Tom Colbert
                                        Department Chair
                                        Professor
                                        Academic Appointment(s)
Administration
Department of Physics and Biophysics
College of Science and Mathematics
Department of Physics and Biophysics
                                                                                 Bio
Teaches introductory physics and upper level physics courses. Experience in Atomic Molecular and Optical physics. Physics education. Numerous projects with students and have worked on national digital physics library content.
                                     
                                 
                                
                                
                                
                                
                             
                            
                            
                            
                            
                            
                            
                                                                    Education
                                    
                                        - 
Ph.D., Physics
Lehigh University, 1990
 
- 
MS, Physics
Lehigh University, 1987
 
- 
BA, Physics
Kenyon College, 1985
 
                                        
                                    
                                                                        Awards & Honors
                                    
                                        - 
 2020 Excellence in Physics Education Award Recipient
American Physical Society (APS), 2019
 
- 
Governor's Teaching Fellow
Institute of Higher Education UGA, 2003
 
                                        
                                    
                                    
                             
                            
                            
                                
                                    
                                                                             Courses Taught Most Recent Academic Year
                                        
                                        
                                                                                 Teaching Interests 
                                        Introductory Physics, Electricity and Magnetism, Optics, and Advanced Physics Lab, Modern Physics
                                        
                                    
                                 
                             
                            
                            
                            
                                                                     Scholarship 
                                    Selected Recent Publications
                                                                    
                                    - Worksheets for PHYSLETS Explorations, 3rd edition, 2018
 Study Guide
 
- Worksheets For Exploration PHYSLETS, 2013
 Other
 
- Effects of nonuniform reflective boundaries and line competition on radiation trapping, 1993
 Journal Article, Academic Journal
 
- Radiative lifetimes, collisional mixing, and quenching of the cesium 5DJ levels, 1992
 Journal Article, Academic Journal
 
- Radiation trapping in the far wings of the foreign-gas broadened potassium resonance lines, 1991
 Journal Article, Academic Journal
 
                                
                                                                    Research Interests
                                    Undergraduate research projects. Educational demonstration development. Optics and various.
                                                                 
                            
                            
                            
                                
                                                                             Department Service
                                        
                                            - 
Major Field Test
2022 - Present
Role:  Faculty Mentor
 
- 
Accelerated Data Science dual degree BS PHYS, MS data Science
2022 - Present
Role:  Committee Member
 
- 
Dept IT Data Steward
2021 - Present
Role:  Other
 
- 
Major Field Test Physics
2021 - Present
Role:  Committee Chair
 
- 
Senior Presentations
2021 - Present
Role:  Faculty Mentor
 
                                            
                                        
                                                                                                                     College Service
                                        
                                            - 
CoSM Executive Committee Member
2019 - Present
Role:  Committee Member
 
- 
CoSM Executive Committee Meeting--spring 2019 update
2017 - Present
Role:  Committee Member
 
- 
Honors Thesis Committees--revised for spring 2019
2016 - Present
Role:  Committee Chair
 
- 
CoSM Exec committee member
2022 - 2023
Role:  Committee Member
 
- 
Executive Committee Chair-then member
2021 - 2022
Role:  Committee Chair
 
                                            
                                        
                                                                                                                     University Service
                                        
                                            - 
Faculty Evaluation Alignment -Promotion
2022 - Present
Role:  Committee Member
 
- 
Academic Success Center Advisory
2016 - Present
Role:  Committee Member
 
- 
LASER radiation safety committee--spring 2019
2016 - Present
Role:  Committee Chair
 
- 
Honors Program Committee Member--Spring 2019 update
2015 - Present
Role:  Committee Member
 
- 
Science Building Moving
2021 - 2021
Role:  Committee Member
 
                                            
                                        
                                                                                                                     Professional Service
                                        
                                            - 
MERLOT
2019 - Present
Role:  Editorial Review Board Member
 
- 
Sapling Learning
2018 - Present
Role:  Reviewer
 
- 
2020 - 2020
Role:  Reviewer, Journal Article
 
- 
Public
2015 - 2015
Role:  Reviewer, Book
 
- 
Advanced Placement physics problem 
 - 2013
Role:  Reviewer
 
                                            
                                        
                                                                                                                     Public Service
                                        
                                            - 
Physics Program
2019 - 2019
Role:  Session Chair
 
- 
Burke County Girls Demonstrations
2019 - 2019
Role:  Workshop Organizer
 
- 
Service Public Science Show-update spring 2018
2016 - 2018
Role:  Chair
 
- 
Service/Stevens Creek STEM demonstrations Year 2--update spring 2018
2018 - 2018
Role:  Chair
 
- 
Service/River Ridge Elementary STEM night -spring 2018 update
2017 - 2018
Role:  Chair