School of Applied and Engineering Physics

School of Applied and Engineering Physics
Name	School of Applied and Engineering Physics
Established	19XX
Type	Academic unit
Parent	Cornell University
Location	Ithaca, New York
Dean	John Doe
Website	Official site

School of Applied and Engineering Physics is an academic unit within Cornell University located in Ithaca, New York that integrates applied physics, engineering, and materials science to address technological challenges in energy, optics, and nanoscience. The school traces its intellectual lineage through connections with Sibley College, Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education, and collaborations with Bell Labs, IBM Research, and National Institute of Standards and Technology.

History

The school's origins are linked to early 20th-century initiatives involving Sibley College, Ezra Cornell, Andrew Dickson White, and the establishment of technical instruction at Cornell University, with developments influenced by exchanges with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and University of Chicago. Mid-century growth was propelled by partnerships with Bell Labs, Sandia National Laboratories, Argonne National Laboratory, and federal programs such as the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. In recent decades, the school's trajectory intersected with major projects at Brookhaven National Laboratory, collaborations with IBM Research and Google Research, and appointments of scholars who were previously associated with institutions like Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley.

Academic Programs

The school offers undergraduate and graduate degrees interfacing with departments such as Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Cornell Engineering. Undergraduate curricula include majors cross-listed with College of Engineering and programs tied to Materials Science and Engineering, Applied Physics, and honors tracks modeled after offerings at Caltech and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Graduate programs confer Ph.D. and M.S. degrees, with research rotations and thesis supervision linked to faculty who have joint appointments with Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell Tech, and national laboratories such as Brookhaven National Laboratory. Professional development integrates seminars drawing visiting faculty from Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and industrial partners including Intel, Qualcomm, and Microsoft Research.

Research Areas

Research spans condensed matter physics, optics, nanotechnology, quantum information science, and energy conversion, with projects connected to work at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and collaborations with DARPA. Programs address photonics and metamaterials influenced by researchers from Bell Labs, Harvard University, and MIT, while efforts in quantum materials build on theoretical frameworks from Princeton University, University of Chicago, and Columbia University. Energy research encompasses photovoltaics and battery science with ties to Argonne National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and corporate partners such as Tesla, Inc. and Siemens. Interdisciplinary centers convene themes from Materials Research Laboratory, Kavli Institute, and initiatives with CERN-affiliated researchers.

Faculty and Administration

Faculty include professors with prior appointments at Harvard University, Stanford University, Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, and Yale University, alongside researchers who have held fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Simons Foundation. Administrative leadership has engaged with offices at Cornell University, partnerships involving Cornell Tech and Weill Cornell Medicine, and advisory boards populated by alumni and industry leaders from Intel, IBM, and Google. Visiting scholars and postdoctoral fellows commonly originate from Max Planck Society, ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, and University of Oxford.

Facilities and Laboratories

Laboratories include cleanrooms and nanofabrication facilities linked to the Nanofabrication Facility and the Cornell Center for Materials Research, as well as optics labs housing ultrafast laser systems comparable to installations at Fermilab and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Experimental platforms support work with superconducting circuits, cold atoms, and nanophotonics, leveraging instrumentation developed in collaboration with NIST, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and industrial partners like Applied Materials. Shared resources and core facilities foster joint projects with Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell Veterinary School, and spin-off incubators with connections to Cornell Tech and the New York State Business Incubator.

Admissions and Student Life

Admissions follow standards coordinated with Cornell University undergraduate and graduate offices, attracting students formerly enrolled at institutions such as MIT, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London, and offering fellowships from organizations including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the Fulbright Program, and the Hertz Foundation. Student life features graduate student groups that collaborate with national societies like the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America, and the Materials Research Society, and campus activities integrating resources at Ithaca Commons, Cornell Botanic Gardens, and athletic facilities associated with Schoellkopf Field.

Category:Cornell University