Professor Rex D. Ramsier

• B.S., University of Akron 1987, Physics
• M.S., University of Akron 1989, Physics
• Ph.D, University of Pittsburgh 1994, Physics

Rex received his B.S. in Physics here at the University of Akron in 1987, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a minor in Mathematics. Because of his involvement in research projects during his undergraduate years, he received an Ohio Board of Regents Graduate Fellowship which he chose to utilize to continue his studies here at the University of Akron. He graduated with an M.S. in Physics in 1989, having received a national American Vacuum Society graduate student award and a graduate internship at Wright Patterson Air Force Base during his Master's work. As a Ph.D. student in Physics at the University of Pittsburgh, Rex received a Mellon Predoctoral Fellowship in 1992 and was chosen as the national American Vacuum Society Varian Fellow in 1993. Following his graduation in 1994, Rex accepted a full-time position as Senior Scientist in the Materials Technology division of the Westinghouse Bettis lab, where his projects ranged from the environmentally-assisted degradation of high strength alloys to the design and outfitting of laboratories for infrared detector characterization. He resigned this position in 1996 to return to the University of Akron, where he currently holds the rank of Assistant Professor of Physics and Chemistry.

Most of Rex's academic research involves studies of the chemical reactivity of solid surfaces, with applications ranging from gas-sensor technology to corrosion prevention in water-cooled fission reactors. Rex has published more than thirty peer-reviewed research articles in the field of surface and interface science, and is the North-Central Regional Young Investigator of Sigma Xi for the year 2000. He is an active member of the Materials Research Society, the American Chemical Society, the American Vacuum Society, the American Physical Society, and Sigma Xi. In addition to research, Rex is actively involved in course and program development at the University of Akron to improve the quality of education for all of our students; from those in the General Education College to those in the Graduate School. He has also organized a variety of hands-on activities involving the surrounding communities to attract students ranging from the third to the twelfth grades into science and technology areas. Rex is presently involved in the Carnegie Teaching Academy initiative, and represented the University of Akron at a national forum on science education reform in 1999.

Visit Rex's homepage at http://nebula.physics.uakron.edu/~ramsierr/.