Welcomes You

Earl C. Swallow
Professor & Chairperson,
Department of Physics
Founding Director,

Center for Scholarship and Teaching

Office Phone: (630)-617-3577
FAX: (630)-617-3735
Home Phone: (630)-920-9570

Mailing Address:
Campus Box 3
Elmhurst College
190 Prospect Avenue
Elmhurst, IL 60126-3296

email: earls@elmhurst.edu

B.A., Earlham College; M.A., Ph.D., Washington University (St. Louis)

The Department of Physics at Elmhurst College finished reviewing applications for a tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor last year. We wish to express our sincere appreciation to all of our outstanding applicants and announce that this search was successfully concluded. Venkatesh Gopal, Ph.D. and Brian Wilhite, Ph.D. joined us as Assistant Professors in Fall 2008.

I teach a variety of courses offered by the Elmhurst College Physics Department and the College Honors Program including: 
   

PHY-101 Physical Science (Spring, 2008)

PHY-301 Atomic Physics (Spring, 2008)
PHY-302 Nuclear and Particle Physics (Spring, 2000)
PHY-311 Analytical Mechanics (Fall, 2008)
PHY-312 Electricity and Magnetism
PHY-313 Thermodynamics (Spring, 2000)
PHY-414 Modern Optics (Fall, 2007)
PHY-421 Quantum Theory (Spring, 2007)

PHY-440 Special Topics in Physics
PHY-492 Independent Study
PHY-494 Independent Research
HON-404 Senior Honors Seminar (Fall, 2001)
HON-204 Sophomore Honors Seminar (Fall, 2004)

HON-350 Honors Directed Readings (Spring, 2010)

FYS-100.16 First Year Seminar (Fall, 2009)

January Term:
PHY-251/451 Research Topics in Physics

Prof. Marie Baehr and I have revised our Laboratory Manual for Liberal Arts Physics published by Prentice Hall.

As Chairperson of the Faculty Development Committee, I have been deeply involved in working to enhance the Elmhurst College Faculty Development Program and the Mentoring Program for New Faculty . I am continuing this effort as the Founding Director of the College’s new Center for Scholarship and Teaching.

In August 2007 (and previously in 2001), I represented the Elmhurst College Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Chapter as a delegate at the 2007 (2001) Phi Kappa Phi Triennial Convention . I hope to see Phi Kappa Phi play an ever increasing role in promoting and recognizing academic excellence on the EC campus.

I am also actively engaged in collaborative research on the fundamental structure of matter at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) and at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The KTeV (Kaons at the TeVatron) collaboration completed our second and final round of data collection and continues to analyze this data. In these experiments, we probe matter-antimatter asymmetries via precision studies of two-pion decays of neutral Kaons (Fermilab E832) and look for "new physics" (physics beyond the Standard Model) by exploring a wide range of rare decay processes which result from the action of the weak nuclear force (Fermilab E799). At CERN, we continue these lines of research through the experiments NA48/1 and NA48/2.

The MIPP (Main Injector Particle Production) experiment (Fermilab E907) is performing a comprehensive measurement of particle production with the Fermilab Main Injector. We were involved in preparing a Ring Imaging Cerenkov Counter (RICH) which has provided crucial particle identification in this experiment.

I also have a page of links reflecting various issues and activities of particular interest to me and a copy of my C.V. (PDF) available online.

 



Some Items of Interest

Gina & Erik's Wedding was August 20, 2005. Their daughter, Sophia Marie (Sophie), was born June 25, 2007, and their son, Elijah Dalton (Eli), on October 28, 2008.
Bonnie Boerger and I were married on July 11, 2009. We share a condominium with our pal Comet. Mike & Lindsay’s daughter Chloe was born on September 12, 2008.

My discussion of Science, Pseudoscience, and Self-deception that was originally featured at the 2003 Convention of the International Association of Torch Clubs has since been widely presented.

The new Bates Observatory has been installed on the roof of the Elmhurst College Schaible Science Center and is now being commissioned.

Elmhurst College was awarded NCUR/Lancy Grants for two consecutive years. These grants to encourage undergraduate scholarly and creative activity were under the direction of Prof. Dianne Chambers [English, (630)-617-3132, diannec@elmhurst.edu] and Prof. Jon Johnson [Mathematics, (630)-617-3571, jonj@elmhurst.edu]. The original grant was one of only 4 awarded out of more than 40 proposals submitted. These grants served as an important start to the growing College support for research involving student-faculty collaboration.

Annual Tri-Physics Meeting [ISPP - Physics West - Physics Northwest] Web page.

Join me for the Clarence Darrow Commemorative Ceremony held each year on March 13.

Rev. 09/05/2009 -- Comments and suggestions to Earl C. Swallow .