Associate
Professor 
Joe Collins earned his B.S. Physics, M.S. Physics, and Ph.D.
Physics degrees at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
He has three main areas of interest---Biological Liquid Crystals,
the philosophy of science, and science education at the pre-college
level.
He has been studying the lyotropic and thermotropic configurations
of and the forces of interaction between liquid crystals of biological
function since the late 1970's. These interactive forces
determine the phase structure of, for example, biological membranes
and partially determine the processes involved in exocytosis,
endocytosis, cell-cell communication, mitosis, and cell viability.
He is an experimentalist who uses x-ray diffraction, calorimetry,
and polarizing light microscopy to assist in studying these Biological
Liquid Crystals (lipids for example). He has over 21 refereed
scientific publications, 10 invited talks, and nearly 50 presentations
at both domestic and international scientific meetings.
He is especially privileged to have had each of his Master's students
as co-author on a published paper.
Joe is eager and pleased to discuss the philosophical basis of
science and the implications of scientific theories for the outlook
of our universe. He has taught several seminars devoted
to the philosophy of science and looks forward to involvement
in more seminars.
Joe Collins has been actively involved in Service Learning in
his introductory physics courses for five years now. He
is especially happy for all the excellent and enthusiastic work
of service learners who have gone to over thirty Milwaukee area
schools and groups and performed service learning. He also
thoroughly enjoyed the performance of the play Faust: Eine
Historie put on by 14 volunteers in his PHYS 002 class
of 1998
Teaching Fields
- General Physics
- Physics Major Courses
- Arts&Sciences Seminars
Office
Location & Contact
Office
Hours
- M 11:30-12:30 ; W 2:00 - 2:50; TH 10:00-10:50
Teaching
Schedule
- PHYS 004-1003 MWThF 1:00 - 1:50
- PHYS 162-1001 M 3:00 - 4:00 W 4:30 - 6:00
