Michael Burns-Kaurin, Ph.D.

Biography

Michael Burns-Kaurin, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Physics and has been a faculty member since 1990.

Professional Experience

• August 2000 to Present Associate Professor of Physics, Spelman College
• August 2007 to August 2013 Chair of Physics Department, Spelman College
• August 1994 to August 2000 Assistant Professor, Spelman College

Taught all levels. Conducted Course development and curriculum reform. Served on teams that developed “Lasers, Optics, and Spectroscopy,” “Interdisciplinary Science,” and “Advanced Experiments, Theory, and Modeling.” Conduct research on laser vapor deposition, optical methods, and liquid drops.

Supervise student research. Served on committees including Faculty Council. Served as principal investigator of NSF-CCLI grant “Phenomenological Investigations in Introductory Physics” and Massie grant from Department of Energy. Served as Faculty Fellow of Center for Scientific Applications of Mathematics (CSAM)--September 1995 to August 1996. Co-PI of Program in Physical Sciences (PIPS). Co-PI of NSF-CCD grant, “Infusion of Laser Technology into Science Courses.”

September 1993 to August 1994

• Assistant Professor, Shippensburg University
• Taught introductory and intermediate-level physics courses.

September 1989 to May 1993

Assistant Professor, Augustana College

Taught all levels. Supervised student lab assistants. Worked with colleague on experimental research on the diffusion of gases into metal, including x-ray diffraction experiments and computer simulations.

Summer 1991

Argonne National Laboratory Faculty Research Participant

August 1992

• Augustana College Grant
• Used ion-beam channeling to study high-temperature superconductors.

Summer 1983

• Research Assistant, Yale University
• Experimental nuclear gamma ray spectroscopy.

Summer 1982

• Summer Student Trainee, Iowa State University
• Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance.

Education

• Ph.D., M.Phil., Yale University
• B.A., Carleton College

Research Interests

• High-speed videography of liquid drop impact on liquid surfaces
• Analysis of video images
• Development of computer activities for physics teaching

Professional Organizations

• American Association of Physics Teachers
• American Physical Society
• Southern Atlantic Coast Section of the American Association of Physics
• Teachers (president March 2003 to March 2004)

Awards

Spelman College Presidential Award for Faculty Excellence — Senior Teaching, 2013-2014.