Radford University

Radford University Physics

Dept. of Chemistry and Physics

Radford University Planetarium

R.U.S.M.A.R.T. page

Dr. Herman's homepage

 

Dr. Rhett Herman-Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • PhD: Physics-1996-Montana State University
       Thesis title: "Generalized DeWitt-Schwinger Point-Splitting Expansions for the Charged Scalar Field in Curved Space"
       Advisor: William A. Hiscock
  • MS: Physics-1991-Montana State University
  • Matriculated: 1985-1988 Wake Forest University School of Medicine
  • BS: Physics & Chemistry-1985-Wake Forest University

Publications

  • “As simple as possible,” The Physics Teacher, 40, 21 (March 2002)

  •  “An introduction to electrical resistivity in geophysics,” American Journal of Physics, 69 (9) 943 (2001)

  •  Answer to the question “What causes objects such as stars and black holes to spin?” published by Scientific American magazine on their website (http://www.sciam.com) under their refereed “Ask the Experts” web-based column (http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/index.html). My response, written with Dr. Tsunefumi Tanaka, is on their web page at http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/physics/physics51/physics51.html. Answer posted on March 1, 1999.

  • Answer to the question “How fast is the earth moving?” published by Scientific American magazine on their website (http://www.sciam.com) under their refereed “Ask the Experts” web-based column (http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/index.html). My response is on their web page at http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/astronomy/astronomy31/astronomy31.html. Answer posted on October 26, 1998.

  • “A method for calculating the imaginary part of the Hadamard Elementary function G(1)(x,x’) in a static spherically symmetric spacetime,” Physical Review D58 084028 (1998)

  • Answer to the question “What is ‘dark matter’? Is it theory or fact?” published by Scientific American magazine on their website (http://www.sciam.com) under their refereed “Ask the Experts” web-based column (http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/index.html). My response, written with Shane L. Larson of Montana State University, is on their web page at http://www.sciam.com/askexpert/physics/physics43/physics43.html. Answer posted on June 15, 1998.

  • “Renormalization of the charged scalar field in curved space,” Physical Review D53 3285 (1996) (with William A. Hiscock)

  • “Discharge of a Reissner-Nordström black hole within the event horizon,”, Physical Review D49, 3946 (1994) (with William A. Hiscock)

  • “Strength of the mass inflation singularity,” Physical Review D46, 1863 (1992) (with William A. Hiscock)

Meetings Attended and Papers Presented (most recent)

  •  “Small Scale Structure of the Sea Ice Near Barrow, Alaska” talk presented at the 2007 Joint Assembly of the American Geophysical Union, Acapulco, Mexico, May 22-25 2007.

  •  “Electrical Resistivity and Archaeology Near Barrow, Alaska” poster presented at the 2007 Joint Assembly of the American Geophysical Union, Acapulco, Mexico, May 22-25 2007 (with Anne Jensen).

  •  “An affordable multilead seismic array for geophysics labs,” talk presented at the CS-AAPT, Towson University, Towson, MD, March 2007.

  •  “Relativity in almost-everyday life,” talk presented at the CS-AAPT, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, October 2006.

  •  “Electrical resistivity studies of the Nuvuk area near Barrow, Alaska,” talk presented in conjunction with Dr. Anne Jensen of the Ukpeagvik Inupiat Science Center, September 23, 2006.

  •  “Capacitively Coupled Resistivity Survey of the Polar Sea Ice Near Barrow, Alaska” poster presented at the 2006 Joint Assembly of the American Geophysical Union, Baltimore, MD, May 23-26 2006.

  •  “Learning Astronomy at the Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory” talk presented at the combined CS-AAPT and the Washington Academy of Sciences “Capital Sciences 2004 Meeting”, NSF Headquarters, Washington DC, March 2006.

  •  “The Future of the Saltville Battlefields: A Report on the American Battlefield Protection Program Mapping Project” presented at the “Saltville Symposium 2005,” Saltville, VA, October 1, 2005; with Dr. Robert C. Whisonant, Dr. C. Clifford Boyd, Jr., Alex Elvis Badillo (RU student), Angela M. Dautartas (RU student), Kristen L. Stevens (National Park Service)

  •  “Electrical resistivity surveying of Civil War earthworks,” invited talk given to a group of Arlington citizens, Arlington County staff and members of the National Park Service who form an ad hoc committee on Civil War preservation in the area. This talk was given during their monthly brown bag lunch, held at Fort C. F. Smith. August 1, 2005.

  •  “Iron Artifact Conservation—Science on the Cheap” talk presented at the combined CS-AAPT and the Washington Academy of Sciences “Capital Sciences 2004 Meeting”, NSF Headquarters, Washington DC, March 2004.

  •  “Physics and Meteorology—Lessons Learned by All Involved” talk presented at the CS-AAPT Meeting, Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach, Virginia, November 2003.

  •  “A Quick Digital Camera Adapter for a Telescope” demo presented at the CS-AAPT Meeting, Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach, Virginia, November 2003.

  •  “Electromagnetic methods in geophysics and their field applications,” invited talk presented at the annual meeting of the West Virginia Association of Professional Soil Scientists, Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, June 2003.

  •  “A semester project for electricity in introductory physics—some examples,” talk presented at the CS-AAPT Meeting, Radford University, Radford, Virginia, October 2002.

  •  “Loud and clear,” talk presented at the Chesapeake Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (CS-AAPT) meeting, Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland, April 2001

Publications (Proceedings)

  •  “Learning Astronomy at the Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory” Proceedings of Capital Sciences 2006, The Washington Academy of Sciences, March 2006.

  •  “Iron Artifact Conservation—Science on the Cheap” Proceedings of Capital Sciences 2004, The Washington Academy of Sciences, March 2004.

  •  “Establishing and utilizing a nature conservancy for education, research, and outreach,” Greening of the Campus conference, Bowling Green State University, September 2001 (with Judy H. Neihaus, Ivan B. Liss, Patrick Mikesell, Richard Roth, Grace Edwards, Stephen Lenhart, Charles Brouwer)

  •   “The Radford University Radio Jove project”, Virginia Journal of Science 51 (2), 67 (Virginia Academy of Science, 2000), with K. C. St. Clair, Jason B. Shelton, Leigh A. Kitts, and Rian Q. Everett.

Other Presentations

  •  “The Civil War Battlefields at Saltville, Virginia: Mapping, Archaeological, and Geological Investigations,” with Dr. Robert C. Whisonant, Geology, and Dr. Cliff Boyd, Anthropology. Public talk for the Radford University Museum of the Earth Sciences Lecture Series, February 12, 2007. 

  • “Renormalization in quantum field theory,” talk for the Radford University Society of Physics Students (SPS) Physics Lecture Series, November 10, 2006.

  •  “Electrical Resistivity Study of the North Polar Sea Ice Near Barrow, Alaska” 2006 Radford University Faculty/Student Collaborative Grant Presentation, April 19, 2006

  •  “Creating a System for Receiving and Processing Weather/Environmental Data from Earth-orbiting Satellites,” 2003 Radford University Faculty Lecture Series, March 24, 2003

  •  “Aqua Validation Launch” live web broadcast in conjunction with the NASA Goddard Special Projects Initiative Office, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, California, May 2 2002. My 30-minute segment involved the “Physics of Rockets” and an interview with Mr. Stan Saloff, a rocket engineer with Boeing who works on their “Delta” series of rockets. The webcast is archived at http://aqua.nasa.gov .

Awards

  • “Donald N. Dedmon Distinguished Teaching Professor Award,” Radford University, May 2007

  • “Dr. Preston Durrill Academic Advising Award 2003,” Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society

  • “College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award 1999-2000,” Radford University, May 2000

  • “Frank R. Haig Prize” for the best paper from a four-year college, awarded at the Chesapeake Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers Meeting, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia, November 1999

  • “Douglas Eardley Prize for Best Research Talk” (by a student), awarded at the 10th Pacific Coast Gravity Meeting, Oregon State University, March 1994

Alternate doctoral thesis titles!