| Title: | Professor |
| Dept: | Physics |
| Office: | SI 114 |
| Phone: | 216-687-2429 |
| Fax: | 216-523-7268 |
| Email: | U.ZURCHER@csuohio.edu |
| Address: | 2121 Euclid Ave. SI 114, Cleveland, OH 44115 |
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| Education: | ||||||||
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B.S., Physics/Mathematics/Astronomy, University of Basel (Switzerland), 1983
M.S., Physics/Mathematics, University of Basel (Switzerland), 1985 Ph.D., Theoretical Physics, University of Basel (Switzerland), 1989 | ||||||||
| Brief Bio: | ||
| After completing my undergraduate and graduate education in Theoretical Physics in Basel, Switzerland, I came to the US in 1990 as a postdoctoral researcher, working with Bob Silbey in the Chemistry Department at MIT, Charlie Doering in the Physics Department at Clarkson University, and Tom Keyes in the Chemistry Department at Boston University. | ||
| Honors and Awards: | ||
| Golden Key International Honour Society Honorary Member [2013] | ||
| Creative and Activities: | ||
| The paper on Viscoelastic Properties of Duct Tape written by Ashley Bown and U. Zurcher and Eur J Phys. 34, 1095 (2013) that grew out of a Inquiry in the Research Methods course [PHY301] and is part of the CSUTeach Teacher preparation program was recently discussed in the Forum on Education website of the American Physical Society [APS]
http://www.aps.org/units/fed/newsletters/fall2013/browsing.cfm | ||
| Research Interests: | ||
| (1) Nonlinear analysis of EKG time series of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and pseudoseizures. Characterize and quantify the nonlinearity of cardiac dynamics manifest in the variability of the heart rate. Research in collaboration with Drs. R. O'Dwyer and R. Burgess, Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic.
(2) Biomechanics of arboreal locomotion. Research in collaboration with Dr. A. Lammers, Departmenr of Health Science, CSU. (3) Various topics that emerge from teaching lower- and upper-level physics courses. Eg., models for nonequilibrium thermodynamics, motion of stars in elliptical galaxies, orbital motion etc. (4) Theoretical models for supercooled liquids and glasses. Robert Zwanzig proposed [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 85, 2029 (1988)] a simple model for the origin of super-Arrhenius temperature dependence of relaxation rates, r~exp[(e/T)^2]. Zwanzig's model describes the diffusion in a rough potential of a particle in one spatial dimension. I examine how this model can be applied to multi-dimensional systems. | ||
| Teaching Areas: | ||
| College Physics
I am interested in applying topics from algebra-based introductory physics to biology and medicine. Topics covered in PHY 231/2 include: How does the speed of walking and running depend on the size of the animal? Metabolism in mammals What limits the height of plants and trees? What is the role of surface tension to the physiology of lungs? Blood circulation in animals and insects Compound eye of insects (the list is expanding) Thermal Physics [junior-senior level] Electrodynamics [junior- senior level] Quantum Mechanics [junior-senior level] Theoretical Physics [junior-senior level] Computational Physics [junior-senior level] Research Methods course for CSUTeach program | ||
| Professional Affiliations: | ||
| American Physical Society, American Association of Physics Teachers
Secretary, OH Region Section American Physical Society | ||
| Professional Experience: | ||
| Postdoctoral Research at MIT [Bob Silbey], Clarkson University [Charlie Doering], and Boston University [Tom Keyes]
Lecturer, Science Department, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences 1997-1998 Lecturer, Physics Depratment, University of Rhode Island, 1999-2003 Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Cleveland State University, 2004-2009 Associate Professor, Department of Physics, 2009-present | ||
| Professional Service: | ||
| Co-organizer of the Fall 2005 Meeting of the OH Section of the American Physical Society
Co-organizer of the Fall 2015 Meeting of the OH Section of the American Physical Society | ||
| Community Service: | ||
| Judge at Science Fairs
Talks in Middle and High Schools CHAMPS Teacher Education | ||
| Research Grants: | ||
| Research Corporation - Cotrell Science Award [$35,000] (2006-2011) | ||