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| Lynn
Higgs - Physics
Department |
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HIGGS: |
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My
name is Lynn Higgs. I work at the physics
department at the University of Utah,
and I am originally from Utah and I
got my undergraduate education here
at the physics department at the U of
U, I got my bachelors and then went
away and work at the naval weapons center
at Channel Lake CA, I was there for
a year. After that period of time I
was actually in the military served
in Vietnam for a year. I came back here.
My military occupational specialty was
actually a scientist. I had an S&E
(Science and Engineering), position
in the military while I was there in
Vietnam. I think my bachelors degree
in physics at that time was very advantages
because I was able to use that degree
to get a very good position in the military,
it worked out so that I came back after
that year in Vietnam, I spent 6 months
out of dog way in proving ground as
a scientist out there. During that time
I came back and did graduate work here
at the U of U and after 2 years I got
my masters degree in physics and my
interest at that time was physics education,
especially in astronomy. And so that
background really lead into what I do
today. |
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ASPIRE: |
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And
what kind of science do you do today? |
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HIGGS: |
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Actually,
my area of physics is still astrophysics
and my area of specialty I guess, I've
been an undergraduate advisor here for,
going on 25 years in the physics department
here and I'm still very interested in
physics education. I've established
a number of programs with AP physics
teachers in high schools and have a
network of associations with local physics
teachers. We have some incredibly fine
teachers in the physics programs in
the high schools and we have some others
that are fairly young and new to those
positions and so a lot of them out there
really need some help and we're trying
to establish a network and letting the
teachers know of what physics can do
for their students. Physics is an incredibly
powerful degree. I've seen in the last
few years such incredible opportunities
for students who are getting their bachelors
degree in physics. That is just very
exciting for me and I want to make sure
that, that message gets back out to
the high school physics teachers so
they better know how to council there
students and encourage them to go on
and maybe think about getting a degree
in physics. Actually a degree in physics
does not close any career doors. It
keeps everything open. Last year for
example we had two of our graduating
seniors apply to law school. Both of
them wanted to go into patent law, both
of them got accepted into Berkley and
Berkley is rated number one for patent
law. I'm close to this situation because
one of them happened to be my son and
in his acceptance letter it said that
they had 6,880 applicants and they only
admitted 270. And so two of those 270
is from our own physics department here
and they got their own bachelors degree
here. Amanda, last year, plus another
one of our graduating seniors, both
got into medical school positions. Amanda
got a full tuition scholarship at Columbia
plus she had many other offers, but
she took the one in Columbia, which
is rated #1 for medical school. So physics
not only places our bachelors recipients
into very good graduate physics programs
so that they can go on and become professional
physicists with PhDs, but we are placing
them into very respected professional
programs. So it's a very exciting time
for people who are majoring in physics
and that really, I guess, is my passion
to try and help the high school physics
teachers. Encourage them to enlighten
their students to the current atmosphere
of physics and what it can do for students
career. So that's my great love, as
well for astrophysics, I still love
that. |
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ASPIRE: |
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How
did you hear about the U of U? |
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HIGGS: |
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Well
actually it's where I got my own bachelors
degree and since I was born and raised
in Utah it was sort of natural for me
and even back in the early 60's when
I came here it was the flagship institution
and I hope it always remains that for
that state of Utah. The research that
we are doing here is absolutely 1st
class 1st year. This department alone
brings in more then 5 million dollars
for research funding per year. And so
we are able to have a very active, productive
research program that many professors
involve in 1st class research and it
runs the spectrum from high energy cosmic
ray, from experimental to theoretical
to condensed matter physics and everything
in between and it's just an exciting
place to be and a lot of exciting research
going on here. |
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ASPIRE: |
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So
what do you like best about your job? |
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HIGGS: |
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The
thing I like very best is talking with
the students. I have literally dozens
of students in my office every week
and helping them plan their schedule,
plan their future, just interacting
with them and interacting with the high
school students for the special program
that we come up when I'm able to visit
the high schools and just telling them
about physics and what it can do for
them is really, has become a passion
with me. I really enjoy doing that. |
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ASPIRE: |
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So
what do you like least about your job? |
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HIGGS: |
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I
cannot think anything that I really
do not like about this job. I enjoy
the department. I enjoy the manager
aspect of it and making sure the facilities,
and the scheduling of classes, and the
signing of teacher assistants, and making
sure that they did a functioning of
the department, and the educational
mission of the department is being fulfilled.
Those things are what really give it
such a variety that I really don't have
time to dislike anything. So, I think
we have some great people here, especially
right now and I just enjoy working with
them. |
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ASPIRE: |
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And
do you have any hobbies outside of your
science career? |
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HIGGS: |
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I
love reading. I love to read. I love
to go to dinner with my family. I love
the activities I have five children
and my wife and I just really enjoy
activities with them. Spending time
with them is what I like to do the most. |
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ASPIRE: |
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What
advice would you give to an aspiring
scientist? |
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HIGGS: |
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For
students in junior high and especially
in high school. I think that if they
have an interest in science and a love
for science and math that they really
need early on to take the courses that
will prepare to lead them into a science
career they need. We have some wonderful
programs in Utah schools where they
will let the students accelerate in
their math experience. If they can keep
their math interest up and take all
the math that they can in junior high
and high school and the physical science
courses and even the biological science
courses they are much better prepared
to attack a career in physics when they
get to a colleague level. Plus it's
much cheaper in high school and many
of the high schools have AP physics
programs, AP calculus, AP chemistry,
AP computer science. I really think
the AP program gives the students a
bit of an edge when they get to colleague.
Not so much that if a student doesn't
have it they cannot get into colleague
but it may save them a year of time
when they are working on their bachelor
degree. And honestly, as we all know,
time means money. I mean if they can
graduate a year sooner or maybe not
even graduate a year sooner but do a
double degree in physics and a degree
in math together or some other combination.
I even had a fascinating young man come
into my office, seven weeks ago., and
he wants a degree in physics, but his
other love is ballet and so the degree
we offer in physics is so flexible in
the electives that we were able to plan
out a program where in the remaining
three years that he will be here he
will be getting a degree in physics
and a bachelors degree in ballet. And
so I think combinations in that are
wonderful for students. If they come
in with a little bit of better preparations
with some AP courses and a lot of math,
as much science as they can get behind
them. They will be able to do combination
programs or graduate earlier or at least
in their last year maybe take some graduate
courses that will count for their graduate
program even though they are still senior
in a bachelors program. So there are
many options, the more they are prepared
coming in the more flexibility they
have. And anything about physics as
I say keeps absolutely every career
open for them. Whether they want to
go into a professional program or become
a professional physicist. It's just
really an exciting time for them. Many
opportunities for them. Summer programs,
summer research opportunities, becoming
involved even as an undergraduate with
some of the research programs we have
under this department. Those opportunities
are so available, and they are even
more available right now for young women.
There are many opportunities for them
even so, it's a wonderful time for a
young lady to consider a career in physics,
at least a bachelors degree, maybe like
Amanda did, go off and get a medical
degree. So it's just really a wonderful
time. |
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ASPIRE: |
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And
of course it's much better taking an
AP class in high school because it will
cost you much less money in taking the
AP class in high school than taking
the class in colleague. |
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HIGGS: |
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Oh
that's exactly right. That's a very
good point. Whatever one can do in high
school, as you say, the cost factor
is dramatic. If you can take three or
four AP classes in high school you're
literary saving probably three or four
thousand dollars in tuition. Plus a
year of time. |
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ASPIRE: |
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But
of course the AP tests in class, I mean
if you don't pass it then it doesn't
count ha ha…. |
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HIGGS: |
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Well
if you don't pass it then it doesn't
count however we find that the students
that have the AP experience, even though
they may have only gotten a two on the
test or really didn't even take the
test, the next time they take that material,
it is so much easier for them and it
much more solidifies that information.
It's really the 2nd time through the
main physics course or sequence the
students really learn that material
and have it a part of their thinking.
So even if that person does not pass
the test it may give them experience
so that they can take the next level
course as their entry point when they
enter colleague. So there are advantages
even if they don't pass the AP test.
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ASPIRE: |
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Okay,
so thank you for your time. |
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HIGGS: |
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Oh,
happy to talk with you. |
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ASPIRE: |
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It
was very interesting. |
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HIGGS: |
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Oh,
Thank you. |
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