Dr. Brian C. Thomas
Associate Professor
Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous. (From The Confucian Analects, c. 500 B.C.)
I declare this world is so beautiful I can hardly believe it exists. (From the Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Office Location: Stoffer Science Hall, Room 210B
Phone: 785-670-2144
Email: brian.thomas @ washburn.edu
Mailing Address:
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Washburn University
1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621
The gif on the right is an animation of a solution to the 2D wave equation PDE for a vibrating membrane from my PS365 course (Intro to Theoretical Physics, AKA Math Methods for Physicists). Made using Maple.
I lead the Washburn Astrobiophysics research group, which includes faculty and students here at Washburn. Broadly speaking, we study effects on the Earth's atmosphere and biosphere by astrophysical sources of radiation. We collaborate closely with the KU Astrobiophysics Working Group.
I am principal investigator on a 3-year, $500,000 grant entitled "Astrophysical Ionizing Photon Events and Primary Productivity of Earth's Oceans" which was recently awarded to WU in collaboration with the University of Kansas and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. The following articles discuss the project:
I appeared in a documentary first aired in September 2007 on the show "Mega Disasters" on the History Channel discussing my research group's GRB-mass extinction work.
A list of other news articles on my published research can be found here.
Download my CV (in PDF format - get the viewer if you don't have one... or just use a Mac already!)
Check out my publications (in pre-print form) on the arXiv, and my profile on Google Scholar
Interested in what some of my past students have to say about me and my teaching? Check RateMyProfessor.com
Want to know more about me? Start here:
Please note: any information from here on out is subject to the following disclaimer:
"The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the author. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by Washburn University."
So don't gripe to WU if you don't like my opinion on boiled sausages...
Physics and Astronomy Links
Astrobiology/Astrobiophysics Links
Some General Links
This page was last updated on 9/20/10 by Brian Thomas brian.thomas@washburn.edu
