Stephen Johnson is in an ideal position to teach physics at Transylvania. A 2004 graduate, Johnson went on to earn a Ph.D., and then worked in the private sector in nanotechnology for five years before returning to his alma mater and teaming up with his former professor Jamie Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He knows the power of the professor-student relationship at Transy, and he has the experience in the field to take what he\u2019s learned and bring it into the classroom and laboratory through his research with solar technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Johnson is building a photothermal spectroscopy apparatus to analyze materials that can be used in solar cells. Most consumer solar cells today use silicon, an inorganic material that is inexpensive to manufacture but is not particularly efficient in converting solar energy to electricity. Johnson is studying organic materials that could be manufactured at a lower cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have seniors doing research, and together we\u2019ve designed and ordered high-tech spectroscopy equipment that they\u2019re putting together and are going to be testing throughout the semester,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the apparatus is up and running, Johnson and his students plan to collaborate with chemistry and engineering professors at the University of Kentucky who are making materials that can be tested on Transy\u2019s campus. It\u2019s a level of undergraduate research that many physics students can\u2019t get at larger institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s one of the most important aspects of this program\u2014the hands-on interaction and availability of the professors,\u201d he says. \u201cWe do that particularly well at Transylvania, and I am excited to be back and on the mentoring side of the relationship now. I try to foster that exact same type of interaction with the students so that we have a good working relationship, and they have the opportunity to learn physics through doing real research.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B.A., Physics Transylvania University, 2004
M.S., Physics, Vanderbilt University, 2006
Ph.D., Physics, Vanderbilt University 2008<\/p>\n\n\n\n
University Physics
Quantum Mechanics
Classical Mechanics
Special Relativity<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Nanoscale physics
Photothermal phenomena
Laser-material interactions<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4508,"template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"Relevanssi image attachment filter Relevanssi index exclude","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"academic_division":[59,74],"class_list":["post-276","faculty","type-faculty","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n