Jerry Artz
Jerry Artz, a nuclear physicist, originates from Dayton, Ohio. He came to Hamline University’s Department of Physics beginning fall, 1977 after having obtained degrees from Cincinnati, Stanford, and Florida State, having done post-doctoral work at Minnesota, and having served a Visiting Professorial position at Notre Dame. His research experience was in Low-Energy Experimental Nuclear Physics. He has presented more than 40 papers at national and local physics meetings, industries, and universities. He has served as Scientific Advisor to Counsel for the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources for the U.S. House of Representatives. He has brought in over $300,000 of Federal and State grant money to Hamline.
Professor Artz’s main interest in Hamline is its emphasis in great teaching. The year of his arrival, he developed an “Energy, Environment, & the Economy” course which he taught not only for the CLA (more than 70 times) but also for the Elderhostel programs, Continuing Education, and the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) Program. Another noteworthy course was a MALS course that Professor Artz developed with the late Professor Mike Price entitled: “The Art of Science; the Science of Art.” Professor Artz has obtained numerous teaching awards including the Merrill C. Burgess Award for “Excellence in Teaching” in only his fifth year at Hamline. He also received the Hamline University Student Congress “Outstanding Teacher Award” in 1990, 1993, and 1995. Other awards include the Hamline University Alumni Association's "Outstanding Teacher" Award and Hamline University's "Faculty Advisor of the Year" Award. Professor Artz is an ardent supporter of arts, music, opera, and theater. Other hobbies include sports (especially tennis), traveling, stamps and coins. Professor Artz currently serves as Hamline University’s Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) and Hamline University’s Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Teaching areas include Energy, renewable energy sources, energy policies, nuclear physics, nuclear energy, current energy research, physics for non-science majors, advanced physics courses: Quantum Mechanics, Advanced Electromagnetism, Theoretical Mechanics.
What can students expect to learn from me as a teacher? Perhaps the first would be the big picture that includes the overriding concepts of physics - mechanics, electricity, sound and light, thermodynamics, relativity, quantum mechanics. But then second would be the details - i.e., the ability to break a problem up into parts, gather (if necessary) relevant laboratory data, and to solve it! Both take one heck of a lot of work and effort. Hopefully, students should have a better understanding of nature and have the necessary tools to make a difference. Our goal is to help students have many options once they graduate - physics, engineering, patent law, medical fields, mathematical and computer applications, etc.
"I love teaching! I love the classroom experience as an "arena of learning and inquiry." My classes tend to be highly rigorous; I would suspect that all instructors of every course at Hamline would say this. Students will need to work and study very hard. But at the same time, I try to give our students support so that if they need help, I am here to supply hints to help students help themselves. In other words, we are "partners" in learning. Through it all, we learn quickly that learning is an invaluable, challenging, rewarding, and even enjoyable experience that continues over one's lifetime."
- Jerry Artz
