Who I Am

I am excited to be your instructor for PHYS/ETHN 120 this semester. I took my very first physics class at the University of North Texas (in Denton, Texas) and later moved to the University of Texas at Austin to get my B.S. in Physics and B.A. in Astronomy in 2002. Following that, I went to the Ohio State University where I eventually completed my PhD in physics in 2010, specializing in computational condensed matter research.

More recently, I lived in Illinois where I did research Argonne National Laboratory and taught at Benedictine University and then in Indiana where I taught at Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus, IN. Since moving to Kenosha to be at Parkside, I've also had the privilege to become director of a small astronomical observatory) near campus  (you should come check it out!). Besides a great enthusiasm for physics, I also enjoy reading about and discussing philosophy, stargazing and telescope observing, making music, gardening, and dancing socially.

Photos of me doing things I enjoy:

Doing Computer Research with a Student	Performing an Experiment with a Student	Looking in the Eyepiece of a Telescope	Playing My Acoustic Guitar	Testing Sundials on the Northern Solstice

Instructor Name: William Parker

Email Address: parkerw@uwp.edu

Phone: (262) 425-0775

Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 am - 12:20 pm Central Time

Office Location: my personal Webex roomLinks to an external site.

Observatory Hours: Tuesday 9:00 - 10:00 pm Central time (walk in, weather permitting)

Observatory Location: Hawthorn Hollow 880 Green Bay Rd Kenosha

Preferred method of contact: Canvas message or on Collaborate Ultra

E-mail Timing Expectations:

• My goal is to respond your e-mails within 36 hours Monday through Thursday during the workday. If you e-mail Thursday afternoon, you may not hear back from me until Tuesday morning. Do not expect to receive a reply to your e-mail sent the afternoon or hour before class starts: I have other classes from midday until our class begins in the evening. Bring pressing issues to office hour Thursday afternoon.

• If an e-mail is long or the question you raised complex, I will ask you to talk to me live online about it. You do not need to e-mail to request permission to come to office hours.

E-mail Writing Advice:

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2015/04/16/advice-students-so-they-dont-sound-silly-emails-essayLinks to an external site.

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