You're already familiar with the warm smile he brings to class every day, a sign of his enthusiasm for the subject. If you're a Physics major, chances are you've taken Electromagnetism with him. I caught UP (get it?) with Dr. Christopher Stanton to learn a little more about him.
UP News: So, you're actually a Gator yourself! You went to UF for your undergraduate degree, correct? How has the UF Physics department changed since you were here?
Stanton: It's certainly gotten bigger. More people (from undergrads to post-docs to professors) are in the department. There's, of course, the new building.
UP: Isn't the old building used for Journalism or something now? How does it stack up to NPB?
S: The old building is now home to Geology. It was OK, but NPB is much nicer. Everything's newer and better
UP: How do the research facilities compare?
S: There's ample research space in NPB, which allows for a rise in research conducted by professors and students. But if you check back with the Geology building, you'll still find some low-temperature labs, and the like.
UP: Has the emphasis on what's taught in the Physics curriculum changed much over the years?
S: Not really. Most of the curriculum on the undergraduate level is the same as it was before; it's kind of how the discipline works. You need to be at a graduate level to really delve into forefront topics.
UP: Is anything else different?
S: Well, our SPS chapter is much bigger. Back then it was a small group, but what SPS members used to do was have Friday night Happy Hour, with drinks and popcorn. Maybe hang out at the library. And in the old days, the professors would actually drink and talk with the students at Happy Hour; some professors who've been here for a while may remember that.
UP: Do you have any hobbies?
S: Yes, I bike a lot.
UP: I'm noticing you have your road bike here, but ever do mountain biking?
S: Sometimes. I'll go hit some dirt trails on a bike or on foot. I also enjoy hiking the canyons out west.
UP: What motivated you to start doing physics?
S: I don't know. I just always liked science and math... and I didn't want to become a medical doctor (laughs).
UP: What kinds of things are you working on now, and how do students contribute?
S: I work in the field of theoretical condensed matter physics, studying the electronic, optical, and transport properties of semiconductor heterostructures and nanostructures.
UP: (long silence) Wow!
S: A lot of different things need to be accomplished for any given project, so that's where undergrads, grads, and post-docs come in: they'll all work on separate pieces of a problem, and the pieces will be glued together for a certain project.
UP: Do you have any advice on getting research material published?
S: I think the best thing is to start early: as an undergrad, start to do research. This will greatly increase your chances of getting something respectable published. For example, a student was working for me last semester doing research, and it turned out that his results were quite novel, so he got to publish a nice piece on it. Also, starting to do research early can lead to some great papers later on, even if the research you initially start doing doesn't give extraordinary results. At least you'll have the experience under your belt.
UP: (At this point, Dr. Stanton is noticing my '05 Society of Physics Students T-shirt, featuring caricaturized quarks).
S: That's a very cool shirt. I have one like that which I tend to wear on the weekends. People come up to me and say, 'That's very cute, what does it mean?' So I tell them, 'Well, it has to do with particle physics!', and they're like 'Mehhh...' (laughs). It's definitely a fun shirt.
UP: People think the quarks on mine are M&M's but... Anyway, congratulations on becoming a father! Do you think you'll try to motivate your daughter to go into physics?
S: It's way too early to tell. It doesn't matter to me as long as she's happy. I mean, you should be happy doing what you're doing, whether it's football, physics, or whatever.
UP: Any last words of advice for undergraduate Physics majors?
S: Really, make sure this [Physics] is something you want to do. Find something you like within the whole field of physics, whether it be making calculations or working in the lab, and do that. If you like what you're doing and you're excited and passionate about it, then keep doing it.
UP: I've actually met a lot of ex-Physics majors, who tried to do the curriculum for a while but gave up.
S: Well, it is a lot of work. Physics is tough! And if you're not entirely excited about it, it's going to be harder to succeed. But if you genuinely enjoy it, keep working at it.
The following pictures were uncovered during an archeological dig in the SPS lounge. Spotted in the pictures are a young Dr. Stanton. Unfortuantely, the results of our carbon dating tests have proven inconclusive as to whether the images are from Stanton's undergraduate career (he graduated from UF with high honors as a physics major in 1980) or during his early years as a professor (he rejoined UF in 1988 as an assistant professor.)
