Faculty Appointments 1960 ‑ Present
Throughout the 1960s, the Physics Department grew substantially. The Sir James Dunn Science Building was constructed (the vast majority of which is now occupied by Physics); as well, the number of faculty members increased significantly.
The Dunn Building was constructed with funds provided by the Sir James Dunn Foundation. On October 29, 1957, Lady Dunn broke ground for the construction and one year later she laid the cornerstone. On the same date in 1960, Sir James Dunn's birth date, the building was officially opened. The opening ceremonies featured lectures by a number of notable scientists, including Sir John Cockcroft and Dr. Gerhard Herzberg. The facilities were aimed at fulfilling the then current and anticipated future needs of the three departments involved: physics, engineering, and geology.
Below are lists in chronological order of faculty appointments in Dalhousie’s Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science since 1960, along with their principal research interests.
Faculty appointments by decade
1960s
R. Hobart (assistant professor, 1961 - 1963): Theory of dislocations in solids.
I.K. MacKenzie (associate professor, 1961 - 1963; professor 1964): Positron annihilation studies of defects in solids. After leaving Dalhousie, Prof. MacKenzie held an appointment at the University of Guelph, from which he recently retired.
R.J. Balcome (assistant professor, 1962 - 1964): Low temperature physics, Fermi surface studies, magneto-acoustic measurements.
M.G. Calkin (assistant professor, 1962-1967; associate professor, 1967 - 1972; professor, 1972 - 1998): Electrodynamics. Professor Calkin is now retired and sometimes teaches part time in the department.
G.F.O. Langstroth (assistant professor, 1962 - 1967; associate professor, 1967 - 1969; professor, 1969 - 2001): Positron annihilation spectroscopy. Professor Langstroth was also assistant dean, Faculty of Science.
J.G. Adler (assistant professor, 1963 - 1964): Low temperature physics; superconductivity, tunneling phenomena, thin films.
M.H. Jericho, FRSC (assistant professor, 1963-1967; associate professor, 1967 - 1974; professor, 1974 - 2001; George Munro Professor, 1978 - 2006; Senior Killam Professor, 1986 -1987): Ultrasonic attenuation in solids, scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy. Professor Emeritus, 2007.
M.J. Keen [Geophysics/Oceanography] (assistant professor, 1963 - 1964; associate professor, 1964 - 1971; professor, 1971 - 1974): Marine geophysics, seismology.
C.R. Mann [Geophysics/Oceanography] (assistant professor, 1963 - 1964; associate professor 1964 - 1973): Physical oceanography.
W.C. Lin (assistant professor, 1964 - 1969): Physics of the van Allen belt.
G. Stabilini (assistant professor, 1964 - 1969): Nuclear theory.
B.D. Loncarevic [Geophysics/OceanographyEngineering Physics] (associate professor, 1965 - 1973): Marine geophysics.
R.H. March (assistant professor, 1965 - 1968; associate professor, 1968 - 1976; professor, 1976 - 1994): Experimental condensed matter physics.
D. Kiang (assistant professor, 1966 - 1969; associate professor, 1969 - 1978; professor, 1978 - 2001): Theoretical nuclear and particle physics.
R. Ravindra (assistant professor, 1966 - 1969; associate professor, 1969 - 1979; professor, 1979 - 1981): Geophysics, cosmology. Professor Ravindra subsequently moved to the then Department of Comparative Religion at Dalhousie University; he is now Professor Emeritus in Religious Studies.
D.J.W. Geldart, FRSC (assistant professor, 1967 - 1969; associate professor, 1969 - 1978; professor, 1978 - 1995; A.C. Fales Professor, 1986 - 1995; professor [research] 1995 - present): Many-body theory and applications.
R.D. Hyndman [Geophysics/Oceanography] (assistant professor, 1967 - 1972; associate professor, 1972 - 1975): Marine geophysics, geothermal and magnetotelluric measurements.
C.S. Lai (assistant professor, 1967 - 1969): Theoretical physics.
B.T.A. McKee (assistant professor, 1967 - 1968): Positron annihilation studies.
G.T Meaden (associate professor, 1967 - 1972): Electron transport in solids.
C.G. White (assistant professor, 1967 - 1979; associate professor, 1979 - 1995): Positron annihilation, solid state physics.
B.L. Blackford (assistant professor, 1968 - 1975; associate professor, 1975 - 1989; professor, 1989 - 1998; professor [research], 1998 - 2004): Superconductivity, low temperature physics, scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy.
J.P. Burgess [Engineering Physics] (assistant professor, 1968 - 1969).
D.F. Goble (assistant professor, 1968 - 1976; associate professor, 1976 - 2002): Statistical physics.
S.T. Nugent [Engineering Physics] (assistant professor, 1968 - 1977; associate professor, 1977 - 1989): Signal processing. Professor Nugent subsequently moved to the Electrical Engineering Department.
J.G. Cordes (assistant professor, 1969 - 1975; associate professor, 1975 - 2002): Quantum optics.
A. Levin [Engineering Physics] (professor, 1969 - 1980): Semiconductor physics.
W. Leiper (assistant professor, 1969 - 1975; associate professor, 1975 - 1980; professor, 1980): Mossbauer effect, magnetic materials.
P.H. Reynolds (assistant professor, 1969 - 1976; associate professor, 1976 - 1990; professor 1990 - 1996): Potassium-argon geochronology, paleomagnetism. Professor Reynolds moved to Dalhousie’s Department of Earth Sciences, where he is now Professor Emeritus.
A.M. Simpson (assistant professor, 1969 - 1976; associate professor, 1976 - 1989; professor, 1989 - 1998): Transport properties in solids.
J.O. Strom-Olsen (assistant professor, 1969 - 1970): Experimental solid state physics.
1970s
H.W. King [Engineering Physics] (professor, 1971 - 1983): Electrically conducting ceramics. Professor King subsequently moved to the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) as part of the Engineering Physics program; TUNS became Dalhousie’s Faculty of Engineering in the late 1990s.
R. Overstreet [Geophysics/Oceanography] (assistant professor, 1971 - 1972): Physical oceanography.
B.E. Paton (assistant professor, 1971 - 1977; associate professor, 1977 - 1985; professor, 1985 - 2005): Electronic transport in solids, fibre optics.
W.L. Silvert (associate professor, 1973 - 1974): Theory of superconductivity.
D.A. Tindall (assistant professor, 1977 - 1988; associate professor, 1988 - present): Magnetic properties of rare earths.
G. Stroink (instructor, 1973 - 1979; assistant professor, 1979 - 1983; associate professor, 1983 - 1988; professor, 1988 – 2007. Professor Emeritus, 2007): Magnetic field measurements, magnetic materials, biomagnetism, electro-physiological signals.
H.W. Jones [Engineering Physics] (professor, 1979 - 1983): Acoustics. Professor Jones subsequently moved to TUNS as part of the Engineering Physics program; TUNS became Dalhousie’s Faculty of Engineering in the late 1990s.
1980s
D.D. Betts, FRSC (professor, 1980 - 1994; Professor Emeritus, 1994 - present): Statistical mechanics, quantum spin systems. Professor Betts served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science from 1980 to 1988 and Dean of the Faculty of Science from 1988 to 1990.
R.A. Dunlap (assistant professor, 1981 - 1986; associate professor, 1986 - 1990; professor, 1990 - present): Magnetic, electronic and structural properties of solids, materials science.
G.A. Gumbs (assistant professor, NSERC University Research Fellow, 1982 - 1985): Condensed matter theory.
H.J. Kreuzer, FRSC (professor, 1982 - 2012, Killam Research Professor, 1982 - 90; Faculty of Science Killam Professor, 1995 - 2000, A.C. Fales Professor 1996 – 2006, Professor Emeritus, 2012 - present): Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, surface science.
K. De'Bell (assistant professor, NSERC University Research Fellow, 1985 - 1989): Statistical physics, solid state theory.
D. Labrie (assistant professor, 1987 - 1997; associate professor, 1997 - present): Semiconductor physics.
P. Chylek [Atmospheric Science] (professor, 1989 - 2003): Light scattering, clouds and aerosols, ice core analysis.
G. Lesins [Atmospheric Science] (assistant professor, 1989 - 1995, associate professor [research], 2005 - present): Climate dynamics, cloud physics, satellite remote sensing.
1990s
W. Hyde [Atmospheric Science] (Assistant Professor, 1990 - 1996): Climate modeling, Paleoclimatology
I. Folkins [Atmospheric Science] (Assistant Professor, 1993 - 1996; Associate Professor, 1996 - Present): Atmospheric Chemistry, Ozone Depletion
J.R. Dahn (Professor; NSERC-3M Canada Industrial Chair, 1996 - 2003; CRC Tier 1 2003 - Present): Materials for Advanced Batteries
U. Lohmann [Atmospheric Science] (Assistant Professor, 1997 - 2001; CRC Tier 2, 2002 - 2005; Now Adjunct Professor): Global Climate Modeling, Aerosol-Cloud Interactions, Climate Dynamics, Cloud Physics
I. Herbut (Assistant Professor, 1998 - 1999): Solid State Theory
K. Moriarty (Professor, 1998 - 2005): Mathematical Physics, Computational Methods. Professor Moriarty held an appointment in with Dalhousie’s Mathematics Department for many years before obtaining a joint appointment (50%) with Physics. He retired in 2005 and passed away in 2010 at the age of 70.
2000s
S. Bonev (Assistant Professor, 2004 – 2014): Theory of Electronics and Structural Properties of Condensed Matter Systems
R. Chang [Atmospheric Science] Assistant Professor 2014 – Present; Canada Research Chair in Atmospheric Science
J.R. Drummond [Atmospheric Science] (Professor, CRC Tier 1, July 2006 - present): Satellite measurement techniques; remote sounding and global change
T. Duck [Atmospheric Science] (Assistant Professor, 2002 – 2007; Associate Professor, 2007 – Present): Laser remote sensing of the Atmosphere
K. Hall (Assistant Professor, 2004 – 2009, Canada Research Chair in Ultrafast Science 2007-present, Associate Professor 2009 – 2015, Professor 2015): Ultrafast Dynamics and Quantum Control in Semiconductor Materials
K. Hewitt (Assistant Professor, 2001 – 2005; Associate Professor, 2005 – Present): Raman Scattering, Superconductivity and Combinatorial Materials Science
I. Hill (Associate Professor, 2003 – 2011, Professor 2011 – Present): Organic Electronic Materials and Devices
L. Kreplak (Assistant Professor, 2007 – 2014; Associate Professor 2011 – Present): Nanomechanics of Protein Filaments
J. Kyriakidis (Assistant Professor, 2002 – 2007; Associate Professor, 2007 – Present): Quantum Physics, Verification of Complex Embedded Systems
J. Maassen (Assistant Professor, 2015) Computational Materials Physics
R. Martin [Atmospheric Science] (Assistant Professor, 2003 – 2007; Associate Professor, 2007 – 2011; Professor 2011): Atmospheric Composition Modelling and Satellite Remote Sensing
T. Monchesky (Assistant Professor, 2003 – Present; Associate Professor, 2008 – 2015, Professor 2015): Properties of Magnetic Materials in Low Dimensions
H.H. Rotermund (Professor and Department Chair, July 2006 – Present): Spatiotemporal Pattern Formation and Surface Imaging
A.D. Rutenberg (Assistant Professor, 2000 - 2004; Associate Professor, 2005 – 2014; Professor 2014 - Present): Theoretical and Computational Biological Physics
M. Senba Professor [research]: Atomic Physics Theory and Experimental
Masayoshi Senba held an appointment as a Professor of Research in the department until he passed away in 2006.
S. Wells (Associate Professor, 2009 – Present; NSERC University Faculty Award 2000 – 2006; Joint Appointment with Physics and Dalhousie’s School of Biomedical Engineering): Biomaterials