John B. Laird, Ph.D., Department of Physics & Astronomy

Getting involved in research is one of the most important parts of a student's development as a scientist. As a mentor I take very seriously the opportunity to engage a student in research to foster their intellectual growth, and also to provide encouragement and advice when needed. My research involves determining the chemical composition of stars through computer analysis of stellar spectra, so students who work with me typically learn new computer skills while getting experience with real data. They can easily contribute to the work by proposing and carrying out their own numerical experiments, to analyze the data or to understand spectral behavior. Students also develop their communications skills through oral and poster presentations of their results on campus, and possibly at a national meeting also.

laird@bgsu.edu
(419)372-7244
104C Overman Hall