McCracken, Michael
Areas of Study
Michael McCracken is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics. His research is in the field of nuclear physics, specifically hadron spectroscopy. By performing experiments at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News, Virginia, Dr. McCracken studys the interaction between quarks and gluons, the fundamental components of more familiar systems such as protons, neutrons and atomic nuclei. He is a member of both the CLAS and Glue-X Collaborations, two experiments at the forefront of nuclear physics research. His physical interests are not limited to this field, and in the future, he would like to pursue interests in other fields such as cosmological and statistical simulations and quantum information. He also very interested in the study of physics pedagogy, specifically the efficient integration of laboratory and lecture experiences.
Dr. McCraken's particular interests in the classroom include classical and quantum mechanics, mathematical methods and application of computer-based simulation and analysis to problems typical of the standard physics curriculum. He is excited to develop courses which introduce student to all of the facets of scientific method.