All physics students are assigned a physics faculty mentor in order to guide their academic progress while pursuing a major in physics. Students must receive mentoring from a physics faculty mentor at least once a semester, prior to registering for classes. Faculty mentors can provide guidance on physics major coursework, research opportunities, and career paths.

Meeting with a faculty mentor individually

Continuing students should prepare for a meeting with a faculty mentor by knowing their current schedule and their plans for the future. Assignments by last name are intended for initial visits. Students are encouraged to work with the same faculty mentor over the course of their academic career, when feasible. Students should complete the mentoring form prior to meeting their mentor, and should visit faculty mentors during their office hours.
 

Fall 2023 Faculty Mentor Office Hours & Zoom Links

 

PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: A - C)

Gang Cao Portrait

Gang Cao

Professor • PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: A - C)
Physics
Office Hours: Thursday 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. in DUAN F519 • PHYS-BA Mentoring Form • Research Interests: It is widely recognized that whoever controls materials controls technology. Our research has focused on the discovery, synthesis, and study of novel quantum materials. It encompasses a methodical search for new quantum materials and a systematic effort to elucidate and control novel quantum states in these materials. We are particularly interested in strongly...
Gang.Cao@colorado.edu     (303) 735-4947

PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: D - F)

Steven Pollock Portrait

Steven Pollock

Professor • PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: D - F)
Physics
Office Hours: Monday 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. or by appointment • In person DUAN F1013 or via PHYS-BA Mentoring Zoom Link • PHYS-BA Mentoring Form • Research Interests: Physics Education Research, including issues of teacher preparation, large-scale classes, and upper-division classes. Dr. Pollock studies student learning in large scale physics classes, and the constraints and opportunities involved in replicating "proven" curricular practices,...
steven.pollock@colorado.edu     (303) 492-2495

PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: G - I)

Yuan Shi

Yuan Shi

Assistant Professor • PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: G - I) • Fellow - Center for Integrated Plasma Studies (CIPS)
Physics
Office hours: Monday 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. in F813 or Zoom • PHYS-BA Mentoring Form • Research: The research in our group uncovers the synergy between plasma physics and quantum physics. We study how magnetic fields change laser-plasma interactions for fusion and photonics applications. We develop quantum algorithms for plasma-related problems and improve the performance of current quantum hardware. We explore field-theory models and use...
yuan.shi@colorado.edu     (303) 735-1362

PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: J - L)

Joseph MacLennan Portrait

Joseph MacLennan

Professor Attendant Rank • PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: J - L)
Physics
Background: Joseph Maclennan received his B.Sc.(Hons.) in Physics and Electronics from Rhodes University, South Africa, in 1980, and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Colorado in 1988. He then spent five years in the Physical Chemistry Department at the University of Mainz in Germany, the first two as a Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow. In 1994 he returned to Boulder to rejoin the Liquid Crystal Physics group at the University...
jem@colorado.edu     (303) 492-7543

PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: M - N)

Katherine Perkins Portrait

Katherine Perkins

Professor Attendant Rank • PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: M-N)
Physics
Office Hours: Tuesday 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. via zoom • Zoom Link • PHYS-BA Mentoring Form • Research Interests: Kathy Perkins is Director of PhET Interactive Simulations (2008-present) and Professor Attendant Rank in Physics, specializing in Physics Education and STEM Education Research. She previously served as Associate Director (2006-10) and Director (2010-16) of CU’s Science Education Initiative. Her work currently focuses on advancing the design and classroom use of interactive...
katherine.perkins@colorado.edu

PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: O - R)

Eleanor Hodby Portrait

Eleanor Hodby

Teaching Associate Professor • Director - Diversity Initiatives • PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: O-R)
Physics
Virtual Office Hours: Friday 8:15 - 10:15 a.m. • PHYS-BA Mentoring Zoom Link • PHYS-BA Mentoring Form •
hodby@colorado.edu     (303) 735-6964

PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: S)

Daniel Bolton Portrait

Daniel Bolton

Teaching Associate Professor • PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: S)
Physics
Office Hours: Thursday 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. via Zoom, and Friday 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. in DUAN F1033 • PHYS-BA Mentoring Zoom Link • PHYS-BA Mentoring Form • Research Interests: Dr. Bolton was originally trained in theoretical nuclear physics. He now works in the field of Physics Education Research. Dr. Bolton enjoys studying how students learn physics, especially at the introductory level.
daniel.bolton@colorado.edu     (303) 492-7368

PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: T - V)

Shuo Sun Portrait

Shuo Sun

Assistant Professor • Associate Fellow - JILA • PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: T - V)
Physics
Office Hours: Monday 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. • PHYS-BA Mentoring Zoom Link • PHYS-BA Mentoring Form • Research Interests: Shuo Sun is an assistant professor of Physics and an associate fellow of JILA. His research lies in the areas of quantum optics, nanophotonics, and experimental quantum information science. His group studies strong light-matter interactions at the quantum limit by coupling solid-state artificial atoms with nanophotonic structures. The large flexibility...
shuosun@colorado.edu     (303) 492-0500

PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: W - Z)

Shijie Zhong Portrait

Shijie Zhong

Professor • PHYS Faculty Mentor (Student's Last Name: W - Z)
Physics
Office Hours: Tuesday 2:00pm - 4:00pm in DUAN F713 or via PHYS-BA Mentoring Zoom Link • PHYS-BA Mentoring Form • Research Interests: Our research interests have been primarily in understanding the physical processes that control the evolution of terrestrial planets (Earth, Moon, Mars, ...). Modern space exploration has provided high resolution gravity and topography data about many planets. Other observational techniques including seismology and in-situ sampling have revealed the structure...
shijie.zhong@colorado.edu     (303) 735-5095