IBHE approves physics PhD

The University's physics department became one of a kind last week after the Illinois Board of Higher Education approved its applied physics doctorate - the only such program in Illinois.

Previously, SIUC only had a master's program, which hindered its ability to compete for research grants or attract strong physics professors, said Aldo Migone, chairman of the department. Migone said the program, which should be in place by fall 2005, is expected to help push SIUC toward the goals of "Southern at 150."

"Southern at 150" is the University's plan to become a top 75 public research institution by its 150th birthday in 2019. In the plan's documents, the University outlines eight peer institutions, including Oklahoma State, Auburn and West Virginia University, which SIUC hopes to compete with for research grants.

Because physics is the center of basic science, Migone said, it was going to make it tough for SIUC to become one of those leading researchers without this approval. "Every peer institution has a doctoral physics program. Now we have one," Migone said.

The University brought in a national science consulting group in 2003 to evaluate its research capabilities. In the report from the Washington Advisory Group, it stated the physical sciences, including physics, is crucial to increasing research dollars.

The consulting group applauded the University's efforts to create the doctoral program. "You cannot really hope to be a leading research institute without having a doctoral program in physics," Migone said.

The proposal for the doctorate program has been around for years, said Jack Parker, Dean of the College of Science, but now that it's in place, it will help the University.

"This puts us with the group of people we want to be a part of," Parker said. In the 1970s, the physics department had 24 faculty members, but by the time Migone arrived in 1986, only 14 professors remained. Since then, budgets have waned and other cutbacks have taken their toll forcing the department down to a small nine faculty members. Even though strategic hires have helped boost that number to 11, the department is still the lowest among its peer institutions. With the approval of this program, the department is planning to hire three more professors, Migone said.

The search for new professors is already underway and Parker said he believes the University will be more attractive for competitive faculty with the new program. "It's much easier to hire the kind of faculty you want with programs with Ph.D.s - much easier," Parker said.

He also said the program might not have been possible without the help of the senior administration in Anthony Hall. Although Migone expects the program to flourish, it is going to take time, but soon enough, it also will help the rest of the department.

"As the amount of doctoral students goes up, then the general stability will go up," Migone said.