James J. Butler

Professor & Director of Undergraduate Research

503-352-2035 (office) or 503-352-3044 (lab)

jjbutler@pacificu.edu

UC Box: A121

Office: Strain 109

Education

PhD at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA in 2000.

Master of Science at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA in 1996.

Bachelor of Science at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, OR in 1994.

I came to Pacific University in 2004 after spending five years as a faculty member in the Physics Department at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, MD.   In fact, I had been granted tenure at USNA before moving to Pacific.  So, why did I choose Pacific?  Four main reasons:

The Physics Department at Pacific is unique in that the every faculty member is committed to implementing research-based teaching techniques.  This shared vision produces a creative, vibrant community in which to pursue a career as an educator. 

During my time at Pacific, I have played an active role in the development and implementation of innovative teaching methods and tools.  I have presented this work at American Association of Physics Teachers meetings and have recently received a grant (with Dr. Stephen Hall in the Physics Department at Pacific) from the Berglund Center for Internet Studies to incorporate innovative technology-based teaching methods in the optics course I teach in the College of Optometry at Pacific.

I received my Ph.D. in Physics for my experimental study of optical switches (devices used to control the direction that light propagates).  Since then, I have done extensive research in nonlinear fiber optics.  Most recently, I have been investigating nonlinear absorption in capillary waveguides and waveguide arrays. This research has applications in places where there is a potential for damage due to high intensity lasers such as in the military and in the telecommunications industry. I am doing this work in collaboration with scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington DC, USNA, and the Chemistry Department at Pacific. During the past 9 years I have received over $300,000 in external funding from agencies such as NRL, the National Science Foundation, and Research Corporation to support this research. 

Students at Pacific have the opportunity to join me in this effort through experimental research in a state-of-the-art optics lab at Pacific or through computer modeling research with Dr. Kevin Johnson in the Chemistry Department at Pacific.  Students who have worked with me have had their results published in peer-reviewed journals such as Optics Letters and have had their results presented at regional and national conferences such as the Murdock Undergraduate Research conference and the Conference on Lasers and Electro-optics.  Several of these students have gone on to pursue advanced degrees at institutions such as University of Cambridge, MIT, and University of Oregon.

The Physics Department at Pacific is also committed to providing research opportunities for students.  All physics majors at Pacific are required to do either a senior capstone research project or an internship.  Often times, these projects are the culmination of two or more years of research that the student has done with their faculty advisor.  These research experiences are extremely valuable, no matter what career path the student ultimately chooses after graduation since it gives them "real world" experience where there is not a cookbook recipe for how to go about solving problems and the answers are not known ahead of time.

I was attracted to Pacific's mission and vision to provide undergraduates with a broad education that prepares them for the complexities of life in an inherently interdisciplinary world. This matches my personal goals to continue to expand my own knowledge of philosophy, history, and literature. In my experience, it is the blending of all of these areas (along with physics) that lead me to a rich and fulfilling life.
I enjoy the opportunity to teach in the College of Optometry at Pacific. As discussed above, my research interests are in the realm of optics and I have found it extremely rewarding to teach optics concepts in the context of optometric applications. Furthermore, I enjoy helping build bridges between the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Optometry in order to help undergraduates interested in pursuing optometry as a profession. To that end, I am the faculty advisor for the Pre-Optometry Club at Pacific.

I grew up in Portland, Oregon and many of my family members still live in the area. I attended Benson Polytechnic High School and Eastern Oregon University before moving to Pennsylvania to pursue my Ph.D. at Lehigh University. Although I enjoyed my time on the east coast, I always hoped to return to the Pacific Northwest. Pacific University is ideally located for me to pursue my interests outside of work. I enjoy spending time with my family and a wide spectrum of activities including reading (last book read: Treasure of Khan by Clive and Dirk Cussler), camping (enjoyed Sunset Bay State Park this summer), and watching TV/movies (favorite TV show: Battlestar Galactica; recent movies watched: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Love Actually).