Nick Giordano

BS ’73, Physics, Purdue University
PhD ’77, Engineering and Applied Science, Yale University

"I benefited from my dedicated teachers at Purdue, where my time as a student prepared me extremely well in several ways."

An expert in nanoscale physics, musical acoustics, and the physics of musical instruments, Nick Giordano is dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics and a professor of physics at Auburn University, an appointment that began in 2013 after a long career of distinction on the physics faculty at Purdue University.

Giordano began his academic journey at Purdue as an undergraduate, where he earned his bachelor of science in physics with honors. He returned to his alma mater in 1979 as an assistant professor after serving on the faculty at Yale University, where he received his PhD in engineering and applied science. While at Yale, Giordano began exploring mesoscopic, or nanoscale, metal structures — a research interest he pursued for 25 years, and which led to his selection as a fellow of the American Physical Society.

In 2004, Giordano became the Hubert James Distinguished Professor of Physics at Purdue, and in 2007, he began his tenure as head of the Department of Physics. He has published more than 150 scientific papers and is equally devoted to his research and to science education in general. Giordano counts mentoring students and young faculty among the greatest rewards of being a faculty member. He is the author of three pedagogical books: Computational Physics with coauthor Hisao Nakanishi; College Physics, Reasoning and Relationships; and Physics of the Piano.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Fellow of the American Physical Society, 1991
• Recipient of the McCoy Award, 1992, and the Murphy Award, 1993, Purdue University
• Indiana Professor Year, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 2004
• Head, Department of Physics, Purdue University, 2007–2013
• Dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics, Auburn University, 2013–Present