Kerry Browne received his B.S from the University of Louisville in 1996. He received his M.S. in 1998 and his Ph.D. in 2002, both from Oregon State University. Kerry currently conducts research in two areas, physics education research and optical trapping. He has worked on a range of physics education and curriculum development projects involving both introductory student and physics majors. He began working at Dickinson College in 2001 as a post-doc, developing curriculum for non-science majors as part of the Explorations in Phyisics Project. He has maintained a collaboration with colleagues at Oregon State, and continues to explore the cognitive changes that students experience as they transition from being introductory physics students to physics professionals. Kerry's Ph.D. Thesis focused on students use of multiple representations in problem solving. This theme continues to pervade his thoughts on teaching physics.
Since joining the faculty at Dickinson, Kerry has rekindled the interest in laser trapping he developed during his masters work at Oregon State University. During the 2003-2004 academic year, he worked with two physics majors, Gina Troiano and Glen Wall, to construct an optical tweezers apparatus. This fairly simple device, utilizes the light pressure in a tightly focused laser to trap and manipulate microscopic particles. Over the next few years, he plans to develop a more sophisticated Holographic Optical Tweezer system. The extended capabilities of this new system will open the door to a variety of applications in optical trapping, biological physics and nanophysics.
When not at work, Kerry spends his time enjoying nature. He stays active hiking, backpacking, kayaking, cross-country skiing and rock climbing. He is the faculty advisor for the Dickinson College Outing Club and is actively involved in the Outdoor Pre-Orientation program. Kerry is currently building on his windsurfing and (admittedly small) sailing experience in hopes of sailing around the world someday.