Bob Meyer

I have been interested in soft condensed matter physics since grad school, meaning that I study things like liquid crystals, colloidal solutions, and polymers.   I have studied magnetic and electric field effects, phase transitions, defects and textures, and flow effects in liquid crystals, using polarized light microscopy as my main tool.  I have also been interested in exploring the basic physics of these systems, discovering novel phenomena including ferroelectricity and flexoelectricity in liquid crystals, meaning that these fluid systems can exhibit electrical polarization either spontaneously or due to mechanical distortions of their structure. Much of the physics of liquid crystals that I have studied is relevant to their main application in display devices for television, cell phones, and notepad computers.  Recently, I have been studying liquid crystal aspects of materials relevant to biology, including solutions of virus particles that aggregate to form intricate and beautiful structures.

I especially enjoy teaching laboratory based classes, and building the experimental apparatus for these labs.  I have developed advanced undergraduate labs including experiments like Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, chaotic oscillations, laser tweezers, and light scattering. I have developed the lab equipment and syllabus for a course in the optics of high resolution microscopy, in which students build microscopes on an optical bench and study fluorescence techniques that are important to modern biological microscopy.  I have also taught a course in Ancient Roman Technology, emphasizing how the Romans accomplished many of their impressive achievements.  The course goes beyond describing technologies, but engages students in quantitative reasoning and hands-on experimentation to understand and experience the subject matter of the course.

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to be involved in consulting on the physics of liquid crystals, helping companies develop new applications, and helping them defend their patents in legal disputes.

I especially enjoy gardening.  Recently this has included developing a small inexpensive greenhouse for starting vegetable garden plants in the very early spring, and extending the growing season into the late fall.  My wife and I also enjoy collecting day lilies, beautiful flowers of which there are hundreds of cultivars available.