At Hollins, physics courses investigate laws that underlie reality. They wrestle with tough questions. They explore the limits of what is known about the world. They discover there is a joy in understanding nature that comes from truly seeing it for the first time. The physics program seeks to integrate natural science with mathematical skills, developing students who can analyze and examine core principles of physics and theories about the nature of the universe.
Tracks
Physics Major
Students who major in physics will expand their knowledge of matter, motion, space, and time. Physics students develop an understanding of energy and matter as fundamental elements of the universe. Explore classical and modern physics using necessary mathematical skills, and develop problem-solving skills using principles and tools learned in mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum physics, and optics.
Physics Minor
Physics courses at Hollins develop both a conceptual and a quantitative appreciation of the laws of physics. They learn problem-solving skills and how to think critically and analytically.
Physics Research
Graduates from the department have worked on projects ranging from the use of ultraviolet radiation to decontaminate drinking water to the application of cellular automata to solve foundational issues that underlie statistical mechanics. Current research work in the department includes:
- Developing application of digital imagery and image processing algorithms for the field analysis of beach sediments
- Developing regional monitoring systems to understand the impact of global warming on the exchange of energy between the atmosphere and the ground
- Using cellular automata to model complex behavior in ecosystems and computer networks
- Developing improved models of the nature of planetary formation and the early history of the solar system