Dr. Brian P. Anderson Appointed Interim Dean of the Wyant College of Optical Sciences

The University of Arizona’s Wyant College of Optical Sciences is proud to announce that Dr. Brian P. Anderson has been appointed Interim Dean of the College effective July 1. Dr. Anderson has been actively involved in graduate-level teaching and research since he joined the Optical Sciences faculty in 2001. Since 2019, he has served as the College’s Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs, where he has led impactful growth and development of the College’s graduate programs, and has guided, advised, and mentored hundreds of MS and PhD students.  

Dr. Anderson’s research centers on the physics of Bose-Einstein condensates, the coldest substances in the known universe, which can only be created and experimentally studied in state-of-the-art optics laboratories.  For over 25 years, his internationally recognized experimental and theoretical work in this field has concentrated on how these substances both act as a fluid and adhere to the laws of quantum mechanics that are evident at such cold temperatures.  Dr. Anderson’s widely cited research has appeared in such journals as Science, Nature, and Physical Review Letters, has been supported through multiple government grants, and has helped provide insights into complex physical phenomena such as superfluidity and turbulence.   As an educator, Dr. Anderson has taught graduate-level quantum mechanics courses for over 20 years, and is the author of the Field Guide to Quantum Mechanics.  

As Interim Dean, Dr. Anderson is excited to continue serving the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, one of the world’s premier institutions devoted to research and academics across the broad field of Optics, from fundamental sciences and photonics, to imaging and optical engineering applications.  In this role, he is committed to leading continued growth of the College through the recruitment of faculty to new endowed chair positions, maintaining the College’s academic excellence as the undergraduate and graduate student bodies also grow, and navigating support for research and education in a rapidly changing funding landscape.

The Wyant College of Optical Sciences is delighted to welcome Dr. Anderson into this role, as he focuses his experience, leadership, and vision on supporting the College’s students, faculty, staff, and the missions of the College and the University of Arizona.