Department of Physics

March 2005University of MarylandJ Goodman

Department of PhysicsDepartment of Physics

Outline• Introduction/Vision Statement• Strengths and Weaknesses• History/Standing• Research Program (numbers)• Funding• Faculty Hiring/Retirement/Movement• How does the Department work• New Initiatives• Outreach• Facilities


IntroductionIntroduction

• Thank you for coming – we welcome your help!• Vision for the Department

– Be leaders in the field of physics research – Top 10 status– Leaders in innovation– Attract top faculty and students– Provide top quality educational experience– Strengthen our community (schools, labs, government)– Provide leadership at the University of Maryland– Strengthen the field of physics (outreach, diversity)– Provide positive environment within the Department for

faculty, staff and students


Realizing the VisionRealizing the Vision

• Commitment to excellence in all areas• Make outstanding hires – retain outstanding faculty• Be innovative in starting new initiatives & programs

– Move in new research directions

• Provide support for our people (faculty, students, staff)– Provide a supportive environment – Mentor students and junior faculty

• Take advantage of our location– Strengthen ties to local labs/government/universities

• Aggressively seek funding -– research– new initiatives/partnerships – facilities

• Need commitment and strong support from the University to reach our goals

• Reach out to our alumni and friends


Department StrengthsDepartment Strengths• Quality of Faculty

– Vast majority highly productive – Outstanding new hires

• Research Program (quality, breadth & funding)• Quality of Students• Quality of Staff – both professional and support staff• Adaptability of faculty and staff– willingness to do new things• Location – near government labs – Internet II crossroads (MAX)• Connection to other units – IPST, IREAP, ECE, Materials• Shops• Education program – innovation, Lec Demo, Clickers

– Using PERG findings and implementing them in the classes

• University Support - College, Provost• Collegial environment – collective decision making• Strong program for students (classes/research/social)• Strong outreach program


Department WeaknessesDepartment Weaknesses

• Facilities– Quality of Space– Spread of Department– Quantity of Space– Cost of renovation– Infrastructure problems – HVAC/Power

• State Support - Recent cuts– Reduced Fellowship/TA support – big impact on some theory groups– Increase in Grad Student TuitionResearch groups can’t afford RGAs– Need to raise TA/RA salaries in order to remain competitive w/o

University Support– Rapidly rising undergraduate tuition – limiting our pool of students– Availability of startup and lab space for new faculty– Cutbacks in teaching lab renewal – crisis will result– Shop rates rising– More buyouts needed to run department less graduate courses


Department HistoryDepartment History

• Started as Department of Physics and Astronomy– Department grew from ~6 in 1953 to ~100 in 1965

under John Toll• Weber, Alley, Misner, Prange, Ferrell, Snow, Pati,

Greenberg, Greim …– During the 60’s – 80’s Physics was really the only

department at Maryland of academic distinction• “Physics Department with a University attached”

• Center for Superconductivity Research added in 1988

• Astronomy separates ~1992• Last External Review 1995


Physics by NumbersPhysics by Numbers

• Faculty – 72 Faculty

• 6 Assistant Profs• 8 Associate Profs• 58 Professors

– 11 Distinguished Univ. Profs (out of campus total of 38)• 21 Joint Appointments (15 are with IPST)

– Research Faculty• 34 Research Scientists• 61 Post-docs

• Students– 200 Undergraduate Majors (up from 125 in 1999)– 200 Graduate Students (2/3 domestic incoming)

• Staff– 31 Professional (exempt)– 21 Support (non-exempt)

– 1. California Institute of Technology 5.0 – Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5.0 – 3. Harvard University (MA) 4.9 – Princeton University (NJ) 4.9 – Stanford University (CA) 4.9 – University of California-Berkeley 4.9– 7. Cornell University (NY) 4.6 – University of Chicago 4.6– 9. University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign 4.5– 10. Columbia University (NY) 4.3 – University of California-Santa Barbara 4.3– 12. Yale University (CT) 4.2– 13. University of Maryland-College Park 4.1 – University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 4.1 – University of Texas-Austin 4.1– 16. University of California-Los Angeles 4.0 – University of California-San Diego 4.0 – University of Washington 4.0 – University of Wisconsin-Madison 4.0– 20. Johns Hopkins University (MD) 3.9 – University of Colorado-Boulder 3.9 – University of Pennsylvania 3.9

US News – Top 20 Physics Programs (2002)

+ 0.2

- 0.2


Research Groups-PI GrantsResearch Groups-PI Grants

Group # Faculty # Grd Std # Ph.Ds. $(K) Funding

Particle Astrophysics- PAS 3 5 2 2,600

Space Physics - ESP 4 1 2 2,310

Gen. Relativity Exp.- GRE 1 2 1 750

High Energy Physics - HEE 6 8 3 2,800

Plasma Exp. - PE 3 5 7 1,300

Non-linear Dynamics - NLD 6 36 19 2,400

Plasma Theory - PT 7 16 6 2,500

Condensed Matter Th. - CMT 4 5 7 950

Physics Education - PERG 2 8 3 475

Nuclear Theory - TQHN 4 4 5 665

Atomic Mol. & Optical - AMO 3 9 6 438

Nuclear Experiment - EN 5 2 4 565

Gen. Relativity Theory - GRT 3 7 6 412

Elementary Particle Th. - EPT 6 12 3 263

Condensed Matter Exp-CME* 15 45 31 7,640

Total 72 165 95 26,068

* includes CSR


The Research ProgramThe Research Program

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4

PAS

ESP

GRE

HEE

CME*

PE

Total

NLD

PT

CMT

PERG

TQHN

AMO

EN

GRT

EPT

Dollars per Member [M$]

Gro

up

PAS - Particle Astrophysics ESP - Experimental Space Physics GRE - Gravity Experiment CME3- Condensed Matter Exp+ CSR HEE - High Energy Experiment PE - Plasma Experiment NLD - Nonlinear Dynamics PT - Plasma Theory CMT - Condensed Matter Theory PERG - Physics Education Research TQHN - Theoretical QuarksHadrons and Nuclei AMO - Atomic Molecular and Optics EN - Experimental Nuclear Physics GRT - Gravity Theory EPT - Elementary Particle Theory



0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

NLD

PERG

CME*

AMO

PAS

Total

GRT

PT

GRE

EPT

PE

CMT

HEE

TQHN

EN

ESP

Graduate Students per Member

Gro

up

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

NLD

PE

CMT

CME*

GRT

AMO

PERG

Total

TQHN

EN

PAS

GRE

PT

ESP

HEE

EPT

Ph.Ds per Member

Gro

up



0 1 2 3 4 5

CMT

PE

PAS

GRE

CME*

NLD

Total

ESP

HEE

PT

GRT

AMO

PERG

TQHN

EN

EPT

Research Scientists and Post Docs per Member

Gro

up


The State Budget (excluding CSR)The State Budget (excluding CSR)

Year FY 99 FY 00 FY 01 FY 02 FY 03 FY 04 FY 05 (Est)

State Budget Income $6,977k $7,323k $7,919k $8,337k $8,449k $7,724k $7,949k

Less State Budget Reductions $k $k $k $116k $449k $41k $85k

Revised State Budget $6,977k $7,323k $7,919k $8,221k $8,000k $7,683k $7,864k

DRIF Allocation $571k $559k $533k $558k $527k $585k $636k

Summer School $37k $26k $29k $32k $27k $29k $30k

Total Non-Restricted Income $7,585k $7,908k $8,481k $8,811k $8,554k $8,297k $8,531k

Expenses

Faculty Salaries $4,093k $4,334k $4,623k $4,877k $4,960k $4,909k $5,215k

Staff Salaries $1,341k $1,454k $1,632k $1,624k $1,569k $1,749k $1,742k

Teaching Assistants $821k $856k $727k $694k $672k $713k $789k

Operations $708k $746k $823k $1,162k $876k $1,008k $932k

Teaching Labs $125k $177k $120k $101k $70k $41k $69k

Commitments to Faculty $426k $263k $66k -$116k $1,679k $429k $678k

Total Non-Restricted Expenditures $7,514k $7,831k $7,990k $8,342k $9,826k $8,848k $9,425k


CSR BudgetCSR Budget

Description FY 1999 FY 2000 FY 2001 FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005

Increase $129k ($128k) $112k $21k $35k

Decrease

- Legislative Reduction ($5k) ($29k) ($112k) ($85k)

- Faculty Position ($51k) ($51k)

Budget $2,296k $2,420k $2,292k $2,375k $2,233k $2,148k $2,133k


Budget IssuesBudget Issues

• How did we survive the cuts?– Reduced the subsidy to the Electronics Shop by

approximately 75%;– Shifted some of the salaries of staff associated with the

Physics shops and stores to overhead of these units;– Reduced staff through attrition in the business office by

21% (3.5 FTEs);– Reduced staff through attrition in the teaching labs by .5

FTE;– Reduced the number of TAs required to assist in teaching –

electronic homework grading;– Increased teaching loads for less productive faculty


Budget IssuesBudget Issues

– Reduced the number of instructors being used for teaching;

– Reduced support to the teaching labs by 50%;

– Reduced the amount of DRIF distributed to faculty for administrative expenses;

– Established new procedures on the purchase of liquid helium to reduce the rental costs of containers;

– Eliminated excess telephone lines;

– Stabilized the financial structure of our shops and stores;

– Established a royalty fee for the publication of lab manuals;

– More buyouts (less graduate offerings – rotation system)


Faculty Changes in the Last 5 YearsFaculty Changes in the Last 5 Years

• Retirements in the last 5 years– Goldenbaum (EPL), Banerjee (NT), Dragt (DS),

Fivel(EP), Prange(CMT), Misner(GR)…

• Planning to retire this year– Roos(ENP), Chang(EXP), Pati(PT), Dorfman(Stat),

Mason (SP)

• Faculty who have left– Webb(CME), Ramesh(Mat), Venkatesan (CME) (partial)– Becker (PT) (leaving)

• Retention keeps– Das Sarma, Gates, Williams


Faculty Changes in the Last 5 YearsFaculty Changes in the Last 5 Years

• New Hires– Michael Fuhrer – nano– Wolfgang Losert – NLD– Bill Phillips (AMO)– Steve Rolston (AMO)– Luis Orozco (AMO)– Bill Dorland (Plasma Theory)– Andrey Chubukov (CMT)– Eun-Suk Seo (CR)– Kara Hoffman (Part Astro)– Min Ouyang (CME)– Alessandra Buonanno (Gravity Theory)

*Note: 3 female faculty hires last year


Current Faculty SearchesCurrent Faculty Searches

• Particle Theory Phenomenology • String/Gravity (possibly 2 positions)• Nuclear Experiment (Dark Matter/Neutrinos)• Lattice QCD• Biophysics with IPST• Materials (offer underway – joint with Mat. Eng.)


Future SearchesFuture Searches

• Targets of opportunity – NAS members, etc• Biophysics – 1 more with IPST• CMT • Gravity Experiment• AMO Theory• Theme Group Searches

– Cosmology


How does the Department work?How does the Department work?• Rotating Chair (nominal 5 year term)

– This is my 6th year of 7• Three associate chairs

– Undergrad– Grad– Facilities and Personnel

• Financial Offices– CFO– Contracts and Grants, Billing, Purchasing, Payroll

• Student Services– Advising – graduate and undergraduate– Grad admissions

• Self-Support Units– Shops – electronic, mechanical, copy center

• Chair’s Office– Coordinator – faculty affairs, development– Outreach – publications

• Intranet interface – forms, searches, meetings, etc



How does the Department work?How does the Department work?

• Priorities Process for Hiring– Elected Priorities Committee of six faculty plus Chair– Elected from research areas– Hearings held for all research groups– Annually updated five year hiring plan– Approved by faculty (up/down vote)– New directions like NLD have originated with this process

• Last year’s committee– Produced new plan– Developed Theme Group concept

• Three broad areas– Condensed matter and AMO– Particle, nuclear, astrophysics, GR– NLD, Plasma


Hiring PlanHiring Plan

Search Categories

I. Targets of opportunity in exceptional cases

II. Searches to bolster core areas

III. Searches in new areas

IV. Searches seeking exceptional candidates in several related fields (Theme Groups).

Some existing groups to move in new directions:Experimental Nuclear looking at neutrinos/DMExperimental Gravity looking at LIGOString and Gravity Groups moving together



• Hiring Process– Search committee with broad composition– Candidates visit

• Seminar (recorded)

• Teaching interview (graded)

• Meetings with faculty and chair

– Choice or choices presented to departmental APT– Entire faculty votes on candidate (2/3 required).

• Startup resources come from Dept/College/Univ.• Strong mentor program /teaching support• Success in promoting junior faculty



• Elected Salary Committee – Reviews faculty accomplishments in research

teaching and service– Advises chair on merit increases

• Yearly Faculty Retreat– Day for discussion

• Annual reviews for junior faculty– Meeting held with faculty mentor and jr faculty

• Peer Review of teaching


Recent New InitiativesRecent New Initiatives

• AMO– Phillips hire generated funds ($450k/yr + $2M startup)– Two full prof hires plus future theory hire– Ties to existing IPST faculty /NIST program

• NANO– Campus initiative started by Ellen Williams– Two hires in physics so far (Ouyang, Fuhrer)– Kim building will provide shared clean room space

• Joint Quantum Institute– JILA-like partnership with NIST– Strong institutional commitment – details being worked out.

• Biophysics– Joint search with IPST underway

• Joint Particle Theory program with JHU


Centers within PhysicsCenters within Physics

• Center for Superconductivity Research (CSR)– Major State Support– Faculty lines– Shared Facilities

• MRSEC (shared with Engineering)– NSF Funded– Highly competitive – Major outreach component

• Condensed Matter Theory Center (CMTC) – Das Sarma– State + LPS support

• Center for String and Particle Theory (CSPT) – Gates & Mohapatra– State Support

• Center for Multiscale Plasma Dynamics (CPMD) with UCLA - Dorland– DoE Support

• East-West Space Science Center (WSSC) - Sagdeev


OutreachOutreach

• Physics is Phun• Summer Girls• Question of the Week• MRSEC

– GK-12– Homeschooling– Summer Workshops for kids

• Physics Olympics• High School visitation programs• Quarknet• Maryland Day• What’s New – Bob Park• World Year of Physics


World Year of PhysicsWorld Year of Physics


Support ServicesSupport Services

• Computing– Building on 10 Based T network – rewiring underway– Established wireless throughout major areas– Departmental Server system is strong

• Self-Support units– Shops – Stores– Copy Center


FacilitiesFacilities

• Facilities are a major problem for the Department• We lost a NAS member (Webb) because of

infrastructure problems• 2002 fire resulted in loss of life and major disruption of

research• The cost of renovation limits our ability to hire

experimentalists• The conditions limit our ability attract theorists and

students• We are running out of room to put new hires• It is a major task for Drew Baden (assoc Chair) and

Lorraine Desalvo to keep things going.


FundraisingFundraising

• University is doing OK, but few major donors for Physics

• We raise $20k/yr for scholarships from our faculty!

• Snow Scholarship (promote women in physics)• Zorn Professorships (2 endowed professorships)

– Total ($1.6M) (recently available)

• Bardasis Donation for Undergraduate Education– Total (~$1.M) (near future)


The Current Physics BuildingThe Current Physics Building

The Physics Building just after completion in 1950 The Physics building in 1967 before

the addition of the lecture halls

The building still has fuses in many places and was designed without provisions for central air conditioning

The building was built when environmental control meant it had heat!


Potential Site for the new PSCPotential Site for the new PSC

*Current Physics Building is in redProposed Site of The New Physical Sciences Complex is highlighted in

Rainbow Colors.


Physical Science Complex (PSC)Physical Science Complex (PSC)

• PSC stats:– 3 phases of construction, 193k ft2 NASF, 372k ft2 GASF– Physics, IPST, Astronomy – all in one place!– Approximately $200M

• Status…– The Plan has been accepted by the University and the Governor as

of Jan 2005

• We will get planning money starting in FY 2010– Few $M for architects and engineering July 2009– Construction ~2 years later, begin Summer 2011

– We are actively working on looking for major donors to accelerate the project and to make the kind of facility we want.


Uppsala Physics BuildingUppsala Physics Building


SummarySummary

• Top department with many strengths• Need strong commitment from University to

increase or even maintain our status– A major new facility (PSC) is essential– Resources to maintain programs/labs– Fellowship support– Increase graduate student stipends & TA Support– Funding Mechanism (Lab Fees)– Need to reduce our dependence on buyouts to get

money for operating budget

Documents

Department of Physics