Physics

Vision

We have a vision of Collectively Striving for the Department of Physics to Deliver the #1 Student Experience in America. The Department of Physics aspires to be recognized as a Department for undergraduate and graduate education excellence of teaching, learning, research, and creativity in physics that cultivates and enhances students’ competence, character, integrity, compassion, and success by promoting matriculation, retention, and graduation.

Mission

We have a mission of providing excellent physics education and research in BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees. The Department of Physics is to provide the undergraduate major in physics with a high-quality education leading to the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree that prepares the students for their graduate studies, entrepreneurship, or future careers; the graduate major in physics leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) and/or the Philosophy of Doctor (Ph.D.) degrees that prepare the students for their professional, scientific and academic careers; and the non-physics major with physics course works that meet their major or minor degree requirements or that satisfies general education and technical- or free-elective requirements.

The physics program pursues excellence in teaching, learning, research, and service with the faculty, staff, and students’ highest ethical character and academic integrity following the university policies and procedures. The quality of the physics education program is aligned with the Eight HU Core Competencies of Critical Thinking, Ethics, International Diversity, Information and Technology Literacy, Oral Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Scientific Reasoning, and Written Communication.

Goal

We strive to (1) improve and sustain high-quality B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degree programs in the visionary and transformative research areas to Deliver the #1 Student Experience in America; and (2) become one of the top-ten producers of underrepresented minority graduates with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Physics by the Manpower Statistics of the American Institute of Physics.

Strategic Plan

In order to improve and sustain the high-quality undergraduate program of B.S. degree and graduate programs of M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the visionary research areas, the Strategic Plans of the Department of Physics include:

  • Sustaining a high-quality undergraduate education that leads to a Bachelor of Science in Physics.
  • Advancing graduate education and research that leads to the Masters of Science and/or the Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the visionary research areas.
  • Improving undergraduate and graduate physics curricula for major, technical- and/or free-elective requirements that attract beyond recruit the talented students and provide the prospective career developments.
  • Improving admission standards through high-quality selectivity and ensuring continual inclusion as an HBCU.
  • Promoting and assessing students’ competencies with sufficient knowledge, skills, experience, and the ability for their excellent career development.
  • Promoting one-team spirit with mutual respect and responsibilities while individual excellence is sustained.
  • Strengthening research and education infrastructure on campus.
  • Developing and sustaining two research and education centers with annual extramural research expenditures of at least $2M.
  • Enhancing advanced advising strategies to assist students in curriculum options, course selection, and career development.
  • Disseminating at least twenty high-quality journal articles annually with student participation, and encouraging the patent applications.
  • Achieving 100% undergraduate and graduate students’ research engagement that promotes scholarship and graduation.
  • Achieving 100% employment, entrepreneurship, and studies for advanced degrees with their graduations.
  • Encouraging faculty to enhance innovative instructional methodologies and designs across the curriculum
  • Improving the coherency of instruction and assessment for the courses with multiple sections.
  • Looking for a physics building that will improve faculty, staff, and students’ interaction and engagement.
  • Nurturing faculty, staff, and student office and lounge facility and environment.
  • Encouraging faculty with identifying and protecting intellectual property.
  • Elevating the use of Virginia Tidewater Consortium for Higher Education to timely offer the courses.
  • Optimizing student-oriented class schedule throughout the week instead of the faculty-oriented schedule in order to avoid students’ heavy learning loads on certain days.
  • Establishing the pre-college program to improve recruitment, retention, and graduation.
  • Providing the student’s living-learning academic environment for 24 hours and 7 days with the open-policy of physics majoring buildings.
  • Reaching out and collaborating with internal and external constituencies to promote K-12 students’ understanding and interest in physics and motivate them to study physical science.
  • Promoting an incentive award/reward system that celebrates faculty, staff, and student achievements and contributions with the highest academic ethics and integrity.
  • Awarding and celebrating student creativity and academic achievement through Physics Day each semester
  • Implementing a comprehensive post-tenure review policy, in consultation with the Academic Personnel Committee, to document the sustained performance of assigned duties in teaching, research, and service, to acknowledge academic achievements, and to uphold faculty members accountable for the highest quality with academic ethics and integrity.

The diversity in the field of physics nationally and internationally is highly important in our efforts. In order to become one of the top-ten producers of underrepresented minority groups, the Strategic Plans of the Department of Physics include:

  • Recruiting and supporting the highest quality and talented faculty, staff, and students for the excellent undergraduate and comprehensive graduate education for underrepresented minority students that will improve our image overall at HBCU.
  • Promoting the culture of faculty teaching, research, and service excellence for minority student success and excellence in education, research, and inquiry
  • Developing high-quality graduate education and research programs in the visionary research areas for underrepresented minority students.
  • Strengthening the education and research infrastructure to attract students from the underrepresented minority groups and recruit the students with differences in people, ideas, and opinions.
  • Improving the recruitment efficiency of underrepresented minority students by the strategic capital facilities of the University Merit and Need Scholarships (UMNS) with the institutional equal allocation of scholarships to each department in the School of Science, and implementing the Physics UMNS to the Physics majors.
  • Participating and sustaining Title-III program for preparing underrepresented minority teachers and scientists.
  • Achieving the retention rate of 80% from the first year to graduation in the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. programs for minority students with 4, 2, and 5 average years to degrees, respectively.

The Vision and Mission of the Department of Physics are aligned to the Mission of School and University. The accomplishment and progress will be annually assessed for the incoming External Program Review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the next Internal Program Review in the academic year of 2027-2028. The renewal strategic plan will take place in order to incorporate evolving expectations.

Revised in the academic year of 2021-2022.

The Department of Physics has a dynamic culture of student success and excellence in education and research with sufficient scholarship opportunities for qualified students. If you are interested in applying for admission to join our physics program, please contact the Chairperson in the Department of Physics, and visit the Office of Admission or the Graduate College.

 

Contact

Mailing Address:
Department of Physics
Hampton University
Olin Engineering Building,
Room 102
268 Emancipation Drive
Hampton VA 23668

Phone: 757.727.5277
Fax: 757.728.6910

Dr. Felix Jaetae Seo

Chairperson:
Dr. Felix Jaetae Seo

Email:
jaetae.seo@hamptonu.edu

Phone:
757.727.5277