Welcome to the Department of Physics at Lehigh University.
Our department is dedicated to the experimental and theoretical exploration of ideas and objects ranging from the coldest matter on earth (in Sommer's lab, Lithium atoms at temperatures of less than 100 nano Kelvin) to biological and condensed matter systems of fundamental and practical interest, to the hottest matter on earth (the soup of quarks and gluons obtained from high-energy collisions between atomic nuclei, studied by Reed and Knospe).
Physics is the science upon which other scientific endeavors are built, and the investigation of quantum properties of subatomic particles, atoms, molecules, and the condensed matter systems that arise from them opens the way to new gadgets and applications in the future, from new materials and devices for various users, to better ways to harness the energy of the sun, or new abilities in photonic microchips and integrated circuits.
Our goal is also to inspire curiosity, provide the tools to follow up on it, and provide fundamental knowledge to the next generation of engineers, medical doctors, or scientists working in different fields. Our fundamental physics and astronomy courses are taken by several hundreds of students every semester in preparation for their future work in various fields, and our advanced physics courses prepare for careers in several industries or academia.
As a department in a relatively small university with high research activity we can offer a flexible and collaborative learning environment. Our faculty are accomplished researchers that are internationally recognized but are also passionate instructors dedicated to providing a rigorous and meaningful education. Students who choose to pursue a physics major at Lehigh University benefit from small classes (about 20 people) and the ability to actively interact with physics professors, ask deeper questions, and get deeper answers. In addition to more conventional courses, students can explore more specific areas with individual professors, or also participate in current cutting-edge research, experimental, theoretical, or computational.
Physics thrives when people of all backgrounds contribute their unique perspectives and lived experiences, and we are proud of having achieved significant diversity in the department, from the faculty to our graduate student body, with almost one third of the faculty and half the graduate student population having underrepresented backgrounds.
Go elsewhere on this web site and on the individual web sites of our faculty members to explore the exciting work that is happening here, from breakthrough research in high-energy physics, nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, biophysics, or astrophysics, to innovative teaching approaches or advanced physics laboratories, the Physics Department at Lehigh University is an exciting place to be.
Best regards,
Ivan Biaggio
Chair, Department of Physics
Lehigh University