Dr. Ian Arnold joins the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Purdue University
2023-08-24
The Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Science at Purdue University welcomes a new member to the faculty, Dr. Ian Arnold, Assistant Professor of Practice, effective August 14, 2023.
Prior to this appointment, Prof. Arnold held several teaching positions at the collegiate level, including Lecturer at Purdue University, adjunct faculty at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, and adjunct faculty at Ivy Tech Community College.
Prof. Arnold has taught multiple subjects in physics and mathematics, including general physics, physics for life sciences, electric and magnetic interactions, optics lab, physical mechanics, general calculus, and multivariate calculus.
“It's really important to me as a physics teacher to make this great subject less scary for all students, especially those who are intimidated by its complexity,” says Arnold. “I am a physicist because I love exploring the structure and beautiful logic of the models that we use to describe nature. I also truly value the opportunity to communicate these ideas to the incredible students I get to teach here at Purdue.”
Prof. Arnold earned his doctorate from Purdue in 2019 in theoretical condensed matter physics and a master’s degree from Purdue in 2013 in experimental condensed matter physics. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from Princeton University in 2011.
On his teaching career to date, Arnold noted, “I have called the Department of Physics and Astronomy my home for the last twelve years as a graduate student and lecturer, and I'm thrilled to be joining the amazing faculty who have taught me so much through the years!”
Part of Arnold’s teaching philosophy includes assisting students beyond the classroom. He notes, “Students come with varying levels of exposure to mathematical sciences and physics. My familiarity with both theoretical and experimental research also aids in conversations with students who are applying to graduate school in scientific research fields. I strive to make myself available to students to shore up understanding in the fundamentals needed to approach more complex topics. I also feel it is important to help students prepare for their pre-professional exams, including medical, dental, and optometry school admissions tests. I have frequently heard from students in person and in reviews that they were surprised to see how approachable physics can be, which is of paramount importance when working with such a technical subject.”
Prof. Arnold has been recognized with several awards during his career, including the 2023 Purdue College of Science service award, and the Purdue 2016 Akeley-Mandler Award for teaching excellence.
Prof. Arnold will teach multiple classes and administer learning and engagement initiatives for the Department of Physics and Astronomy. This fall his course offerings include PHYS 214 – The Nature of Physics, PHYS 233 – Physics for Life Sciences I and PHYS 234 – Physics for Life Sciences II.
About the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Purdue University
Purdue Department of Physics and Astronomy has a rich and long history dating back to 1904. Our faculty and students are exploring nature at all length scales, from the subatomic to the macroscopic and everything in between. With an excellent and diverse community of faculty, postdocs, and students who are pushing new scientific frontiers, we offer a dynamic learning environment, an inclusive research community, and an engaging network of scholars.
Physics and Astronomy is one of the seven departments within the Purdue University College of Science. World-class research is performed in astrophysics, atomic and molecular optics, accelerator mass spectrometry, biophysics, condensed matter physics, quantum information science, particle and nuclear physics. Our state-of-the-art facilities are in the Physics Building, but our researchers also engage in interdisciplinary work at Discovery Park District at Purdue, particularly the Birck Nanotechnology Center and the Bindley Bioscience Center. We also participate in global research including at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, many national laboratories (such as Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermilab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Stanford Linear Accelerator, etc.), the James Webb Space Telescope, and several observatories around the world.
Written by: Andrew Robison, Assistant Department Head of Purdue Physics and Astronomy