Serge Rudaz
Encyclopedia
Serge Rudaz is a Canadian
theoretical physicist
and Professor
of Physics
at the University of Minnesota
. He previously served as the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the University of Minnesota
's Physics Department, and is now the Director of Undergraduate Honors at the University of Minnesota
. Rudaz received his Ph.D.
in 1979 from Cornell University
and his undergraduate degree from McGill University
. He has a Hirsch number of 22.
second law
, but he has noted that in more advanced topics and particularly in quantum physics, "It's not just F=ma
!" Such an understanding of basic principles, he says, will prevent students from viewing physics as "an ad hoc collection of recipes." Rudaz is the recipient of the 1998 IT Best Instructor Award and the 1992 Outstanding Instructor Award, both from the IT Student Board of the University of Minnesota. On April 3, 2006, he was awarded the George W. Taylor/IT Alumni Society Award for Distinguished Teaching.
In the spring of 2007, Rudaz was named as the director of the University of Minnesota's new campus-wide Honors program, which began operation during the fall of 2008.
, an honor bestowed on "no more than one-half of one percent" of the society's membership. In 1985, Rudaz was the recipient of the Canadian Association of Physicists
Herzberg Medal. He is the only physicist in the Herzberg Medal's history from a non-Canadian institution.
Rudaz's research interests include:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
theoretical physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He previously served as the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
's Physics Department, and is now the Director of Undergraduate Honors at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. Rudaz received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1979 from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and his undergraduate degree from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. He has a Hirsch number of 22.
Teaching
Rudaz is a veteran instructor of physics. He finds it critical that students understand how more complex phenomena can be explained by the basic laws of physics. In introductory level courses, he emphasizes particularly Newton'sIsaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
second law
Newton's laws of motion
Newton's laws of motion are three physical laws that form the basis for classical mechanics. They describe the relationship between the forces acting on a body and its motion due to those forces...
, but he has noted that in more advanced topics and particularly in quantum physics, "It's not just F=ma
Newton's laws of motion
Newton's laws of motion are three physical laws that form the basis for classical mechanics. They describe the relationship between the forces acting on a body and its motion due to those forces...
!" Such an understanding of basic principles, he says, will prevent students from viewing physics as "an ad hoc collection of recipes." Rudaz is the recipient of the 1998 IT Best Instructor Award and the 1992 Outstanding Instructor Award, both from the IT Student Board of the University of Minnesota. On April 3, 2006, he was awarded the George W. Taylor/IT Alumni Society Award for Distinguished Teaching.
In the spring of 2007, Rudaz was named as the director of the University of Minnesota's new campus-wide Honors program, which began operation during the fall of 2008.
Research
In addition to being an instructor, Rudaz is a distinguished researcher. In 1995, he was Elected Fellow of the American Physical SocietyAmerican Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
, an honor bestowed on "no more than one-half of one percent" of the society's membership. In 1985, Rudaz was the recipient of the Canadian Association of Physicists
Canadian Association of Physicists
The Canadian Association of Physicists , or in French Association canadienne des physiciens et physiciennes is a Canadian professional society that focuses on creating awareness amongst Canadians and Canadian legislators of physics issues, sponsoring physics related events, and publishes Physics...
Herzberg Medal. He is the only physicist in the Herzberg Medal's history from a non-Canadian institution.
Rudaz's research interests include:
- unified theories of elementary particle interactions and their phenomenology, applications to cosmologyPhysical cosmologyPhysical cosmology, as a branch of astronomy, is the study of the largest-scale structures and dynamics of the universe and is concerned with fundamental questions about its formation and evolution. For most of human history, it was a branch of metaphysics and religion...
and the particleParticle physicsParticle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
/astrophysicsAstrophysicsAstrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
interface - relativisticSpecial relativitySpecial relativity is the physical theory of measurement in an inertial frame of reference proposed in 1905 by Albert Einstein in the paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies".It generalizes Galileo's...
many-body physics, including phase transitions in field theories at finite temperatureTemperatureTemperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
and densityDensityThe mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
; models of hadronHadronIn particle physics, a hadron is a composite particle made of quarks held together by the strong force...
ic interactions - physics of topological defect formation in the early universeUniverseThe Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
and in condensed systems