Alan Middleton is an associate professor in the Physics Department
at Syracuse University.
Biographical information:
Prof. Middleton grew up in Portland, Oregon. He received a B.S. in Mathematics
and Physics from
Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California
(1984) and attended graduate school at Cambridge University
and Princeton
University (Ph.D., 1990). He was employed as
a researcher at Syracuse University and the NEC
Research Institute, in Princeton, New Jersey. He joined the
faculty of Syracuse University in January, 1995.
Teaching:
Professor Middleton's teaching interests include
instructing non-scientists on
scientific topic of general interest and
the use of computers for distributing information and
performing simulated demonstrations. He has developed
a new course, Computers and Science,
in collaboration with Simon Catterall, taught Freshman Forum, and a graduate seminar. This past Summer, he was Scientific co-organizer of
the Boulder School in Condensed Matter and Materials
Physics.
Research:
Professor Middleton's research interests include
condensed matter theory, which is the basic study of material substances, including
their magnetic and electrical properties, and computational physics.
He has worked on superconductors
and "quantum dots".
A particular focus of his research is how simulations on a computer
are conceptually related to physical processes.
Professor Middleton has been awarded an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship
and research grants from the National Science Foundation.
Personal:
His other activities include bridge, birding, basketball, and
entertaining his daughter and son.
