Our Department

We study the Universe both to help solve the world’s problems and to open up new frontiers of understanding for humanity. Our enterprise is inherently global: we rely on the combined efforts of people from all over the world. It is also inherently open-minded: we embrace logical inquiry and empiricism, which unite us regardless of race, gender, sexuality, disability, and religious and political beliefs. We affirm the commitment of the department to maintaining a welcoming and protected space for science and thus for everyone who joins in our shared enterprise. This community page provides contact information for faculty, staff, and students who hold departmental positions that support this mission, as well as links to UNC resources ranging from confidential support to formal investigation of problems. We welcome input on further actions we can take to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in our department and in the larger world of physics and astronomy. We also thank the many members of our department who engage daily in creating a welcoming community.

Activity tables led by the Lopez, Kannappan, and Oldenburg research groups at the UNC Science Expo exploring the optics of feathers and butterflies, making construction paper galaxies with glue and glitter, and conducting laser experiments in a box.