Physics Faculty

From classic Newtonian dynamics to quantum mechanics, Department of Physics courses cover the range of laws that govern our universe, and how to apply them. Students will put their knowledge to use with circuit work, acoustics and sound generation, dynamic modeling techniques, and even physics for animation. Faculty experience ranges all the way from astrophysics to computational physics simulation.

Faculty Directory

Natalia Solorzano, Ph.D. Department Chair
Erik Mohrmann, Ph.D. Dean of Faculty
Anand Thirumalai, Ph.D. Assistant Professor
B. Race Roberson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor

Department Faculty

Natalia Solorzano, Ph.D.

Department Chair
Associate Professor

Natalia N. Solorzano holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, as well as a Master of Science in Meteorology and a doctorate in Space Geophysics from the National Institute for Space Research in Brazil. She was previously a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the University of Washington and an Assistant Professor at Bard High School Early College. She conducts research, often with DigiPen students, in atmospheric physics and physics-based simulation. Her research interests include atmospheric electricity and lightning, the global atmospheric circuit, passive microwave remote sensing, and tropical cyclones.

Dr. Solorzano publishes her work in journals such as Atmospheric Environment, Atmospheric Research, Eos (Earth and Space Science News), and Geophysical Research Letters. She often gives invited and contributed presentations at meetings, including the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, the IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society Annual Meeting, and the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. She is a steering committee member of the atmospheric electricity section of the American Meteorological Society. In 2008, along with Jeremy Thomas, she was recipient of a Science and Math Improvement Grant from the Toshiba America Foundation. In 2017, they received the Amazon Catalyst Award of Merit, along with BS in Computer Science graduate Connor Bracy and Professor Robert Holzworth from the University of Washington. The project, a real-time tropical cyclone and lightning database, can be found at: http://wwlln.net/storms/. In the same year, Thomas and Solorzano were also awarded a National Science Foundation grant for the project “Collaborative Research: Balloon Campaign to Quantify Thunderstorm Effects on the Global Electric Circuit.”

At DigiPen, Dr. Solorzano is the chair of the Physics Department, chair of the Diversity Committee, and a member of the Faculty Senate Steering Committee. Her teaching philosophy is geared towards experiential learning, engaging students in critical thinking, and encouraging students to take ownership of their education. She also believes that cultural, economic, and social diversity enhance the learning environment, and she is committed to increasing the diversity of students and faculty.

Selected Publications from 2016-2017

Solorzano, N. N., Thomas, J. N., Bracy, C. (2017), “Real-time monitoring of tropical cyclones with lightning and microwave imagery,” Eos, Project Update (manuscript accepted; in production phase Nov 2017).
Solorzano, N. N., Thomas, J. N., Hutchins, M. L., and Holzworth R. H., (2016), “WWLLN lightning and satellite microwave radiometrics at 37 to 183 GHz: Thunderstorms in the broad tropics,” J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 121, 12,298–12,318, doi:10.1002/ 2016JD025374.

Erik Mohrmann, Ph.D.

Dean of Faculty
Professor

Dr. Erik Mohrmann studied psychology and physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. He then moved to Seattle and earned his doctorate in physics at the University of Washington. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching at both institutions and has continued his teaching career at DigiPen Institute of Technology.

Mohrmann’s academic interests include learning models, the biological basis of behavior, nuclear astrophysics, and computational physics simulation, with most of his research in the latter two areas. His current research interests include stellar nuclear reactions and the modeling of deformable bodies.

Professor Mohrmann believes it is of critical importance to make topics pertinent, comprehensible, and interesting to each specific audience, because physicists, engineers, and artists all approach topics from different angles. His research helps him relate classroom physics to the world we all experience every day, and provides guidance to undergraduates and graduates who are researching topics in simulation.

Selected Publications

Mohrmann, E. C., et al, “The 7Be(p,γ)8B Astrophysical S-Factor,” Nuclear Physics A 758 (2005): 685-688.
Mohrmann, E. C., et al, “New Determination of the 7Be(p,γ)8B S-Factor,” Nuclear Physics A 746 (2004): 210-214.
Mohrmann, E. C., et al, “Precise Measurement of the 7Be(p,γ)8B S-Factor.” Physical Review C 68, no. 6 (2003): 065803.
Mohrmann, E. C., et al, “A New Measurement of 7Be(p,γ)8B Cross Section and Its Astrophysical Meaning.” Nuclear Physics A 718 (2003): 113-116.
Mohrmann, E. C., et al, “7Be(p,γ)8B Astrophysical S Factor from Precision Cross Section Measurements.” Physical Review Letters 88, no. 4 (2002): 041101.
Mohrmann, E. C., et al, “The Fabrication of Metallic 7Be Targets with a Small Diameter for 7Be(p,γ)8B Measurements.” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 187, no. 2 (2002): 264-274.
Mohrmann, E. C., et al, “A New Determination of the Astrophysical S-Factor for the 7Be(p,γ)8B Reaction from Direct Cross Section Measurements.” AIP Conference Proceedings 610, no. 1 (April 2, 2002): 461-465.

Anand Thirumalai, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Anand Thirumalai earned his bachelor’s degree in materials engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Roorkee, India. He then went on to earn a master’s degree in materials engineering from the University of British Columbia (UBC). For his master’s thesis he worked on designing and characterizing new-generation turbine blade materials, made of nickel-based superalloys.

After getting his master’s degree, he switched fields completely to follow his passion and scientific curiosity — astrophysics. For his second master’s degree at UBC, this time in astrophysics, he worked on studying the strongest magnetic fields in the known universe — those found in neutron stars — and computing the structure of atoms in such field strengths.

Later, his Ph.D. work looked at the end stages of stellar evolution. He developed a novel stellar wind model combining magnetohydrodynamics with particulate dust-dynamics and stellar rotation. His wind model is applicable to a range of stellar masses and stellar sub-types and presents a route for solving the so-called missing mass-loss mechanism problem in certain types of evolved stars.

Before coming to DigiPen, Dr. Thirumalai was also a School of Earth and Space Exploration Postdoctoral Fellow at Arizona State University. His research there involved studying winds of evolved stars as well as research in computational atomic structure. He has developed some of the fastest and most accurate atomic structure software for atoms in strong magnetic fields. He continues this research work in collaboration with researchers at UBC in Vancouver, as well as with researchers at the University of Oslo in Norway. His research these days focuses on making headway in the almost completely uncharted field of atomic and molecular structure in strong magnetic fields, as well simulations of star and planet formation. A large part of his current research focus involves harnessing the immense computing power of GPUs in astrophysical simulations.

Dr. Thirumalai teaches at all levels of the physics curriculum at DigiPen and believes in promoting diversity and inclusivity in the classroom, placing an emphasis on both teamwork as well as an interdisciplinary approach for solving modern problems using modern methods of solution.

Research website

Selected Publications

Thirumalai, A., Desch, S. J., and Young, P., “Carbon atom in intense magnetic fields,”. Physical Review A, 90, 052501 (2014).
Anand Thirumalai and Jeremy S. Heyl, “Energy levels of light atoms in strong magnetic fields,” Invited review article in Advances in Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, Vol. 63, Chapter 5, p. 323 (2014).
Anand Thirumalai and Jeremy S. Heyl, “Two-dimensional pseudospectral Hartree-Fock method for low-Z atoms in intense magnetic fields,” Physical Review A, 89, 052522 (2014).
Anand Thirumalai and Jeremy S. Heyl, “Is Mira a magneto-dusty rotator?” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 430, p. 1359 (2013).
Anand Thirumalai and Jeremy S. Heyl, “The magnetised bellows of Betelgeuse,” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 422, p. 1272 (2012).
Anand Thirumalai and Jeremy S. Heyl, “A hybrid steady-state magnetohydrodynamic dust-driven stellar wind model for AGB stars,” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 409, p. 1669 (2010).
Anand Thirumalai and Jeremy S. Heyl, “Hydrogen and helium atoms in strong magnetic fields,” Physical Review A, vol. 79, 012514 (2009).

B. Race Roberson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Roberson received his Ph.D. in Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, researching innovative methods of in-space plasma propulsion. His background in plasma physics includes the common methods of electric propulsion and the natural plasma environment surrounding Earth and the other planets.

He has worked with both undergraduate and graduate students on various projects, including advanced propulsion systems for potential space applications, payloads for high-altitude balloon flights, flight and communications systems for rockets, and vacuum systems to simulate space-like environments.

As part of the Department of Physics at DigiPen, Dr. Roberson leads courses introducing fundamental principles involving forces and motion, energy and momentum, electricity and magnetism, circuits and electronics, light and optics, and other areas of natural science, as well their applications. He also instructs students in more advanced topics such as sound waves and acoustics.