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Gordon Cates is a Professor of Physics and Radiology, and first came to UVa during the summer of 2000 after
serving on the faculty at Princeton for just under 14 years. He does research in nuclear, atomic and medical physics and has taught a large variety of undergraduate courses. Currently Professor Cates' research focuses on fundamental questions concerning the structure of the neutron, as well as the use of laser-polarized noble gases for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
The course "Energy on this world and elsewhere" was developed by Professor Cates over a number of years, beginning with a freshman seminar he taught in the fall of 1999. It was first taught at UVa during the fall of 2001, and after receiving an enthusiastic reception, "Energy" was proposed and approved as a regular course for the fall of 2002. The topic of energy has long been an interest of Professor Cates, and with recent events over the last few years, the subject of the course has become increasingly topical. In addition to his teaching and research, Professor Cates has served on numerous national committees. Currently, he is serving on the American Physical Society's Public Policy Committee, and he has twice served on the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee's (NSAC's) working group that wrote five-year long-range plans for the future of nuclear science in the United States. NSAC is convened as a part of a joint effort conducted by the United States Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. |  |