CURRICULUM VITAE

 

Jeffrey A. Collett, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Physics

Lawrence University

Appleton, WI

 

 

 

College:                      ST. OLAF COLLEGE, NORTHFIELD, MN, B.A., Physics, Mathematics, 1972-76. Magna Cum Laude. Departmental distinction in both physics and Mathematics, Elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

 

Graduate School:       UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, SCHOOL OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY MINNEAPOLIS, MN, no degree, Physics, 1977-78.  Teaching assistant.

 

                                    HARVARD UNIVERSITY, CAMBRIDGE, MA, A.M. (1978), Ph.D. (1983), Physics, 1977-83.  Experimental Condensed Matter Physics.  Worked with Professor Peter S. Pershan and Professor Robert J. Birgeneau (MIT) on measurement of phase transitions in freely suspended liquid crystal films and correlations with theories of dislocation mediated melting in two dimensional solids.

 

Ph.D. Thesis:              X-ray Scattering Study of Liquid Crystal Thin Films

 

Postdoctoral Work:    IBM THOMAS J. WATSON RESEARCH CENTER, YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY, Physical Sciences Department, 1983-84.  Worked with Dr. Paul M. Horn on development of X-ray scattering techniques for use in investigation of phase transitions in adsorbed gas monolayers on single crystal surfaces.  The techniques are also applicable to structural evaluations of thin epitaxial layers such as semiconductors grown with Molecular Beam Epitaxy or thin layers of high Tc superconductors.

 

Industrial Work:        IBM APPLICATION BUSINESS SYSTEMS DIVISION, ROCHESTER, MN, Electronic Packaging Technology Development, 1984-1992.  Activities included evaluation of accelerated testing techniques, solder joint and connector reliability evaluations and selection of first level packaging technology for future systems.  Received an Outstanding Technical Achievement Award for the introduction of compliant‑pin technology in AS/400 products.  Final position was Advisory Engineer with responsibility for future high performance system packaging definition.

 

Teaching:                    ROCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ROCHESTER, MN, 1989.

                                    Taught Modern Physics course in pre-engineering curriculum. 


Teaching(cont.):         ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY, ST. CLOUD, MN, 1992-1994.

                                    Assistant Professor of Physics, Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Engineering Science. Fixed term appointments teaching introductory physics for biomedical science majors, advanced E&M for Physics and Electrical Engineering majors, and Modern Physics.

 

                                    ST. NORBERT COLLEGE, DEPERE, WI, 1994-1995.

                                    Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physics, Division of Natural Sciences.

                                    Taught Introductory Physics sequence.

 

                                    LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY, APPLETON, WI, 1995-present.

                                    Assistant Professor of Physics, Physics Department.

                                    Teaching in all areas of the Physics Department

 

Other Appointments: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE, WA, March, 1999-June, 1999.

                                    Visiting Scholar, Physics Department

Used optical techniques to study phase diagrams of binary mixtures of liquid crystals in the hexatic phase.

 

Professional Organizations:

                                    American Physical Society        Division of Condensed Matter Physics

                                                                                    Division of Materials Physics

                                                                                    Forum on Education

                                                                                    Forum on Physics and Society

                                                                                    Group on Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

                                    Council on Undergraduate Research

                                                                                    Physics Councilor

                                                                                    Current Chair of Physics/Astronomy Division

 

Research Interests:   Studies of hexatic ordering in liquid crystals with X-ray Diffraction.  I have developed an   X-ray scattering system based on a Bruker GADDS.  Software developed locally allows visualization of scattering in three dimensions in reciprocal space.  With IDL utilities we can extract data along any line or in any plane in reciprocal space. This system  is used to measure order in hexatic phases of liquid crystals.   

 

Research Support:     Received $5000.00 Research and Training Grant from Exxon Educational Foundation                                       for use in 1996.

 

                                    $30,000.00 University Startup Funds

 

                                    Research Corporation Departmental Development Grant

 

                                    Research Corporation Cottrell College Science Award for $36,150 (May, 1996)

 

                                    Petroleum Research Fund Type G grant for $20,000 (June, 1996)

 

                                    CUR Materials Science Linkage Grant for $800.00 (June, 1999)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

1.  "Synchrotron X-Ray Study of Novel Crystalline-B Phases in Heptyloxybenzylidene

      Heptylaniline (7O.7)", J. Collett, L.B. Sorensen, P.S. Pershan, J.D. Litster, R.J.

      Birgeneau, and J. Als-Nielsen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 49, 553 (1982).

2.  "Synchrotron X-Ray Study of the Thickness Dependence of the Phase Diagram of Thin Liquid

      Crystal Films", J. Collett, P.S. Pershan, E.B. Sirota, and L.B. Sorensen, Phys. Rev.

      Lett. 52, 356 (1984), and 52, 2190(E) (1984).

3.  "Dislocation Model for Restacking Phase Transitions in Crystalline-B Liquid Crystals",

      J.P. Hirth, P.S. Pershan, J. Collett, and L.B. Sorensen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 473

      (1984).

4.  "X-Ray Scattering Study of Restacking Transitions in the Crystalline-B Phases of

      Heptyloxybenzylidine Heptylaniline (7O.7)", J. Collett, L.B. Sorensen, P.S. Pershan, and

      J. Als-Nielsen, Phys. Rev. A 32, 1036 (1985).

5.  "X-ray Studies of Tilted Hexatic Phases in Thin Liquid Crystal Films", E.B. Sirota, P.S.

      Pershan, L.B. Sorensen, and J. Collett, Phys. Rev. Let. 55, 2039 (1985).

6.  "X-ray and Optical Studies of the Thickness Dependence of the Phase Diagram of Liquid

      Crystal Films", E.B. Sirota, P.S. Pershan, L.B. Sorensen, and J. Collett, Phys. Rev. A

      36, 2890 (1987).

7.  "SMT Solder Joint Reliability on Flexible Circuitry", J. A. Collett, Proceedings of the

      IPC Semi‑annual Meeting, Chicago, April, 1988.

8.      “Structural Study of the Smectic-I to Smectic-F Transition in Freely Suspended Liquid Crystal Films”, J. A. Collett, P. T. Kondratko, and M. E. Neubert, Phys. Rev. E 62, 6760 (2000).

 

 

Recent Presentations

 

1.      “Three Dimensional Visualization of Diffuse Scattering in Liquid Crystals”, James Truitt, J. A. Collett, and Michael Stenner,  March Meeting of the American Physical Society, Los Angeles, March, 1998.

2.      “Study of the Smectic-I to Smectic-F Transition in TB10A”, P. T. Kondratko and J. A. Collett, March Meeting of the American Physical Society, Atlanta, March, 1999.

3.      “Structures of Smectic-I and Smectic-F Phases of TB10A”, J. A. Collett, presented as the weekly research seminar at the Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, August 11, 1999.

4.      “Structural Study of the Smectic-I and Smectic-F Phases in Freely Suspended Films”, P. T. Kondratko, J. A. Collett, M.E. Neubert, March Meeting of the American Physical Society, Minneapolis, March, 2000.

5.      “X-ray Measurements of Correlation Lengths in Hexatic Phases Using an Area Detector”, Joshua D. Cross, Jeffrey A. Collett , and  Mary E. Neubert, March Meeting of the American Physical Society, Minneapolis, March, 2000.