Physics instruction at Cal Poly is conducted in a variety of formats by skilled professionals who focus on building an inclusive and welcoming learning community so that all students achieve proficiency. Learn by Doing is a guiding principle that permeates the physics curriculum. A major emphasis on laboratory investigations, especially at the upper division, complements students' theoretical and computational grounding. At the lower division level, several sections of courses are taught in a studio environment using materials developed on the basis of research on the learning and teaching of physics.
Modified from physics.calpoly.edu
Senior Projects from 2014
Introduction to LIGO and an Experiment Regarding the Quality Factor of Crystalline Silicon, Edward Taylor
Dielectric Spectroscopy of De Vries Smectic Liquid Crystals, Clayton Wesley Thatch
Jet Measurements with Proton-Proton Collisions at 7 TeV in ALICE, Kevin Thompson
Phase Transitions in Smectic Liquid Crystal Systems, John Van Atta and Josh Ziegler
Modeling the Field Control of the Surface Electroclinic Effect and its Impact on Smectic Layer Strain, Kara M. Zappitelli
Senior Projects from 2013
Experimenting With Polymer Blend Solar Cells and Active Layer Thickness, Ryan Blumenthal
Counting Photons to Calibrate a Photometer for Stellar Intensity Interferometry, Jason Chew
Nested Gaussian Laser Beams - A Blue-Detuned One-Dimensional Lattice of Optical Dipole Traps for Quantum Computing, Travis Daniel Frazer
Nbconvert Refactor, Jonathan Frederic
ANALYSIS OF AN UNUSUAL LIQUID CRYSTAL PHASE TRANSITION, Loni Ann Fuller
Atmosphere Observation by the Method of LED Sun Photometry, Gregory Garza
Michael's Awesome Italian Adventure (With a Bit of Science, Too), Michael W. Haskin
Organic Polymer Solar Cells: The Effects of Device Packaging on Cell Lifetime, Spencer Herrick
Field Control of the Surface Electroclinic Effect in Liquid Crystal Displays, Dana Hipolite
Quantum Programming in Python: Quantum 1D Simple Harmonic Oscillator and Quantum Mapping Gate, Matthew Hoff
An Inexpensive Scheffler Reflector for Developing Nations, Mike Kim
Characterization of Planar Wave Guides by Angle-Dependent Excitation of Guided Modes, Edward D. Lunde
Density Functional Theory and the Calculation of TcMg2O4 Spinel Lattice Parameters, Jon Karlo Macias
Cataloging Lesson Plans Developed by Pre-Service Science Teachers During a Summer Research Experience, Robert Tollman McLaren
Contributions to the CUORE Collaboration, Samuel Joseph Meijer
Investigating Fault Structure Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Sara Michelle Monahan
Modeling the Spectral Energy Distribution of Mrk 421, Randall L. Oglesby
Contributions to Background Reduction and Computer Simulations for CUORE & CUORE-0, Ivo J. Plamenac
Computational Analysis of a Bead on a Wire, Kristofer William Schobert
Time Variation of the Broad Hβ and Hα Emission Lines in Active Galactic Nuclei, Bryan R. Scott