Ben Olsen

How do you describe the liberal arts?

The liberal arts (and sciences!) involves learning deeply about topics you find interesting, and also learning about some of everything else. This gives your chosen field context, history, and deeper meaning, which not only deepens your expertise, but lets you approach new challenges with a larger variety of tools. My goal is for students to be able to apply physics thinking to all sorts of scenarios in their lives.

What do you enjoy most about Lewis & Clark Students?

They’re an ambitious bunch, no matter what they came here to do. I love hearing about their interests outside of class, and I’m impressed by their wide range of talents.

How does Lewis & Clark prepare students interested in your field to pursue a career and/or advanced studies after graduation?

The physics curriculum covers all the main subjects of modern physics, preparing students to reason about all sorts of situations. Our electives get students experience applying their knowledge to the real world, and exploring topics ranging from black holes to biomedical imaging to quantum computing. A physics major learns a lot of lab skills like electronics and 3D printing that would also be useful for engineering careers.

What sets your department or program apart from other small liberal arts colleges?

At Lewis & Clark, the physics department works hard to build community within the physics major, as well as involving students in the future directions of the department. We host a weekly Physics Study Lounge where faculty and students can talk informally about physics, the Physics Club has regular meetings and lots of yearly events, and we poll student interest when planning future advanced electives.

What should incoming students know about L&C?

Come talk to your professors! We’re here to help you learn, and that works best when we get to know you better. One of the primary reasons to choose a liberal arts and sciences school is the access students have to faculty, and we love it!

What brought you to L&C?

I love teaching and mentoring students about as much as I enjoy doing research. That balance is best matched by being a professor at a small liberal arts college. The inclusive culture at Lewis & Clark stood out to me, and I really wanted to contribute to this community. It didn’t hurt that campus is so pretty and Portland is a nice place to live.

What’s your favorite spot on campus?

I’m in my happy place in the lab. Even though it’s in the basement, with no windows, and undecorated concrete walls, it’s where my research students and I go to learn new things about the Universe, and measure things nobody else has measured before (the lasers are also really cool).

What’s your favorite thing about living in Portland?

I like how close we are to all sorts of different resources and activities. It’s just a quick trip downtown, or to a state park, or to great music venues. It feels like we have a nice balance between city and nature (and there’s a lot of good food around).

What’s the best thing about conducting research with students?

I really like the moment when I can see it all come together for a student—when they start having new ideas about a topic, and think about it in a completely different way than I do. It’s great when my students surprise me!

Describe your involvement with summer research. What should incoming students know about this work?

In the lab, we need all sorts of projects to make the experiment work: from lasers to python coding, electronics to plumbing. I can always find a project that matches your interests and talents to the group’s research needs.

Share something you think your students would be surprised to learn about you.

I played bass in a rock cover band when I was in grad school.

Physics