"Physics constitutes a logical system of thought which is in a state of evolution, whose basis (principles) cannot be distilled, as it were, from experience by an inductive method, but can only be arrived at by free invention."
-Albert Einstein
Meet the Physics Department
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Rodney Bain
Office: ROM 74
Phone: 496-1912
Email: bainr@byui.edu
Brother Bain was born in Boston and raised on the East Coast. He received his BS, MS, and PhD in Aerospace Engineering (specializing in Astronautical Engineering) from the University of Colorado. He is a retired Air Force officer and has taught at numerous institutions for the last thirty-four years. Before coming to BYU-Idaho thirteen years ago, Brother Bain taught at the Air Force Institute of Technology that served graduate students from various United States services and foreign countries for six years. Brother Bain enjoys teaching, scripture study, science, mathematics, and his four grandchildren. His great delight: "It is a joy to see the bright spark of understanding in the eyes of a student after their struggle to comprehend the nature of their environment."
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Evan Hansen
Office: ROM 180
Phone: 496-1978
Email: hansenev@byui.edu
Brother Hansen grew up in the Midwest, living in Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Colorado. He served a mission in Seoul, Korea. He received his BS in Physics and graduated with Honors from BYU. He received his MS and PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. He worked in nanotechnology for Intel as a Senior Process Engineer for seven years before coming to BYU-Idaho. He and his wife Stacey met at BYU on the Ballroom Dance Team. They have four children. Brother Hansen enjoys hiking, reading, skiing, golfing, fishing, and traveling.
Richard Hatt
Office: ROM 110
Phone: 496-1894
Email: hattr@byui.edu
Brother Hatt received his BS, MS, and PhD in Physics at Brigham Young University. He taught at Southern Oregon University for two years before coming to BYU-Idaho and has taught here since 2002. Brother Hatt grew up in the Salt Lake area and served his mission to Chicago. He enjoys BYU-Idaho because the professors are cooperative and the students are dedicated. In his free time, Brother Hatt works on finishing his basement, gardening, and playing with his daughter, Sabrina.
Kevin Kelley
Office: ROM 184
Phone: 496-1910
Email: kelleyk@byui.edu
Brother Kelley was born and raised in Shelley and Idaho Falls, Idaho. He attended Ricks College and served in the Canada Winnipeg Mission. After graduating from Ricks College, he and his wife Kimberlee were married in the Oakland Temple. Brother Kelley completed his education (BS, MS, PhD) at the University of California, Davis, and conducted research in nuclear astrophysics and radiochemistry at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. He and his wife have three children. In his spare time, Brother Kelley enjoys reading, music, and outdoor activities.
Todd Lines
Office: ROM 176
Phone: 496-1919
Email: linest@byui.edu
Brother Lines grew up in Utah. He served in the Costa Rica, San Jose Mission, spending most of his time in Panama. Brother Lines completed a BS in Physics from BYU. He received his MS and PhD in Physics from New Mexico State University. He has worked for the Army Research Laboratory and for several major defense companies. Past experience includes work on the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Satellite System (NPOESS) and in designing experimental and commercial laser radar systems. He worked in atmospheric science and remote sensing for ITT Industries in Rochester, NY, for six years before coming to BYU-Idaho. He and his wife Christine met at BYU. They have three children. Brother Lines enjoys hiking, camping, reading, music, art, and spending time with his family.
Stephen McNeil
Office: ROM 175
Phone: 496-1927
Email: mcneils@byui.edu
Brother McNeil was born in Inglewood, California and grew up in Ogden, Utah and Placerville, California. He served a mission to Curitiba, Brazil. He was married in the Salt Lake Temple to Rosemary Tenorio and has three sons. He earned his PhD from Brigham Young University in Physics and Astronomy. His dissertation focused on evidence for supermassive Black Holes at the center of galaxies. He enjoys outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and rock hounding.
Ryan Nielson
Office: ROM 186
Phone: 496-1916
Email: nielsonr@byui.edu
Brother Nielson received his BS from Utah State University in Physics. He completed a MS from Utah State University in Physics (Aeronomy). After graduate school he worked for the micro-meteorology lab as USU and then taught for one year at Southern Utah State College and has since taught at Ricks/BYU-Idaho. He was raised in Manti, Utah, and served in San Jose, California and Guadalajara, Mexico as a missionary. Brother Nielson enjoys shooting, model rockets, lapidary and silverwork, and hunting. He and his wife Darla currently have five hobbies - four daughters and one son.
David Oliphant
Office: ROM 182
Phone: 496-1917
Email: oliphantd@byui.edu
Brother Oliphant began teaching physics at BYU-Idaho in the fall of 2000. He completed his BS and MS at BYU. There he was president of the Astronomical Society and was Senior Systems Engineer for the GoldHelox project. He is interested in the way x-rays and electrons interact with matter. He is also interested in computer modeling. In particular, he is interested in developing methods that can extract more information from the given set of measured data. Brother Oliphant served a mission to Richmond, Virginia. A few months after his return, he met his wife Leslie in an Astronomy class at BYU. They have been seeing stars and discussing Physics ever since. They have four children who love to help in the garden, read books, learn, and play.
Brian Pyper
Office: ROM 116
Phone: 496-1925
Email: pyperb@byui.edu
Brother Pyper grew up in Salt Lake City as the eldest of eight children. He served a mission to the England London South mission. He received his BS in Physics with Minors in Math and Music from BYU in 1991. He received his MS in Physics from the University of Utah in 1995. He taught in the Salt Lake City area for five years and performed with the 23rd Army Band for 15 years. He received his PhD in Physics from Utah State University in 2003 and has been teaching at BYU-Idaho since1999. His wife, Heidi, was a previous backup singer for Barry Manilow, and they have three children. He loves music (especially low brass and bagpipes), amateur radio, rock climbing, mountaineering, back-country skiing, scouting, fishing and hunting, scale modeling, reading, and fitness.
Brian Tonks
Office: 114
Phone: 496-1921
Email: tonksb@byui.edu
Brother Tonks was born and reared in Teton Valley. Science always fascinated him and he had a chemistry set and microscope before the age of 12. He found his love of Astronomy through two events that occurred when he was 12: he took the Astronomy merit badge class at scout camp and the first Apollo moon landing. He began preparing for a career in Astronomy by majoring in Physics at Ricks College. He transferred to BYU, where he completed his BS in Physics and married his sweetheart, Nancy. After graduating, he taught at the Naval Nuclear Power School. He wore the uniform for five years on active duty, during which time all four of his children were born. Upon completion of active duty, he completed his PhD in Planetary Science at the University of Arizona. He has been teaching here at Ricks/BYU-Idaho ever since. He enjoys racquetball, basketball, singing, reading, and writing.
Stephen Turcotte - Department Chair
Office: ROM 118A
Phone: 496-1909
Email: turcottes@byui.edu
Brother Turcotte is a native of New York. He received his BS in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University. He attended graduate school in Massachusetts where he joined the LDS church and left for a mission to Monterey, Mexico. After his mission, Brother Turcotte finished school at the University of Utah, receiving a MS and a PhD in electrical engineering. He has two U.S. patents and expertise in the areas of optical engineering and computaional Physics. Brother Turcotte worked at the Space Dynamic Lab on a number of NASA and Department of Defense projects. Prior to BYU-Idaho, he taught at Utah State University and has taught at BYU-Idaho for ten years. Brother Turcotte enjoys swimming, golf, tennis, hockey,and skiing. He and his wife have five children.
