James Butler
Associate Professor Department of Physics
jjbutler@pacificu.edu

 

Raised in Portland, Oregon, Dr. James Butler moved to Pennsylvania to get his Masters and PhD in Physics at Lehigh University and went on to teach and do research at the US Naval Academy in Maryland and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, but Pacific University called him home. “I've always been a Northwest boy,” he admits, content with his decision.

Going on his fifth year teaching at Pacific, Butler talks about the great experiences he's had working in the classroom. “It's wonderful to be part of an educational environment,” Butler states “Where your sole purpose of going to work is to learn.” Butler's most defining moments as a teacher have been working one-on-one with students, some of which he invited to the Naval Research Laboratory for a summer, to aid in his on-going research. “Looking back, there are some students that really made a difference,” he says.

Butler dedicates himself to creating a challenging, but equally welcoming, class environment. “I like to incorporate different methods of teaching Physics,” Butler says. “Part of it is helping students that aren't Physics majors get over their anxieties about Physics. Once they get over their fears about science, they see that it can actually be fun.”

Dr. Butler began his research as an undergrad, focusing on nonlinear chaotic systems. In graduate school he researched experimental, nonlinear optics and experimental diffractive optics. Currently, Butler has been investigating nonlinear absorption in capillary waveguides, which has applications in places where there is a potential for damage due to high-intensity lasers—to protect a soldier's eyes from lasers, for example. “It's a great project to work with students on,” Butler says. “It has practical and important scientific applications, so their part of the project can mean something to the greater community.” Butler goes on to say how much he's learned while working with students at Pacific: “I'm as much a student as I am a teacher,” he says.