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The Third Piece: Computational Science

Within the sciences, there has typically been a delineation between two broad camps; theoreticians and experimentalists.  Over the last two decades, a third branch has sprung up to fill a void that remained.  These are the computational scientists.  Using theoretical formulations as inputs into computer-based algorithms, these researchers attempt to couple pure theory and experiment in ways that guide efforts and minimize unnecessary work. 

Dr. Ridwan Sakidja, an Associate Professor in our department, is one of these.  He stops by this week to chat about his research and the successes he and his collaborators have recently seen.

Dr. David Cornelison has been working as an educator and scientist in Arizona and Missouri universities for the last 32 years. From 2010-2018, he was the head of the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science at Missouri State University. His research interests lie at the intersection of experimental condensed-matter physics and astrophysics, while his educational efforts have focused on outreach to the K-12 school system. Most of all, he believes in curiosity-driven learning in the sciences and all other fields.