Physicist Ethan Minot has been appointed permanent head of Oregon State’s Department of Physics, where he hopes to strengthen a department renowned for its world-class research, leadership in physics education and collaborative academic culture.
Minot, who has served as interim head since September 2025, is a leading researcher in quantum materials and nanoscale systems with applications in semiconductors and emerging technologies. A recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER award, he studies materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene and ultra-thin semiconductors that could make future technologies smaller, faster and more energy efficient.
“Ethan is an outstanding researcher whose collaborative leadership style reflects the department’s ethos,” said College of Science Dean Eleanor Feingold. “He understands how to support both cutting-edge research and innovative educational approaches, collaborating across the university in all of those endeavors.”
As head, Minot aims to support ambitious research across the department’s signature areas, from astrophysics and biophysics to condensed matter physics and physics education research, while maintaining strength in both theoretical and experimental physics. He said the department’s momentum is fueled by outstanding faculty, talented students and a collaborative culture that supports both scientific ambition and fulfilling lives outside the lab.
“I’m excited about the caliber of the students coming to our program and inspired by their love for physics and the energy around what we can achieve in physics research,” he said.
The department’s relatively small size for an R1 university has helped foster an unusually interdisciplinary academic culture. “Almost by necessity, we’re reaching out and finding collaborations across other departments and collaborations across the world, including industry,” Minot said.
He pointed to collaborations spanning mathematics, engineering, chemistry, health sciences, CEOAS, education, and several PRAx-sponsered programs at the interface of art and science. Industry partnerships include collaborations with technology companies such as HP, Lam, and Intel. Those relationships give students access to research communities and resources beyond the physics department.
“Students experience firsthand how physics connects across disciplines and industries because of the interconnectedness of our faculty,” he said.
As Oregon State expands its leadership in technology innovation, Minot sees major opportunities for Oregon State Physics to help shape advances in GPU-based computing techniques, advances in semiconductor technologies, and advances in educational practices as generative AI becomes more ubiquitous.
He anticipates increasing visibility of Oregon State Physics’ research contributions while continuing to foster a department culture that helps students thrive. The department has long been a leader in physics education reform, including the nationally recognized Paradigms in Physics program and a foundational teaching mission that supports student success across engineering, science and other STEM disciplines at Oregon State.
Faculty have also helped shape broader conversations about how physics programs can support student success while sustaining rigorous expectations. Creating classrooms where students “feel that they can be vulnerable and make mistakes, but learn from mistakes,” he said, is central to that effort.
“Putting the work into having an inclusive department doesn’t come at the cost of having excellent, cutting-edge research,” Minot said. “It’s possible to do both.”
Serving as interim head deepened his appreciation for the department’s shared sense of purpose.
“Everybody is passionate and motivated to make it a great department,” he said. “There’s a real sense of community and teamwork.”
