Kentucky Wesleyan College

A United Methodist College

Buxton L. Johnson, Sr. Associate Professor of Physics Yu Hak Hahn Center for the Sciences  Office: H-204 Phone: (270) 852-3168 Fax: (270) 926-3196 E-mail: johnsonb@kwc.edu

Education

Ph.D., Experimental Nuclear Physics, University of Kentucky, 1994

M.S., Experimental Nuclear Physics, University of Kentucky, 1991

B.S., Physics, University of Kentucky, 1990

Teaching Experience

Kentucky Wesleyan College, 1995 to Present

Teach undergraduate courses in physics, mathematics, and statistics.  Present classroom material through lecture, demonstration, and simulation; direct laboratory experiments; assess student performance; offer regular study sessions; and assist students on an individual basis.  Actively integrate data acquisition and simulation modeling software into the laboratory.  See Why I Teach in Kentucky Wesleyan Today.  Courses include Introduction to Engineering, Introduction to Physics in Modern Medicine, Introductory General Physics I and II, General Physics I and II, Mechanics, Electronics, Modern Physics, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Analysis, and Differential Equations.  See My Courses for the current academic year.

Serve as academic advisor to physics and pre-engineering students as well as faculty advisor to the Kentucky Wesleyan Student Engineering Society.  Designed the new general physics and advanced physics laboratories in the Yu Hak Hahn Center for the Sciences.  Developed comprehensive PC-based laboratories which allow students to perform real time data acquisition experiments in classical and modern physics.  Maintain the physics laboratories..

Promoted to Associate Professor 2000.  Granted Tenure 2003. 

Brescia University – 1994 to 1995

Taught undergraduate courses in physics and mathematics.  Served as academic advisor to physics and pre-engineering students.  Maintained the physics laboratories.  Developed several PC-based laboratories which allowed students to perform real time data acquisition experiments in classical and modern physics.

Sabbatical Leave

Visiting professorship of physics teaching physics and conducting research during the upcoming 2008/2009 academic year.  Research will include:  (1) statistical and numerical analysis of the world muon lifetime experimental data for the μLan Collaboration to be conducted at the University of Kentucky Fundamental Interactions Group in Lexington, Kentucky; (2) experimental preparation for muon-deuterium solar studies for the μSun Collaboration to be conducted at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, Switzerland; and (3) experimental preparation for the fundamental neutron decay measurement to be conducted at the SNS ½ GeV proton beam accelerator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

Research Experience

Medical Physics Fellow for the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.  Spent the academic year focusing on clinical radiation therapy and dosimetry research. 1999-2000

Research Assistant for the University of Kentucky Fundamental Interactions Group.  Conducted nuclear muon capture research.  Developed the DISPLAY data acquisition and analysis system to perform nuclear physics experiments at remote laboratories. 1989-1994

Additional Experience

Traffic Engineering Technician for the Lexington-Fayette Co. Department of Traffic Engineering.  Focused on trouble determination and repair of traffic control equipment and video surveillance systems. 1993-1994

Scientific Programmer for Inco, Inc., a software engineering contractor for the Department of Defense. Tested software for upgrading the NORAD airspace detection, tracking and intelligence system. 1983-1984

Test Engineering Technician for Digital Equipment Corp., a manufacturer of mini and mainframe computer systems.  Assisted in the development of testing equipment for disk drive servo control boards. 1982-1983

Electrical Engineer for Eagle-Picher Industries, a manufacturer of Nickel-Cadmium cells for the Department of Defense.  Designed, fabricated, and tested industrial process control systems. 1980-1982 

Awards

Teacher of the Year, Kentucky Wesleyan College, 2003 and 2007

Who's Who Among America's Teachers, 2005 and 2007

Achievement in Education, Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, 2004  more

Recipient of ANN National Graduate Fellowship, 1991-1994

Recipient of University of Kentucky Graduate Fellowship, 1990-1991

Memberships

Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers – Student Engineering Society Advisor

The mission of the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers (K.S.P.E.) is to promote the ethical, competent, and licensed practice of engineering, and to enhance the professional, social, and economic well being of our members.  The KWC Student Engineering Society, in conjunction with the Green River chapter of K.S.P.E., regularly hosts events with professional engineers to promote engineering and mathematics education including National Engineers Day in celebration of Engineers Week and the Green River regional MathCounts competition.

American Association of Physics Teachers - Member

The American Association of Physics Teachers is the premiere organization representing and supporting physics and physical science teachers and teaching in the United States.

Creation Research Society - Member

The Creation Research Society (C.R.S.) is a professional organization of trained scientists and interested laypersons who are firmly committed to scientific special creation.  The society was organized in 1963 by a committee of ten like-minded scientists, and has grown into an organization with an international membership.