Wesley C. Gillis
Assistant Professor of Physics
Associations
Physics and Astronomy
About
Ph.D. (Nuclear Engineering), Georgia Institute of Technology
M.S. (Nuclear Engineering), Georgia Institute of Technology
B.S. (Nuclear and Radiological Engineering), Georgia Institute of Technology
My research focuses on neutrinos, radiation detection, photosensors, nuclear signatures, international safeguards, and applications of deep learning. As a member of the nEXO collaboration, I contribute to the research and development of a next-generation underground experiment designed to explore the fundamental nature of the neutrino. In my lab, we study the detection mechanisms, hardware design, and data analysis of vacuum ultraviolet light signals in liquid xenon to pursue one of the most significant unanswered questions in physics today: Is the neutrino its own antiparticle?
Current Courses
Fall Semester 2025
Introductory Physics of Living Systems I/Lab
An introduction to physics designed for students majoring in life sciences and/or interested in pre-health studies. Topics include geometrical optics, Newtonian mechanics, acoustics, fluids and thermal physics. Class meetings integrate group-based laboratory investigations, simulations and problem s…
Energy, Matter, and Motion
A calculus-based introduction to physics for students interested in the physical sciences. Starting from the concept of energy, the course develops mechanics and thermodynamics with a focus on conservation laws for mass, momentum, and energy. Students examine the atomic nature of matter and its impl…
Senior Thesis
An independent study program for students working on a research problem in a field of interest, culminating in the writing of a senior thesis. Students register for PHYS 457 in the fall semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both PHYS 457 and 458.
Winter Semester 2026
Introductory Physics of Living Systems II/Lab
A continuation of PHYS 107, designed for students majoring in life science and/or interested in pre-health studies. Topics include wave optics, electricity and magnetism, quantum and nuclear physics. Class meetings integrate group-based laboratory investigations, simulations and problem solving. Pre…
Energy, Matter, and Motion
A calculus-based introduction to physics for students interested in the physical sciences. Starting from the concept of energy, the course develops mechanics and thermodynamics with a focus on conservation laws for mass, momentum, and energy. Students examine the atomic nature of matter and its impl…
Electricity and Magnetism
A detailed study of the basic concepts and fundamental experiments of electromagnetism. The development proceeds historically, culminating with Maxwell's equations. Topics include the electric and magnetic fields produced by charge and current distributions, forces and torques on such distributions …