P hysics labs – A journey! Assoc. Prof. of Physics Deepshikha Shukla, Ph.D., provides updates to recent laboratory renovations. Technology has become ubiquitous in our everyday life – babies often master touchscreens before they learn to hold a pencil or even talk. So, it should not come as a surprise that the manner in which Physics experiments are performed today and taught to students relies heavily on modern technology. Real-time data acquisition, simultaneous analysis, and the ability to manipulate experiments through software has become the norm. Being trained in the late 1990s and the 2000s I was fortunate enough to see the transition from manual to technology-driven experiments in Physics instruction. Keep in mind that we have advanced to an age where any layperson can learn some basic Physics principles with as little as just the sensors on their mobile phones. My journey to modernize the Physics instructional laboratories started when I interviewed at RU. While I was excited that there was significant effort in updating the introductory laboratories with acquiring some new lab equipment and four dedicated computers, I was equally amazed that some of the equipment predated me. My amazement transformed into childlike excitement when I actually started work in the three lab spaces. Some of the equipment not only predated me, but predated one of the most exciting papers by Einstein on Relativity (1905). That’s right, some of our equipment came straight from the late 1800s. I had to research some of the equipment simply because I did not recognize them for what they were! For instance, we have two refracting telescopes from the late 1800s, (probably) one of the first audio oscillators made by Hewlett Packard from mid-1900 and electrical equipment from late 1800s and early 1900s; the list is long! Hence started my two-semester exploration – to evaluate and catalog all the Physics equipment RU possessed, to evaluate the current needs and to make sure that we acquire equipment and computers to give our students a 21st century experience in Physics. Department Chair Dr. Mehmet Dik, Dean Dr. Deborah Breiter, Provost Dr. Belinda Wholeben and the Office of Advancement all helped to make sure that the academic needs of the Physics program were conveyed to the right audience. Generous donors and well-wishers took care that there was funding to ensure that the transition to contemporary physics instruction was effected.
New equipment has modernized the Physics laboratories, allowing students to have a 21st century experience in Physics at RU.
The needs for modernization always exist. If you would like to help us continue this work with a contribution, please contact Bern Sundstedt at bsundstedt@rockford.edu or 815.226.3371.
We were able to acquire equipment for effective instruction in the Physics lab during the spring semester of 2016. 12 new computers and a printer for the Physics lab were acquired and installed in April 2016. With computers and most equipment in place, the introductory Physics lab has morphed into its 21st century incarnation, ready to train students for the modern workforce. The Physics program celebrated its grand reopening on April 15, 2016. RU can now proudly say that the Introductory Physics labs are on par with the best of colleges and universities. At the same time, RU can be proud that it has preserved some very interesting equipment from more than a century ago.
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