With 20 years of teaching experience and eight years of experience in research for oil and gas exploration, Dr. King is a knowledgeable source on such topics as science literacy and applications of nuclear physics in oil and gas exploration, as well as reform in physics education.
George King III
Professor of Physics
Chair of Department of Physics
George King III earned a Ph.D. and M.S. in physics from Stanford University after having received a B.A. in mathematics and physics from Talladega College. He is an expert in nuclear and accelerator physics, but since coming to the University of Mary Washington 18 years ago, his research interests have not revolved around his expertise. Instead, he focuses on students’ interests, which have led to research projects that integrate physics and music, physics and historic preservation, and physics and veterinary science, for example.
A far cry from his days in the oil and gas exploration industry, Dr. King chose to return to academia, specifically the University of Mary Washington, because of its size and the opportunity to make an immediate impact on the physics program. One of the first things he improved was the laboratory component of the physics program, keeping in mind that active learning goes a long way in helping students understand difficult subjects.
Dr. King believes that excellence in teaching is the most important goal for the faculty and that in a liberal arts setting the opportunity for physics research provides educational enrichment for his students. “Participation in undergraduate research will not make the professor or the institution famous, but it will definitely help the students and it may improve the instructor’s teaching,” he said.
As chair of the department, Dr. King teaches upper level classes such as the advanced physics lab, electronics and optics. Characterizing himself as a serious professor, requiring homework, labs and tests, he notes that his reputation often precedes him.
“By the time they step into my classroom, the students already have heard through the grapevine that this is a professor that is going to demand quite a lot from them.”
Consequently, most students come into the class ready to learn, and he notices that many find him friendly and approachable once they get to know him. One way to do so is simply to stop by his office. With an “open door” policy, students have the opportunity to talk to Dr. King about physics, their own research, or anything else.