Larry Isenhower

Dr. Larry Isenhower is an assistant professor at Abilene Christian University. He earned a B.S. in physics from ACU and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He transitioned into a postdoc then a research scientist position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, working with a group building a neutral atom quantum computer. His primary research interest lies in applications of Rydberg state atoms, which are atoms in highly excited states that are very sensitive to perturbations of their environment due to their weak binding. He joined the faculty at ACU in 2014 and was responsible for developing the new senior capstone course sequence for the physics degrees, which involves research projects leading to student opportunities for publication. Dr. Isenhower became SPS advisor in 2017, and he has used this role to encourage students to learn many important skills related to leadership and outreach. For the past two years, he helped organize and lead a traveling physics road show with a group of SPS students that has targeted rural areas of Texas. ACU’s SPS club has received an outstanding chapter award for 6 consecutive years. In addition, Dr. Isenhower has been elected an SPS Zone Councilor for Zone 13 in 2019.