The Messenger 03.19.10
“Self-Organization — Nature’s Intelligent Design” will be the topic of Dr. Julien Clinton “Clint” Sprott, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Wisconsin, when he speaks March 26 at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
His presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Watkins Auditorium of Boling University Center.
In addition to being part of the Academic Speakers Series, Sprott will be the keynote speaker for the meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers on campus.
“As our nation attempts to improve the performance of our young in math and science, it is important to have prominent scientists such as Clint Sprott utilizing their talents to unlock the world of physics and bring these wonders to the general community in an accessible and understandable manner,” said Dr. Dan McDonough, UT Martin Honors Programs director.
“It is rare that honors programs host a speaker on a weekend, but we are pleased to have such a program as part of the Academic Speakers Program and to work with the American Association of Physics Teachers in bringing Dr. Sprott to the campus and to the teachers and students of West Tennessee at large.”
Born in Memphis, Sprott received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree and a doctorate in physics from the University of Wisconsin. After serving as a research physicist in the Thermonuclear Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory from 1970-72, he joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, where he served from 1972 until his retirement in 2008.
He is the author of more than 300 articles and abstracts, mostly in experimental plasma physics and computational nonlinear dynamics, as well as six books.
In 1984, Sprott began a program, “The Wonders of Physics,” in which he attempts to generate interest in science and encourage young people to consider careers in scientific areas. In this pursuit, he has published four educational software packages and 26 educational videos and presented numerous lectures.