Physics Reunion to be Held March 28-29

Guilford will hold its biennial Department of Physics reunion March 28-29, featuring numerous presentations by department alumni and the 12th Sheridan A. Simon Distinguished Alumni Lecture.

Events will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday, March 28, with breakfast in the dining hall (located in Founders Hall), followed by a morning of presentations by physics department alumni in the Founders Hall Gallery. Alumni will discuss their professional lives as Guilford physics graduates and the projects they've researched. Because physics department alumni have pursued such a variety of professions, these talks will cover a broad spectrum of topics. Following lunch in the dining hall, the presentations will continue throughout the afternoon.

At 3 p.m. in the Founders Hall Commons, a reception will honor Sheridan A. Simon and this year's lecturer, Ginger Clasby '75. Clasby's talk, "Faith in the Future: Our Challenge to Make More with Less," will begin at 4 p.m. in the Gallery and will address innovative ways to conserve natural resources. It is free and open to the public.

Clasby followed her bachelor's degrees from Guilford in math and physics with a master's degree in industrial engineering from Arizona State University. She is the executive vice president of business development at Promedica International, a contract research organization providing clinical research services for the medical device, biotech and pharmaceutical industries.

The lecture series honors Sheridan A. Simon, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., who taught physics at Guilford from 1974 until his death in 1994. An acclaimed teacher, he was one of the first college educators nationally to foresee the utility of computer software packages in helping students master basic science concepts. Simon had a passionate interest in science fiction; he not only wrote and published science fiction but also designed physically plausible planets for other writers. He helped create the honors program at Guilford and was named Jefferson-Pilot Professor of Physics in 1993.

Alumni presentations will continue in the Gallery on Saturday morning. For a full schedule and additional information, please visit https://www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/GUL/events/GUL2153968.html.

For more information about Sheridan Simon, visit http://www.guilford.edu/academics/departments/physics/intro.html.

Mar. 28, 2008