Dr. Jeremy Richardson (1993-1997)

Current position?
I am the 2007-08 AAAS Roger Revelle Fellow in Global Stewardship. In this capacity, I’m serving as a science adviser to The Climate Project, which is a nonprofit organization that has trained 1700 people worldwide to present former Vice President Al Gore’s slide show on climate change. This 1-year position is my transition from astrophysics research into climate change solutions.

Reason for coming to WVU to study Physics?
I have always been a science nerd, so to speak, and I remember in high school learning about frictional forces. I wanted more information, and my high school teacher wrote out a formula for calculating work that included an integral, the first time I’d ever seen that symbol. There was so much more to learn—I was hooked!

Return visits to WVU as an alumni?
Approximately once a year.

Most rewarding Physics course(s) taken?
It was probably Modern Physics… I was particularly fascinated with quantum mechanics and relativity.

Favorite Physics professor(s)?
Hard to say, but near the top of the list would have to be Dr. Carl Rotter. He had a way of breaking down problems into the fundamental principles, of guiding the way that we could attack problems. Those problem-solving skills he taught are really a fundamental part of my skill set even today.

Involvement in undergraduate research projects?
I believe my undergraduate research experience was instrumental in my getting accepted to graduate school.