I am delighted to collaborate with students and colleagues to enhance WPI's global impact. WPI offers a vibrant and dynamic environment that emphasizes experiential learning and interdisciplinary research, with near-peer mentorship spanning the undergraduate and graduate programs with external stakeholders. The unique balance between theory and practice, along with the shared passion for the WPI Plan and the Project-Based Curriculum, make this institution exceptional. Here, degrees are earned through project accomplishments rather than traditional coursework.

I greatly enjoy balancing my roles as Department Head, championing and facilitating successes for creative faculty, students, staff, and programs at WPI, and engaging in teaching, research, and service activities as a faculty member.

I am a strong advocate for integrating research with teaching, a cornerstone of WPI’s culture, and fostering collaborative relationships between academia, industry, and government labs. The Laboratory for Education and Application Prototypes (LEAP@WPI/QCC), in partnership with Quinsigamond Community College, supports the AIM Photonics ecosystem by co-developing new photonics technologies and providing mentored training and workforce development programs.

As an experimental physicist, my research focuses on the fundamental interactions between light and matter, with two main areas of interest: 1) Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) for Sensing Applications: We develop fundamental PIC components for diverse sensing platforms in collaboration with AIM Photonics, a Manufacturing USA Institute, and various academic, industry, and government partners. 2) Millimeter and Terahertz Science and Technology: This includes molecular gas-phase spectroscopy, imaging for nondestructive evaluation, and radar applications, ranging from the spectroscopic study of interstellar molecules to the remote detection of vital signs and developing sensor platforms for industrial applications.

Additionally, we support the K-16 physics education community and the physics teacher preparation program at WPI, in partnership with the STEM Education Center and as a Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) comprehensive site. I engage with the Physics Education Research (PER) community to develop evidence-based pedagogies that create more effective active learning environments.

The courses I have taught at WPI range from introductory undergraduate to graduate courses and numerous IQPs, MQPs, and independent study courses.  These courses include General Mechanics (PH 1110), Modern Physics (PH 1130), Oscillations and Waves (PH 1140), Photonics (PH 2501), Photonics Laboratory (PH 2601), Electromagnetic Theory (PH 3301), and Scientific Writing and Proposal Development (PH 585).  I also mentor and advise students in the MS and PhD programs in Physics and Applied Physics.  

These efforts have also led me to explore Physics Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and I am a member of WPI’s Value Creation Initiative (VCI).