What is scientific research?

The professors that you have for your physics courses do more than teach your class. They are physicists actively engaged in scientific research. Scientific research consists of finding the answers to problems which have yet to be solved. In some cases these problems are more than 100 years old! Regardless of how old the problem is, each physicist at EKU is attempting to find the answer to a problem that no one else has solved. In the physics department at EKU, we are developing new science.

You probably remember doing “research” for a paper in your high school classes. These tend to involve going to the library and finding out what other people have to say about an event or a problem, then writing about it. In science, research is about solving problems. Some of us run experiments while others use computers to model physical phenomena. In each case, no one in the history of the world has worked on the problem. That is the great thing about doing research. We don’t know the answer to a problem because no one has done it before!

 

Why do research?  

This is a good question. Why do research? You may be thinking, “I already have a lot of homework to do, why should I do more work?” This is a fair question and it has two basic answers. First, it looks good on your resume! Graduate schools want to see applicants who have worked on research for two reasons. First, it shows that you have an interest in physics and that this interest extends beyond just going to class. It may sound odd, but graduate schools want students who actually like the subject they have chosen to study! Second, it is job training for graduate school. In graduate school, you will be doing research for your degree. By doing research now, you will have a basic idea of how it is done. When it comes time for your graduate research, you will spend less time learning how to do research and more time actually doing it! Maybe you don’t want to go to graduate school. Employers are looking for good problem solvers. Scientific research is problem solving. Doing research will improve your problem solving skills.

The second answer to why you should do research is that it is fun! You will be working on a problem you are interested in, not one that is assigned to you from a text. You will be actively involved in taking data, running experiments, or working on computer models. You will be helping to develop new science. Sometimes the work done on a project leads to a publication. You could be the co-author of a scientific paper which other professional scientists will read! You may even get to travel to new places to present your scientific research.

 

Why do research at EKU?  

Hopefully, we have interested you in doing scientific research. Now you might ask, why should you do it here at EKU? The physics department at EKU has a lot to offer research students. The scientists in the physics department are experts in a variety of fields. You could be using telescopes in Arizona to study exploding stars. You could be working in a laboratory with high-tech lasers. You could be using computers to study the relationships between musical instruments in a symphony. Or, you may have an idea of your own that you wish to investigate. In either case, research is about you. It is about you learning new science, you developing new science, and having a good time while you do it. You will get to see how the stuff you learned in class is used for real-world problems. We hope that you take advantage of the unique opportunity we can offer you in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

 

Faculty with Research Projects  

Dr. Mark L. Biermann: Dr. Biermann's research activities are in two widely distinct areas. Dr. Biermann does computational/theoretical research concerning the optical and opto-electronic properties of semiconductor materials and devices. In particular, Dr. Biermann is concerned with the behavior of certain types of high-power diode lasers and related devices. Dr. Biermann works with experimental groups in Washington, DC and Berlin, Germany, analyzing and describing the results of experiments conducted at those locations. Students working on this research would learn to use a computer model to analyze the devices of interest, and would use basic results of physics to modify and implement the computer model. Dr. Biermann also does experimental projects related to microclimates and other small-scale temperature variations. Microclimates are distinct climate regions that exist on the scale of a few millimeters to several kilometers. These systems are studied using automated data collection devices and the data is manipulated and analyzed using computer software. This research is accessible to students who may not have a particularly strong background in mathematics. If you are interested in working with Dr. Biermann please contact him at mark.biermann@eku.edu.

 

Dr. Christopher Kulp: Dr. Kulp’s research interests are in nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory. Dr. Kulp studies very complicated systems which come from a variety of fields. For example, the techniques of chaos theory can be applied to oceanography, economics, biology, astronomy, and even music. Currently Dr. Kulp is working on two projects, one in music and the other in astrophysics. The music project deals with studying the relationships between instruments in a symphony. The astrophysics project deals with understanding the radiation emitted by something called a blazar (a distant galaxy which shoots a jet of radiation towards the Earth). If you are interested in working with Dr. Kulp on either of these projects, or one of your own, please contact him at chris.kulp@eku.edu. To learn more about the EKU Chaos Theory Research Group, click here.