Michaela Allen
Lab Instructor 2 – Physics and Astronomy
Physics and Astronomy
Are you interested in understanding how atoms can be cooled and trapped using lasers and magnetic fields, investigating fundamental symmetries in particle physics, or studying the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time?
Want to perform experiments using X-ray diffraction, lasers, and a Michelson-Morley interferometer? At Colby, you can.
About Physics and Astronomy
Students in the Physics and Astronomy Department are challenged to think analytically about the fundamental principles of physics, and they have opportunities to collaborate with professors on research in atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics, theoretical physics, and observational astronomy. By the end of the core curriculum in modern physics, students are able to solve Schrödinger’s equation—the fundamental equation in quantum mechanics—and understand the consequences of Einstein’s theory of relativity.
The expertise of faculty members further expands options for study, and students can choose from an array of upper-level courses in physics and astronomy including thermodynamics, cosmology, astrophysics, and nuclear and particle physics
Faculty and Staff
Learn more about the members of the department
Robert Bluhm
Sunrise Professor of Physics
Charles Conover
William A. Rogers Professor of Physics
Dale Kocevski
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy; Chair of Physics and Astronomy
Lisa Lessard
Senior Lab Instructor in Physics and Astronomy
Jonathan McCoy
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Thomas McElmurry
Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics
Elizabeth McGrath
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
James Porter
Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Duncan Tate
Professor of Physics
Holly Zadra
Administrative Assistant II – Geology, Physics & Astronomy, Science, Technology & Society