JACK S. SEMURA 

 

Research and Background

 


 

 

Home

Courses

Background & Research

Links

 

 

CURRENT INTERESTS

 

PRIOR RESEARCH  INTERESTS:

 

Statistical Physics, Evolutionary Computation, Maximum Entropy and Complex Systems: 

 

Application of maximum entropy; statistical distributions, statistical mechanics of entropy and information compression; computation in physical systems, evolutionary computation, cellular automata, genetic algorithms, percolation and connectivity, adaptive systems.

 

Collective Behavior and Phase Transitions

 

Statistical physics of phase transitions and critical phenomena, first order nucleated phase transitions, transient heat transfer in cryogenic liquids, applications of acoustics to tensile strength measurements in cryogenic liquids, homogeneous nucleation in liquids noble gases, quantum tunneling nucleation.

 

Generalized and Finite Time Thermodynamics

Generalized thermodynamics, applications of thermodynamics to the optimization of the performance of finite time thermodynamic cycles.

 

 

SCIENCE EDUCATION:

 

Experimental Course Design:

Designed and taught include the new courses: Fractals, Chaos, Complexity, Complexity and Beyond, and Complexity and the Universe I.

 

Teaching:

In addition to traditional physics courses, teaching with the experimental Science in the Liberal Arts Program and Science Cornerstone Program at Portland State University.  Associate member of the Science Integration Institute.

 

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

 

Portland State University Burlington Northern Award for Faculty Excellence, 1990.

 

Russell B. Scott Award

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, presented at the 1985 biennial Cryogenic Engineering Conference, August 1985, with David Lezak and Laird C. Brodie.

 

 

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

 

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Theoretical Solid State Physics.

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Pittsburgh, Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics.

 

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND:

Portland State University Physics Department

Professor of Physics, Department of Physics.

 

 

AFFILIATIONS:

 

System Science Signals and Processing Group, Science in the Liberal Arts Program, Science Cornerstone Program, Science Integration Institute.

 

Portland State University Environmental Sciences and Resources Ph.D. Program 

Professor, Joint Appointment, 1985-1997.

 

Los Alamos National Laboratory 

Affiliate (consultant) on disarmament research (chemical weapons convention verification), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, July 1993-1996

 

 

 

 


 

Professor

Department of Physics

Portland State University

Portland, OR 97207-0751

 

376 Science 2

Office (503) 725-4229 

Fax (503) 725-3888

 Email: SemuraJ@pdx.edu