Jenzabar University

Jason Neiser is an associate professor of physics, and was named a Centre Scholar in 2014. He joined the Centre faculty in 2006.

Neiser’s current research interests involve the design and construction of fiber lasers that are capable of producing pulses with a duration on the order of femtoseconds. Being built entirely from fiber, these lasers are typically more compact, more robust, and less expensive than alternative systems, while still delivering excellent beam quality and efficiency.

Neiser graduated summa cum laude from Centre College with degrees in physics and mathematics and earned a Ph.D. from The Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester.

To read about Neiser’s 2010 summer optics research in New York, click here.

Email: jason.neiser@centre.edu

File last updated: 5/2/13

Jim Kelly is an associate professor of physics who joined Centre’s faculty in 2008. Before coming to Centre, he taught mathematics and physics at Bellevue College in Washington and mathematics at the University of Washington. He was a staff scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, and he was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin’s Institute for Phenomenology.

Kelly’s academic interests include radar signal and image processing, nonlinear dynamics and fractal geometry, mathematical physics and particle physics. His articles have been published in Physical Review, Physics Letters, and Inverse Problems.

He graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a B.S. in physics. He then earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University of California at Davis and later an M.S. in mathematics from the University of Washington.

Email: james.kelly@centre.edu

File last updated: 8/27/15

Philip Lockett is professor of physics at Centre College. He has taught full-time at Centre since 1990 and had prior teaching assignments at the college from 1971-72 and 1980-84. In 2005 he received the Kirk Award for teaching excellence.

Dr. Lockett performs research in the field of astrophysics. He theoretically models astrophysical masers. These are intense beams of radio waves that are the radio frequency analog of lasers. Astrophysical masers are produced in a number of different astrophysical environments, such as star-forming regions, circumstellar envelopes of dying red giant stars, and supernova remnants. Successful modeling of the masers allows the physical conditions in these regions to be discovered. His research has involved Centre students.

He has received grants from the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium and Kentucky EPSCoR to purchase computer hardware and software essential for the conduct of his research. He has presented the results of his research at meetings of the American Astronomical Society and the Kentucky Association of Physics Teachers. He has published the results of his maser research in the Astrophysical Journal.

He received his B.A. in physics from Centre College, an M.S.E. degree in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Kentucky. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

To read about Dr. Lockett’s published work, click here.

Email: phil.lockett@centre.edu

File last updated: 5/1/13

Bruce Rodenborn joined Centre as assistant professor of physics in 2014.

He received a B.A. in psychology from the University of Missouri, a B.S. and Ph.D. in physics from University of Texas at Austin.

Email: bruce.rodenborn@centre.edu