College Physics

Roger A. Freedman
Roger A. Freedman is a Lecturer in Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dr. Freedman was an undergraduate at the University of California campuses in San Diego and Los Angeles, and did his doctoral research in theoretical nuclear physics at Stanford University under the direction of Professor J. Dirk Walecka. He came to UCSB in 1981 after three years teaching and doing research at the University of Washington.

At UCSB, Dr. Freedman has taught in both the Department of Physics and the College of Creative Studies, a branch of the university intended for highly gifted and motivated undergraduates. He has published research in nuclear physics, elementary particle physics, and laser physics. In recent years, he has helped to develop computer-based tools for learning introductory physics and astronomy and helped pioneer the use of classroom response systems and the "flipped" classroom model at UCSB. He is co-author of three introductory textbooks: University Physics (Pearson), Universe (Freeman), and Investigating Astronomy (Freeman).

Dr. Freedman holds a commercial pilot's license. He was one of the early organizers of the San Diego Comic-Con, now the world's largest popular culture convention. His likeness has appeared as a supervillian and mad scientist in both DC and Marvel Comics.

Todd G. Ruskell
Todd G. Ruskell is a Teaching Professor in Physics at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in Golden, CO.

Dr. Ruskell earned a B.A. in Physics at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI, and did his doctoral research on scanning probe microscopy techniques at the University of Arizona. After two years of post-doctoral research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, he joined the faculty at CSM in 1999. Dr. Ruskell specializes in teaching the introductory physics sequence. He was one of the early adopters of both on-line homework and personal response systems and continues to refine his use of both technologies. He was also instrumental in developing the curriculum used in the Physics Studio, where introductory physics is taught to all students at CSM.

Philip R. Kesten
Dr. Philip Kesten, Associate Professor of Physics and Associate Provost for Residential Learning Communities at Santa Clara University, holds a B.S. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his Ph.D. in high energy particle physics from the University of Michigan. Since joining the Santa Clara faculty in 1990, Dr. Kesten has also served as Chair of Physics, Faculty Director of the ATOM and da Vinci Residential Learning Communities, and Director of the Ricard Memorial Observatory. He has received awards for teaching excellence and curriculum innovation, was Santa Clara's Faculty Development Professor for 2004-2005, and was named the California Professor of the Year in 2005 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Education. Dr. Kesten is also co-founder of Docutek, A SirsiDynix Company, an Internet software company, and served as the Senior Editor for Modern Dad, a newsstand magazine.

David L. Tauck
Dr. David Tauck, Associate Professor of Biology, holds both a B.A. in biology and an M.A. in Spanish from Middlebury College. He earned his Ph.D. in physiology at Duke University and completed post-doctoral fellowships at Stanford University and Harvard University in anesthesia and neuroscience, respectively. Since joining the Santa Clara University faculty in 1987 he has served as Chair of the Biology Department, the College Committee on Rank and Tenure, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; he has also served as President of the local chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Tauck currently serves as the Faculty Director in Residence of the da Vinci Residential Learning Community.
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