.
Olivia's research involves instrumentation of fluxgate magnetometers, which characterize the magnetosphere of Earth. She is the instrument lead for two magnetometers that will be onboard the OCHRE student-led sound rocket mission.
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Paul D. Kleiber is a Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Philip Kurian is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa.
Ramachandra Bangari is interested in Condensed Matter Physics and Material Science. He is currently working with Dr. Thomas Folland on computational simulation and experimental characterization of optical constants in thin films, 2-D materials, and semiconductors.
Job Titles:
- Mechanical Engineer
- Aerospace Principal Engineer and Mechanical Engineer
Robert Broadfoot took a non-traditional path to the doctoral program in physics by first obtaining a master's degree in music performance. He is now performing research in experimental space physics under the mentorship of Dr. David Miles.
Robert L. Merlino is an Emeritus Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. His research activities are in experimental plasma physics, where he has concentrated on performing experiments investigating processes of relevance to space plasma physics, and on the physics of dusty plasmas. His research has been funded by the Cottrell Research Corporation, the Office of Naval Research, NASA, NSF and DOE.
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Robert L. Mutel is a Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. He retired in May 2020.
Rui Huang is interested in theoretical and computational astrophysics. They are currently working with Professor Greg Howes on a project studying the plasma turbulence theory.
Job Titles:
- Title / Position / Graduate Teaching Assistant
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Research Scientist
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Taylan Yetkin is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa.
Thomas F. Boggess is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Iowa.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Member of the Executive Committee
Prof. Folland works on infrared nanophotonics and quantum materials research, from fundamental properties to device applications. In his lab students measure and understand the properties of exotic materials allowing him to design better infrared light detectors and emitters.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Associate Professor at the UI
Ugur Akgun is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the UI and an Associate Professor at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Job Titles:
- Observatory Coordinator / Outreach Coordinator
Van Allen Hall is an eight-floor building where our department has offices, classes, colloquia, and seminars. Most of our faculty have offices here. Approximately half of our research labs are located in Van Allen Hall.
The Van Allen Observatory (VAO), located on the roof of Van Allen Hall, is open to students and community members as it is used for undergraduate astronomical laboratories and public outreach.
Vincent G. J. Rodgers is a Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. His research interests include theoretical particle physics and string theory.
Job Titles:
- Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department
Wayne N. Polyzou is a Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa. His research interests include theoretical nuclear physics and mathematical physics.
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department
William H. Klink is a Professor Emeritus in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Iowa
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Departmental Administrator - Heather Mineart / Administrative Support - Meagan Conley
- Professor
Yannick Meurice is a Professor at the University of Iowa. He was a postdoc at CERN and Argonne National Laboratory and a visiting professor at CINVESTAV in Mexico City.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Research Advisory Committee Member
Yasar Onel received his PhD from London University in 1975 followed by a postdoc at Queen Mary University-London and work at the Universities of Neuchatel and Geneva.
Job Titles:
- Title / Position / Graduate Research Assistant