Department of Physics
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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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Introduction
• Vision for the Department
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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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Realizing 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 while reducing efforts in other areas
• 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
• We need a commitment and strong support from the University to
reach our goals
– The University of Maryland has to want a top 10 Physics Department!
• Reach out to our alumni and friends
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Department Strengths
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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
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Using PERG findings and implementing them in the classes
University Support - College (CMPS), Provost
Collegial environment – collective decision making
Strong program for students (classes/research/social)
Strong outreach program
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Department Weaknesses
• Facilities
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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 TuitionResearch 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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Department 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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Physics 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)
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
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1. California Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Harvard University (MA)
Princeton University (NJ)
Stanford University (CA)
University of California-Berkeley
7. Cornell University (NY)
University of Chicago
9. University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign
10. Columbia University (NY)
University of California-Santa Barbara
12. Yale University (CT)
13. University of Maryland-College Park
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Texas-Austin
16. University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-San Diego
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
20. Johns Hopkins University (MD)
University of Colorado-Boulder
University of Pennsylvania
5.0
5.0
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.9
4.6
4.6
4.5
4.3
4.3
4.2
4.1
4.1
4.1
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.0
3.9
3.9
3.9
US News –
Top 20
Physics
Programs
(2002)
+ 0.2
- 0.2
Research Groups-PI Grants
Group
Particle Astrophysics- PAS
Space Physics - ESP
Gen. Relativity Exp.- GRE
High Energy Physics - HEE
Plasma Exp. - PE
Non-linear Dynamics - NLD
Plasma Theory - PT
Condensed Matter Th. - CMT
Physics Education - PERG
Nuclear Theory - TQHN
Atomic Mol. & Optical - AMO
Nuclear Experiment - EN
Gen. Relativity Theory - GRT
Elementary Particle Th. - EPT
Condensed Matter Exp-CME*
Total
# Faculty
3
4
1
6
3
6
7
4
2
4
3
5
3
6
15
# Grd Std
5
1
2
8
5
36
16
5
8
4
9
2
7
12
45
# Ph.Ds.
2
2
1
3
7
19
6
7
3
5
6
4
6
3
31
72
165
95
$(K) Funding
2,600
2,310
750
2,800
1,300
2,400
2,500
950
475
665
438
565
412
263
7,640
26,068
* includes CSR
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
The Research Program
PAS - Particle Astrophysics
ESP - Experimental Space Physics
GRE - Gravity Experiment
CME3- Condensed Matter Exp+ CSR
HEE - High Energy Experiment
PE - Plasma Experiment
NLD - Nonlinear Dynamics
PT - Plasma Theory
CMT - Condensed Matter Theory
PERG - Physics Education Research
TQHN - Theoretical Quarks
Hadrons and Nuclei
AMO - Atomic Molecular and Optics
EN - Experimental Nuclear Physics
GRT - Gravity Theory
EPT - Elementary Particle Theory
EPT
GRT
EN
AMO
TQHN
Group
PERG
CMT
PT
NLD
Total
PE
CME*
HEE
GRE
ESP
PAS
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
Dollars per Member [M$]
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
EPT
ESP
HEE
EN
ESP
TQHN
PT
HEE
GRE
CMT
PAS
PE
EN
EPT
Group
Group
The Research Program
TQHN
Total
GRE
PT
PERG
GRT
AMO
Total
GRT
PAS
CME*
AMO
CMT
CME*
PE
PERG
NLD
NLD
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
0
Ph.Ds per Member
J Goodman
1
2
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4
5
6
Graduate Students per Member
University of Maryland
March 2005
7
The Research Program
EPT
EN
TQHN
PERG
AMO
Group
GRT
PT
HEE
ESP
Total
NLD
CME*
GRE
PAS
PE
CMT
0
1
2
3
4
5
Research Scientists and Post Docs per Member
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
The State Budget (excluding CSR)
Year
FY 01
FY 02
FY 03
FY 04
Itemized Detail - Revenue and Expenses
State Budget Income
FY 05
(Estimated)
$7,942k
$8,337k
$8,449k
$7,696k
$7,922k
$0
$116k
$449k
$41k
$85k
Revised State Budget
$7,942k
$8,221k
$8,000k
$7,655k
$7,837k
Faculty Salary Expenses
$4,866k
$4,931k
$5,355k
$4,909k
$5,364k
$569k
$598k
($23k)
$551k
$337K
$1,855k
$1,886k
$1,897k
$1,709k
$1,777k
$729k
$694k
$675k
$720k
$757k
56.5
53.5
45.0
50.5
50.5
TAs' Academic Year Salary
$12.8k
$12.8k
$14.5k
$14.5k
$15k
Operations Expense
$648k
$818k
$654k
$578k
$677k
Teaching Labs Expenses
$180k
$101k
$44k
$41k
$69k
($336k)
($209k)
(625K)
(302k)
(807k)
Income
917k
879k
$942k
$1,004k
$309k
Department DRIF Balance at Year End
$346k
$598k
$611k
$716k
$213k
Less State Budget Reductions
Savings -Buyouts, Sabb. & Vacant lines
Staff Salary Expenses
Teaching Assistants Salary Expenses
Number of TAs
Expenses Not Paid by State Budget
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Budget 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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Budget 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)
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Faculty 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/CSR), Ramesh(Mat/CSR),
Venkatesan(CME/CSR) (partial)
– Becker (PT) (leaving)
• Retention keeps
– Das Sarma(CMT), Gates(EPT), Williams(CME)
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Faculty Changes in the Last 5 Years
• New Hires
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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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Current Faculty Searches
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Particle Theory Phenomenology
String/Gravity (possibly 2 positions)
Nuclear Experiment (Dark Matter/Neutrinos/2bdk)
Lattice / QCD
Biophysics with IPST
Materials (offer underway – joint with Mat. Eng.)
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Future Searches
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Targets of opportunity – NAS members, etc
Biophysics – 1 more with IPST
CMT
Gravity Experiment
AMO Theory
Theme Group Searches
– Cosmology
– NLD
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
How does the Department work?
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Priorities Process for Hiring
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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
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Produced new plan
Developed Theme Group concept
• Three broad areas
1. Condensed matter and AMO
2. Particle, nuclear, astrophysics, GR
3. NLD, Plasma
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Hiring 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/DM
Experimental Gravity looking at LIGO
String and Gravity Groups moving together
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
How does the Department work?
• 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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
How does the Department work?
• 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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Recent 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
• Nanoscience
– 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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Centers 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
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Outreach
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Physics is Phun (~3k students per year)
Summer Girls
Question of the Week
MRSEC
– GK-12
– Homeschooling
– Summer Workshops for kids
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Physics Olympics
High School visitation programs
Quarknet
Maryland Day
What’s New – Bob Park
World Year of Physics
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
World Year of Physics
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Support Services
• Computing
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Building on 10 Based T network – rewiring underway
Established wireless throughout major areas
Departmental Server system is strong
Lots of computers in TA offices
• Self-Support units
– Shops
– Stores
– Copy Center
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Departmental Computing
• Services:
– Web hosting (dept, research, personal), login, file service, backup, email,
database, printing, software licensing, hardware
acquisition/installation/maintenance
• Hardware maintained (#PCs)
– Desktops: Teaching labs (150), Open Workstation Lab (26), Student
offices/lounge (30), Faculty/staff (140)
– Servers: Unix cluster (13), Linux (8), Sun (6), Misc(3)
– Network Storage: 2 TB Raid10
– Compute engines (new): 9 new high end machines
– Network: configuration/debugging
• Staff
– 1 FTE supervisor for a staff of 4 others
– Primary support in order: business computing, staff, teaching, research
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Facilities
• 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.
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Fundraising
• 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)
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
The 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
J Goodman
The building was built
when environmental
control meant it had heat!
University of Maryland
March 2005
Potential Site for the new PSC
*Current Physics Building is in red
Proposed Site of The New Physical Sciences Complex is highlighted in Rainbow Colors.
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
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.
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Uppsala Physics Building
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005
Summary
• Top department with many strengths
• Need a strong commitment from University to
increase or even maintain our status
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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
• The University of Maryland has to want a top 10
Physics Department!
J Goodman
University of Maryland
March 2005