Gustavus Adolphus
College
Minnesota Board of Teaching
Program Approval 2006

Dr. Dennis Henry

Minnesota Board of Teaching                                                                                                                             3-99

1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville, MN 55113-4266

 

 

FACULTY VITA FORM

 

Name of Faculty Member: Dennis Charles Henry

 

Name of Institution: Gustavus Adolphus College

 

Title or Rank: Professor and Chair                  Field: Physics

 

Earned Degrees:        Ph.D. in Experimental Solid State Physics, University of Iowa (1978)

                                    M.S. in Physics, Purdue University (1970)

                                    A.B. in Physics, Wabash College (1967; Honor Scholar)

 

Professional Experience: (including preK-12 teaching or administration and college/university experience):

Academic Positions Held:

 

1979- Assistant Professor (1979-82), Associate Professor (1982-91) and Full Professor of Physics, Gustavus Adolphus College.  Department Chair (1988-97, fall semester 1999, 2001-present)

 

1993            Visiting Professor of Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, (fall quarter sabbatical appointment)

 

1979            Instructor of Physics (half‑time), Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

 

1976-78 Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant in Physics, Univ. of Iowa 

 

1970-76 Instructor of Physics and Mathematics, Highland Community College, Free­port, IL

 

Research, Consulting and Industrial Positions Held:

 

1980-           Consulting Physicist in the areas of applied physics, electromagnetic compatibility and interference, magnetic measurements and materials, and railroad gravity retarder yard control systems; Teltech/Intota expert

 

1989-92           Research Consultant, High Performance Inorganic Materials Project, Technology

Fall 2000     Development Laboratory, 3M Co., St. Paul, MN (summers)

 

1985-89       Visiting Scientist and Senior Research Physicist, Transportation and Control Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (sabbatical and adjunct appointment)

 

1981-96       Physics Text Reviewer to: Addison‑Wesley Co., Prentice-Hall, McGraw­Hill Publishing Co., Worth Publishing, Wm. C. Brown Publishers, Kendall/Hunt Publishing

 

1981-84 Senior Analyst and Editor, A. J. Hendry, Inc., Consulting Engineers to Railroads and Utilities, St. Paul, MN (part-time appointment)

 

1982-89       Physics Test Author, American College Testing Service (ACT)

 

1979                Space Physics Engineer II (half‑time), Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa

 

1969            Scientific Programmer, High Energy Physics Group, Purdue University                              (summer)

 

1968            Physicist, Quantum Electronics Group, 3M Co., St. Paul, MN (summer)

 

1967            Physicist, SNAP Project, 3M Co., St. Paul, MN (summer)

 

1966            Circuit Designer, Signal Department, Northern Pacific Railway Co.,                     St. Paul, MN (summer)

 

1964            Electronics Instructor and Technician, Hoosier Crown Corp. (summer)

 

1961-67 Part-time electronics technician and photographer during schooling.

 

Assignment:  Fill in percentages for all that apply.

100% Full-Time in Institution                            _____% Part-Time in Institution

_____% Assignment in Education                    _____% Assignment Outside Education

_____% Undergraduate Assignment                 _____% Graduate Assignment

_____% Administration                                     _____% Other (specify)_____________________

 

Load: (including teaching and administrative assignments):    For Academic Year 2005-06

List course numbers, titles, and credits for each semester.  Specify whether courses are undergraduate or graduate level.

Fall Semester:

            PHY240/241   Classical Physics III     1.50 course      undergraduate

            Department Chair

 

Spring Semester:

            PHY270/271   Electronics I                1.50 course      undergraduate

            Department Chair

 

Interim and/or Summer Sessions:

            Department Chair (no contract, however)

 

Name:  Dennis Charles Henry

 

Title:  Professor and Chair of Physics

 

1.     Non-class duties

Department Chair

Chair of Instructional Infrastructure Advisory Committee (2003-2005)

Member of Academic Operations Committee (2003-2006)

Faculty-student research (five students 2001-2005)

 

2.     Current Professional and Academic Association Memberships:

American Association of Physics Teachers (since 1966)

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (since 1985)

Electromagnetic Compatibility Society of IEEE (since 1985)

Minnesota Area Association of Physics Teachers (since 1979)

Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society (since 1978)

Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honor Society (inducted 1967)

Delta Phi Alpha, National German Language Honor Society (inducted 1965)

The Lexington Group in Transportation History (since 1982)

Minnesota Historical Society (since 1982)

 

3.     Current Professional Activities:

 

Referee, American J. of Physics and The Physics Teacher (1992-present)

 

4.     Sample Publications:

 

"Enhancing Electromagnetism Experiments with Clamp-on Ammeters", Dennis C. Henry, American Journal of Physics, Vol. 69 No. 1 (January, 2001)

 

Planning for Graduate Studies in Physics and Related Fields (Second Edition), Dennis C. Henry, Editor, American Association of Physics Teachers (2002)

 

"Resource Letter TE-1: Teaching Electronics", Dennis C. Henry, American Journal of Physics, Vol. 70 No. 1 (January, 2002)

 

5.     Sample Papers Presented:

 

Invited Paper “Examining the Role and Content of Physics Electronics Courses”, Dennis C. Henry, American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting, Boise State University, August 7, 2002

 

"Some Magnetics Tales and Demonstrations", D.C. Henry, Twin Cities Chapter IEEE-EMC Society, March 28, 2001.

 

"Some Implications of Electronic-Ballast Fluorescent Lighting for Physics Laboratories", D.C. Henry and C.J. Ginder, AAPT Summer Meeting, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, August 2, 2000.

 

6.     Current Research Emphasis:

 

Applied Physics

Magnetic Measurements and Materials

Electromagnetic Compatibility and Shielding Materials

Railroad Gravity Retarder Yards

North American Railroad History: 1934-present