From the Physics Program Coordinator
Hello, it is my pleasure to be a part of building and growing the physics program at UMW. Although this is my first year here in Jepson, I have previous successful experience in equitable program growth at the undergraduate level. However, there are already exciting and successful things going on at UMW. Our faculty recently received recognition locally and nationally. Our students, both current and alumni, carry out exciting work that receives notoriety and reward.
Finally, our program is recognized nationally as a place where students are cared for and thrive. While these pages are meant to reflect some of these things, there is no substitute for visiting our facilities, meeting our faculty, and seeing for yourself. For physics is an experiential discipline, and we believe and implement that at Mary Wash. Please contact me if you are interested.
What is special about the Physics and Applied Physics Program at UMW?
One goal of the liberal arts experience is to instill a sense of wonder — of unending curiosity– not only for your particular field of study, but for all areas of study that may impact your success in life, both professionally and personally. The physics program at UMW is designed to prepare students like you to not only learn how to describe discoveries you might make, but help to develop the skills, for both majors and non-majors, needed to analyze those discoveries. We realize that we are one of many excellent physics programs that offer a range of courses and academic experiences that effectively prepare students for a variety of careers. In our program the message that comes through very clearly is that physics is for everyone. So, if you have a strong interest in physics and a fair amount of perseverance, you can expect your goals to be met, whatever they are. The physics faculty is eager to help you begin your journey.
We encourage you to come for a visit and chat with our students and faculty. Please feel free to reach out to the physics faculty to answer any questions you may have or to arrange for a facility tour or a classroom visit. Further details about the program may be obtained by connecting to the links provided and referring to the on-line college catalog.
UMW Physics Majors
The department offers two majors leading to a B.S. in Physics:
Students could also supplement another major with a minor in Physics.
Opportunities Beyond the Classroom
Students are invited to participate in numerous extracurricular events/organizations, including:
- Society of Physics Students (SPS)
- Undergraduate Research
- SPS and Department Sponsored events, such as Colloquium, Field Trips, Game and Social Events
- Opportunities to present at conferences and symposia
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Department Chair contact information:
Dr. Janet Asper, Jepson 435, (540)654-1143, jasper@umw.edu