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Kentucky Wesleyan College
A United Methodist College
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Dr. Buxton L. Johnson, Sr.
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Professor of Physics
Yu Hak
Hahn Science Center
Office: Hahn 204
Phone: (270) 852-3168
Fax: (270) 926-3196
E-mail: johnsonb@kwc.edu
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Profile
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Currently Ph.D. professor of
physics and director of the physics/pre-engineering program with extensive
experience teaching undergraduate physics, pre-engineering, and mathematics
as well as experience in electronics, applications programming, nuclear and
medical physics research, and statistical analysis.
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Education
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Ph.D.,
Experimental Nuclear Physics, 1994 University of Kentucky
M.S.,
Experimental Nuclear Physics, 1991 University of Kentucky
B.S.,
Physics, 1990 University of Kentucky
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Experience
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Professor of
Physics, Kentucky Wesleyan College
(Aug. 1995 Present)
Program
director for the physics major and dual-degree pre-engineering program. Develop/update
program curricula; recruit, mentor, and advisee students; oversee student
internships and directed studies; develop program learning outcomes and
assessment methods; and assess program outcomes annually. Work with other universities to ensure
our students transfer successfully into engineering programs or graduate
school. Annually attend the
engineering transfer conference at the University of Kentucky College of
Engineering. Work closely with math,
chemistry, and biology program directors and the division chair to develop
and implement science-math division initiatives, schedule classes and
laboratories; resolve conflicts; and participate in science career days,
open houses, and student activities.
Serve as the faculty member in the physics and pre-engineering
program. Participated in the MuLan Collaboration.
Teach
undergraduate courses in physics, mathematics, statistics, and
pre-engineering for the physics major and dual-degree pre-engineering
program as well as to support the math, chemistry and biology programs.
Instruct students through lecture, demonstration, simulation, and applied
activities; engage students during class utilizing
the Turning Point audience response system; maintain an online course site
with web-based homework and gradebook; design and
deliver web-based recitation sessions; direct
laboratory experiments; assess student performance; offer regular study
sessions; and assist students on an individual basis. Oversee teaching assistants who assist
with laboratories, class sessions, tutoring, and recitation.
In
collaboration with Ross-Tarrant Architects of Lexington, designed the
physics section in the Yu Hak Hahn Center for the
Sciences. Created the room layouts
for the general and advanced laboratories, office space, and small machine
shop; selected laboratory tables, stools, and office furniture; selected
and purchased laboratory apparatus including computer-interfaced systems to
allow students to collect real-time data for experiments in classical and
modern physics. Maintain the physics laboratories, office space, and shop
area.
Served
numerous times on two principal college committees: Educational Program
Review (EPR) and Faculty Professional Interests (FPIC). In collaboration with off-campus
consultants, members of EPR conduct a comprehensive 10-year review of each
academic program to study the curriculum, review student competencies,
analyze alumni survey results, assess the physical facilities/equipment,
and interview program faculty and selected majors. In addition, members of EPR evaluate the
General Education Program (GEP) and present an annual report to the
faculty. Members of FPIC are
concerned with the professional growth, development, and security of the
faculty, and make appropriate recommendations to the faculty and
administration. FPIC reviews criteria for salaries offered; faculty
appointments; faculty promotions in rank; policies related to sabbatical
leave and graduate study; policy of tenure; policies concerning academic
freedom; and policies relating to fringe benefits. Currently chair FPIC.
Serve as
faculty advisor to the student chapter of the Kentucky Society of
Professional Engineers (KSPE).
Co-coordinate the Green River MathCounts
annual competition though KSPE. Take
pre-engineering students to the annual engineering exposition at the
University of Kentucky College of Engineering.
Developed
the statistical model in SYSTAT to assess the effectiveness of
the GEP in writing skills, writing essay, mathematics, science, and
critical thinking. Developed
the High-Achiever Scholarship statistical model in SPSS to identify (and
award) returning sophomore students whose academic performance
significantly exceeded that observed for full-year freshmen students.
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Visiting
Professor of Physics, University of
Kentucky (Aug. 2008 Aug. 2009)
On leave during
the 2008/2009 academic year to the
University of Kentucky teaching
general physics, training in new teaching technologies, and
participating in muon physics research. Delivered lectures, simulations, and
demonstrations to large student audiences; utilized an audience response
system to engage students; employed multiple projection systems to deliver
content and do problem solving; developed online homework assignments with WebAssign; maintained an online course site with gradebook; and developed web-based recitation sessions
utilizing Adobe Captivate. Involved in computational analysis for the MuLan
Collaboration which reported in 2007 a muon
lifetime of τμ =
2.197013(24) microseconds utilizing ΅+ decay data taken at the
Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. The MuLan team
was working to reduce the uncertainty to 1-2 ppm. Developed
programs in C++ and ROOT to analyze and determine the zero time
calibrations for the 170 detectors utilized in the MuLan
experiment, and then characterized the statistical distribution of
coincidences between all detectors.
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Research
Fellow in Medical Physics, Vanderbilt Univ. Medical Center (Sep. 1999 Jun. 2000)
On leave during the 1999/2000 academic
year to the Vanderbilt
University Medical Center focusing on clinical radiation therapy and
participating in dosimetry research. The clinical component involved training
in the development of 3-D treatment plans for cancer patients as well as
the operation and testing of the linear accelerators used to deliver the
radiation treatments. Specifically,
the clinical experience included 3-D treatment planning; dose calculations;
Varis database record and verify system
operations; development of Infomaker reports to
query the Varis database; daily patient dose
checks; weekly patient chart checks; Varian Clinac
1800 (4x and 6/10x) and 2100C (6/18x) accelerator operations; accelerator
monthly checkouts; operation of the Wellhoffer
beam characterization water phantom; and assistance in commissioning a new
Varian Clinac 2100C accelerator. The dosimetry
research component involved measuring the dosimetry
parameters for the I-Plant 3500 seed.
The Implant Sciences I-Plant 3500 Iodine-125 radioactive seed was
being characterized at Vanderbilt for use in brachytherapy treatment
including the treatment of prostate cancer. Dosimetry
parameters, including the dose rate constant, radial dose function, and anisotropy
function, were measured for the new seed source in order to build a
three-dimensional dose distribution model.
Performed the experimental measurements utilizing Thermoluminescent Dosimeters (TLDs) to measure the dose
rate produced by the seed at specific radii and angles in tissue equivalent
material. Subsequently performed the
data analysis to construct the 3-D dose distribution model for the new
seed. This 3-D model was
incorporated in treatment planning computers. Patients first began treatment with the
new seed in early June 2000.
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Assistant
Professor of Physics, Brescia College
(Aug. 1994 Jul. 1995)
Taught
undergraduate courses in physics, mathematics, and electronics. Presented classroom material; directed
laboratory experiments; assessed student performance; and tutored students
on an individual basis. Served as
academic advisor to physics minors and pre-engineering students. Maintained the physics laboratories and the
reflecting telescope observatory.
Developed PC-based laboratories which allowed students to perform
real time data acquisition experiments in classical and modern
physics.
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Graduate
Research Assistant, University of Kentucky
(Jun. 1989 May 1994)
Developed
the DISPLAY data acquisition and analysis system which allowed scientist to
control nuclear physics experiments, acquire and process experimental data,
and perform various statistical and numerical analyses. The data
acquisition system was composed of a network of workstations, communications
interface, particle tracking system, gamma ray
detection system, and applications software. The communications interface
was used to transfer control commands and real time experimental data
between the network and the particle tracking and gamma ray detection
electronics. Following nuclear
reactions, the particle tracking system followed the trajectory of charged
particles and calculated each particles initial momentum and position. The
gamma ray detection system detected gamma rays following nuclear reactions
and calculated each gamma-rays energy, time, and intensity. Performed two large-scale nuclear muon capture experiments at the Tri-University Meson
Facility in Vancouver, B.C. to examine the nuclear structure of five light
nuclei: 19F, 23Na, 27Al, 31P, and 35Cl.
Utilized a novel experimental technique to measure the hyperfine
capture rates following muon capture to each of
the five nuclei, in order to test the Partially Conserved Axial Current
(PCAC) hypothesis. Acquired and
analyzed muon capture time and energy data,
performed advanced gamma ray spectroscopic analyses of the observed nuclear
reactions, and utilized various statistical and numerical analysis
techniques to extract the hyperfine capture rates. These capture rates were compared with
1s-0d shell model calculations showing good agreement with the PCAC
hypothesis.
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Articles
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V. Tishchenko et al. (MuLan
Collaboration), Detailed Report of
the MuLan Measurement of the Positive Muon Lifetime and Determination of the Fermi Constant,
Physical Review D 87,
052003 (2013) link
D. M. Webber et al.
(MuLan Collaboration), Measurement of the Positive Muon Lifetime
and Determination of the Fermi Constant to Part-per-Million Precisions,
Physical Review Letters 106, 041803 (2011) link
D.M. Duggan and
B.L. Johnson, Dosimetry of the I-Plant Model 3500 Iodine-125 Brachytherapy Source, Medical Physics 28, 661-670 (2001) link
B.L. Johnson, T.P. Gorringe, D.S. Armstrong, J. Bauer, M.D. Hasinoff, M.A. Kovash, D.F. Measday, B.A. Moftah, R.
Porter and D.H. Wright, Observables in muon
capture on 23Na and the effective weak couplings ga and gp,
Physical Review C 54, 2714-2731 (1996) link
T.P. Gorringe, B.L. Johnson, D.S. Armstrong, J. Bauer, M.A. Kovash, M.D. Hasinoff, D.F. Measday, B.A. Moftah, R.
Porter and D.H. Wright, The Hyperfine Effect in μ-
Capture on 23Na and gp/ga, Physical Review Letters 72,
3472-3475 (1994) link
T.P. Gorringe, B.L. Johnson, J. Bauer, M.A. Kovash, R. Porter, P. Gumplinger,
M.D. Hasinoff, D.F. Measday,
B.A. Moftah, D.S. Armstrong and D.H. Wright, Measurement
of Hyperfine Transition Rates in Muonic 19F,
23Na, 31P, and natCl,
Physics Letters B 309, 241-245 (1993) link
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Courses
Taught
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Physics 1301 Introduction to Physics in
Modern Medicine
Physics 1302 Physics and the Arts
Physics 1401 Introductory General Physics I
(w/ lab)
Physics 1402 Introductory General Physics II
(w/ lab)
Physics 2404 General Physics I (w/ lab)
Physics 2405 General Physics II (w/ lab)
Physics 3301 Electricity and Magnetism
Physics 3302 Mechanics
Physics 3401 Electronics (w/ lab)
Physics 3408 Modern Physics (w/ lab)
Physics 4301 Introduction to Quantum
Mechanics
Engineering 1301 Introduction to Engineering
Engineering 1306 Computer
Graphics/Communication
Engineering 2321 Statics
Engineering 2411 Design of Logic Circuits (w/
lab)
Mathematics 1400 Probability and Statistics
(w/ lab)
Mathematics 3321 Statistical Analysis
Mathematics 3301 Differential Equations
Mathematics 4303 Partial Differential Equations
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Skills
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Research Analysis using SPSS, SYSTAT,
and ROOT: CERNs Object-Oriented
Data Analysis Framework
Programming in C++, Visual Basic,
and Fortran; System Operations in Linux
and Windows environments
Instructional
Technology in WEBASSIGN, TURNINGPOINT, TURNITIN, DATASTUDIO,
and AUTOCAD
Productivity
with Adobe CAPTIVATE and
Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
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Achievements
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Visiting
Professorship in Physics,
University of Kentucky, 2008-2009
Teacher
of the Year, Kentucky
Wesleyan College, 2007
Achievement
in Education, Kentucky
Society of Professional Engineers, 2004
Teacher
of the Year, Kentucky
Wesleyan College, 2003
Research
Fellow in Medical Physics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1999-2000
Recipient
of ANN National Graduate Fellowship,
1991-1994
Recipient of
University of Kentucky Graduate Fellowship, 1990-1991
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Memberships
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Acknowledgement
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I would like
to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me the opportunity and
ability to learn and explore His creation.
Proverbs 3:6.
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The views and opinions
expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The
contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by Kentucky
Wesleyan College.
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Math & Physics
Department | Physics | Engineering (dual-degree) | Mathematics | KWC
Student Engineering Society
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Send comments and questions to: johnsonb@kwc.edu
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