{"id":500,"date":"2011-09-26T21:50:33","date_gmt":"2011-09-26T21:50:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/?page_id=500"},"modified":"2025-11-04T22:10:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T03:10:22","slug":"faculty-staff","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-staff\/","title":{"rendered":"Faculty &amp; Staff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Department of Physics and Astronomy is staffed by seven permanent faculty (one shared with Earth and Climate Sciences); visiting faculty as needed; two Assistants in Instruction; a machinist; and grant-funded postdoctoral research associates. All faculty have active scholarly research programs with opportunities for Bates students, and all teach a wide variety of physics and astronomy courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"js-foldaway-sections foldaway-section-header\" id=\"c6990b09-a6b6-45f1-989e-c53863ceae20\" role=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"c6990b09-a6b6-45f1-989e-c53863ceae20-content\"><a href=\"#\"><span>+<\/span>Current Faculty<\/a><\/h5><div class=\"foldaway-section foldaway-inner-yellow\" id=\"c6990b09-a6b6-45f1-989e-c53863ceae20-content\"><div class=\" bates-faculty-profiles-department-list \" style=\"--columnCount:3;--columnWidth:300px;\">\t<div class=\"faculty-profile profile-row\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Photo of Casey E. Berger\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/faculty\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/263\/files\/2024\/08\/DEIXIS-mini-400x267.webp\" class=\"profile-image wp-image-7460\" \/>\n\t\t<h3 class=\"profile-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-profile\/casey-e-berger\">Casey E. Berger<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t<h4 class=\"profile-title\">Assistant Professor of Physics<\/h4>\n\t\t<div class=\"departmental-associations department-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPhysics and Astronomy, Gender and Sexuality Studies\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"contact-meta\"><a class=\"_email\" href=\"mailto:cberger3@bates.edu\">cberger3@bates.edu<\/a> | <a class=\"_phone\" href=\"tel:2077866325\">207-786-6325<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\t<div class=\"faculty-profile profile-row\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Photo of Ryan K. Cole\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/faculty\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/263\/files\/2024\/01\/260303_Portraits_2298_star_crop1-297x300.webp\" class=\"profile-image wp-image-7907\" \/>\n\t\t<h3 class=\"profile-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-profile\/ryan-k-cole\">Ryan K. Cole<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t<h4 class=\"profile-title\">Assistant Professor of Physics<\/h4>\n\t\t<div class=\"departmental-associations department-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPhysics and Astronomy\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"contact-meta\"><a class=\"_email\" href=\"mailto:rcole@bates.edu\">rcole@bates.edu<\/a> | <a class=\"_phone\" href=\"tel:2077536909\">207-753-6909<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\t<div class=\"faculty-profile profile-row\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Photo of Sarah A. Conley\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/wp-content\/plugins\/bates-faculty-profiles\/public-assets\/noimage.png\" class=\"profile-image wp-image-0\" \/>\n\t\t<h3 class=\"profile-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-profile\/sarah-a-conley\">Sarah A. Conley<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t<h4 class=\"profile-title\">Assistant Professor of Physics<\/h4>\n\t\t<div class=\"departmental-associations department-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPhysics and Astronomy\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"contact-meta\"><a class=\"_email\" href=\"mailto:sconley2@bates.edu\">sconley2@bates.edu<\/a> | <a class=\"_phone\" href=\"tel:2077866493\">207-786-6493<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\t<div class=\"faculty-profile profile-row\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Photo of Aleksandar M. Diamond-Stanic\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/faculty\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/263\/files\/2016\/10\/FDiamondStanicA-200x300.webp\" class=\"profile-image wp-image-5079\" \/>\n\t\t<h3 class=\"profile-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-profile\/aleksandar-m-diamond-stanic\">Aleksandar M. Diamond-Stanic<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t<h4 class=\"profile-title\">Associate Professor of Physics<\/h4>\n\t\t<div class=\"departmental-associations department-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPhysics and Astronomy <span class=\"chair-flag-inline\">Chair<\/span>, American Studies\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"contact-meta\"><a class=\"_email\" href=\"mailto:adiamond@bates.edu\">adiamond@bates.edu<\/a> | <a class=\"_phone\" href=\"tel:2077866324\">207-786-6324<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\t<div class=\"faculty-profile profile-row\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Photo of Wesley C. Gillis\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/faculty\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/263\/files\/2022\/08\/250919_Wesley_Gillis_Portrait_0021-e1772137980840-400x300.webp\" class=\"profile-image wp-image-7869\" \/>\n\t\t<h3 class=\"profile-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-profile\/wesley-c-gillis\">Wesley C. Gillis<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t<h4 class=\"profile-title\">Assistant Professor of Physics<\/h4>\n\t\t<div class=\"departmental-associations department-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPhysics and Astronomy\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"contact-meta\"><a class=\"_email\" href=\"mailto:wgillis@bates.edu\">wgillis@bates.edu<\/a> | <a class=\"_phone\" href=\"tel:2077555983\">207-755-5983<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\t<div class=\"faculty-profile profile-row\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Photo of Nathan E. Lundblad\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/faculty\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/263\/files\/2015\/08\/250805_Portraits_1345a-1-292x300.webp\" class=\"profile-image wp-image-7531\" \/>\n\t\t<h3 class=\"profile-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-profile\/nathan-e-lundblad\">Nathan E. Lundblad<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t<h4 class=\"profile-title\">Professor of Physics<\/h4>\n\t\t<div class=\"departmental-associations department-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPhysics and Astronomy\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"contact-meta\"><a class=\"_email\" href=\"mailto:nlundbla@bates.edu\">nlundbla@bates.edu<\/a> | <a class=\"_phone\" href=\"tel:2077866321\">207-786-6321<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\t<div class=\"faculty-profile profile-row\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Photo of Rebecca C. Payne\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/wp-content\/plugins\/bates-faculty-profiles\/public-assets\/noimage.png\" class=\"profile-image wp-image-0\" \/>\n\t\t<h3 class=\"profile-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-profile\/rebecca-c-payne\">Rebecca C. Payne<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t<h4 class=\"profile-title\">Assistant Professor of Earth and Climate Sciences and Physics<\/h4>\n\t\t<div class=\"departmental-associations department-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tEarth and Climate Sciences, Physics and Astronomy\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"contact-meta\"><a class=\"_email\" href=\"mailto:rpayne@bates.edu\">rpayne@bates.edu<\/a> | <a class=\"_phone\" href=\"tel:2077866042\">207-786-6042<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"js-foldaway-sections foldaway-section-header\" id=\"70f962c5-51df-449c-8771-6269b0aaa81f\" role=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"70f962c5-51df-449c-8771-6269b0aaa81f-content\"><a href=\"#\"><span>+<\/span>Staff<\/a><\/h5><div class=\"foldaway-section foldaway-inner-yellow\" id=\"70f962c5-51df-449c-8771-6269b0aaa81f-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a title=\"Peter Beach\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-staff\/beach\/\">Peter Beach<\/a> &#8211; Machinist<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a title=\"Nicole Hastings\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-staff\/hastings\/\">Cole Hastings<\/a> &#8211; Assistant in Instruction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-staff\/juan-varela\/\">Juan Varela<\/a> &#8211; Assistant in Instruction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jean-Baptiste Gerent &#8211; Postdoctoral Research Associate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Abel Beregi &#8211; Postdoctoral Research Associate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"js-foldaway-sections foldaway-section-header\" id=\"ebed9d7d-e2bf-4eb4-a6ea-958bfa0c052f\" role=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"ebed9d7d-e2bf-4eb4-a6ea-958bfa0c052f-content\"><a href=\"#\"><span>+<\/span>Staff History<\/a><\/h5><div class=\"foldaway-section foldaway-inner-yellow\" id=\"ebed9d7d-e2bf-4eb4-a6ea-958bfa0c052f-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mark Nordberg (Assistant in Instruction 2005-2023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gabe Ycas (Assistant in Instruction 2005-2008)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stephanie Haskins (Assistant in Instruction 1998-2005)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"js-foldaway-sections foldaway-section-header\" id=\"bbd80621-5531-452b-acf2-a6458cc5151d\" role=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"bbd80621-5531-452b-acf2-a6458cc5151d-content\"><a href=\"#\"><span>+<\/span>Emeritus Faculty<\/a><\/h5><div class=\"foldaway-section foldaway-inner-yellow\" id=\"bbd80621-5531-452b-acf2-a6458cc5151d-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-emeriti\/semon\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"17\">Mark Semon<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-staff\/wollman\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"19\">Eric Wollman<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/lin-research-group\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1926\">Hong Lin<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/faculty-profile\/john-e-smedley\/\">John <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/abacus.bates.edu\/~jsmedley\/\">Smedley<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/magazine\/back-issues\/y2008\/summer08\/quad-angles\/turning-points\/retiring-faculty-citations\/john-pribram\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"691\">Jack Pribram<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"js-foldaway-sections foldaway-section-header\" id=\"2da02de3-34bc-484f-bb7d-b0b4ca874fe6\" role=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"2da02de3-34bc-484f-bb7d-b0b4ca874fe6-content\"><a href=\"#\"><span>+<\/span>Faculty History<\/a><\/h5><div class=\"foldaway-section foldaway-inner-yellow\" id=\"2da02de3-34bc-484f-bb7d-b0b4ca874fe6-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Names are sorted by decade and year in which each faculty member retired or left the department. <strong>Bold<\/strong> indicates faculty who were long-term members of the department.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2020-2029 departure\/retirement\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Erin de Pree (visiting 2022-2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bahar Modir (visiting 2024-2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jeff Oishi<\/strong> (2016-2024) (now at <a href=\"https:\/\/ceps.unh.edu\/person\/jeff-oishi\">U. New Hampshire<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>John Smedley<\/strong> (1987-2024)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tom McElmurry (visiting 2023-2024)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hong Lin<\/strong> (1991-2023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Travis Gould<\/strong> (2013-2022)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Raj Saha &#8217;03 (visiting 2015-2021; now at the <a href=\"https:\/\/roux.northeastern.edu\/people\/raj-saha\/\">Roux Institute<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Catherine Whiting (visiting 2018-2020; now at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coloradomesa.edu\/directory\/physical-environmental-sciences\/catherine-whiting.html\">Colorado Mesa University<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2010-2019 departure\/retirement\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blake Sturtevant (visiting 2016-2017; now at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lanl.gov\/\">LANL<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gene Clough<\/strong> (1978-2016)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eric Wollman<\/strong> (1979-2016)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mark Semon<\/strong> (1976-2016)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jim Porter (visiting 2015-2016)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Michael Durst (visiting 2011-2014; now at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.middlebury.edu\/college\/people\/michael-durst\">Middlebury College<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lily Childress (2008-2011; now at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.physics.mcgill.ca\/\">McGill University<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2000-2009 departure\/retirement\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/abacus.bates.edu\/~gruff\/homepage.html\">George Ruff<\/a><\/strong> (1968-2008)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/magazine\/back-issues\/y2008\/summer08\/quad-angles\/turning-points\/retiring-faculty-citations\/john-pribram\/\">Jack Pribram<\/a><\/strong> (1970-2007)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tom Giblin (visiting 2008-2009; now at <a href=\"https:\/\/cosmo.kenyon.edu\/tom.html\">Kenyon College<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Steve Gensemer &#8217;92 (visiting 2002-2004; now at <a href=\"https:\/\/people.csiro.au\/G\/S\/Stephen-Gensemer\">CSIRO<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1990-1999 departure\/retirement\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Emory (Ted) Bunn (visiting 1996-1999; now at <a href=\"https:\/\/physics.richmond.edu\/faculty\/ebunn\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/physics.richmond.edu\/faculty\/ebunn\/\">Richmond University<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Historical\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Robert Kingsbury<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ronald Reese<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Karl Woodcock<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>George Gibbs<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Carroll Bailey<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Department of Physics and Astronomy is staffed by seven permanent faculty&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":360,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":22,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":[],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"_batesModPostContentOverride_prepend":false,"_batesModPostContentOverride_append":false,"_batesModPostContentOverride_append_before_footer":false,"_table_of_contents_display":false,"_table_of_contents_location":"","_table_of_contents_disableSticky":false,"_is_featured":false,"footnotes":"","_bates_seo_meta_description":"","_bates_seo_block_robots":false,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_id":0,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_twitter_id":0,"_bates_seo_share_title":"","_bates_seo_canonical_overwrite":"","_bates_seo_twitter_template":""},"class_list":["post-500","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/360"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=500"}],"version-history":[{"count":61,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3085,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/500\/revisions\/3085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/physics-astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}