Thomas Timusk
Encyclopedia
Tom Timusk is a Professor Emeritus of Physics at McMaster University
in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. He is a retired member of the Condensed Matter research team at McMaster. He was an immigrant from Estonia
displaced by Second World War. He settled in Hamilton, Ontario
Canada
.
and he is considered an experimental physicist. His original lab at McMaster was known as the Solid State Lab in the basement of the Senior Sciences Building. Recently he has had two labs and continues to complete active funded research. Timusk also researches superconductivity
theory.
. He obtained his PhD at Cornell University
where his research was funded by a US Navy grant. He did his post-doctorate work in Frankfurt, Germany and at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In 1965, he accepted a position at McMaster University where he has since been a professor.
and American Physics Society. He was also inducted in the Royal Society of Canada
in 1995.
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. He is a retired member of the Condensed Matter research team at McMaster. He was an immigrant from Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
displaced by Second World War. He settled in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Research
He started his research in spectroscopySpectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
and he is considered an experimental physicist. His original lab at McMaster was known as the Solid State Lab in the basement of the Senior Sciences Building. Recently he has had two labs and continues to complete active funded research. Timusk also researches superconductivity
Superconductivity
Superconductivity is a phenomenon of exactly zero electrical resistance occurring in certain materials below a characteristic temperature. It was discovered by Heike Kamerlingh Onnes on April 8, 1911 in Leiden. Like ferromagnetism and atomic spectral lines, superconductivity is a quantum...
theory.
Education
Timusk graduated with a BA in physics from the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. He obtained his PhD at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
where his research was funded by a US Navy grant. He did his post-doctorate work in Frankfurt, Germany and at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In 1965, he accepted a position at McMaster University where he has since been a professor.
Associations
Professor Timusk is an active member of both the Canadian Association of PhysicistsCanadian Association of Physicists
The Canadian Association of Physicists , or in French Association canadienne des physiciens et physiciennes is a Canadian professional society that focuses on creating awareness amongst Canadians and Canadian legislators of physics issues, sponsoring physics related events, and publishes Physics...
and American Physics Society. He was also inducted in the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
in 1995.
Awards
- 2002 Frank Isakson Prize for Optical Effects in SolidsFrank Isakson Prize for Optical Effects in SolidsThe Frank Isakson Prize for Optical Effects in Solids is a prize that has been awarded every second year by the American Physical Society since 1980. The recipient is chosen for "outstanding optical research that leads to breakthroughs in the condensed matter sciences."...
(co-winner) - 2000 Canadian Association of PhysicistsCanadian Association of PhysicistsThe Canadian Association of Physicists , or in French Association canadienne des physiciens et physiciennes is a Canadian professional society that focuses on creating awareness amongst Canadians and Canadian legislators of physics issues, sponsoring physics related events, and publishes Physics...
' Brockhouse Medal