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Paul Shand |
Physics professor Paul Shand believes it is imperative that scientists speak ’plain English’ when explaining scientific concepts. 
“Scientists often suffer from less developed ways to communicate to the general public. It’s extremely important to communicate in simple ways, particularly when asking for funding, so those in government will understand what we’re talking about so they agree to the funding,” said Shand. “Science is so important to everyday life. It should be communicated in such a way that people understand how science and technology can improve our lives.” The irony is that Shand, who grew up in Jamaica, said oral communication was his biggest hurdle when coming to the United States. Science is so important to everyday life. It should be communicated in such a way that people understand how science and technology can improve our lives.
“I had a Jamaican accent and spoke British English. This inhibited oral communication somewhat, just enough to be irritating at times, though I had no trouble understanding American speech. Further, as a new teaching assistant in an entirely new environment, I did not want anything to detract from the learning process during my recitation and lab classes. Thus, I adjusted my accent to be more ’Midwestern.’ I’ve never quite lost my ambivalence about this course of action.” Shand, who has been at UNI since 1992, came to the states in 1986 to attend Purdue University, where he obtained master’s and doctorate degrees in physics. “UNI was attractive because this is a teaching-centered institution,” he said. “Research is also important, but teaching is what I wanted to do.” He currently teaches introductory physics core courses for physics majors and minors, such as Modern Physics and Physics III: Theory and Simulation, as well as General Physics II. While he took the “whole spectrum” of physics courses during his college career, his interest is in nanoscience and magnetic properties. As part of a collaborative research effort between UNI and the University of Nebraska, Shand received $123,000 from the National Science Foundation to investigate “Magnetic Properties of Disordered Rare-Earth Nanostructures.” Along with his colleague, Dr. Diandra Leslie-Pelecky from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and researchers from the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, Shand will study crystals to determine how disorder at the atomic level affects the crystals’ magnetic properties. “Permanent magnets are used in electric motors, which are used in commercial appliances like washing machines, dryers and computer disk drives. They are also used in hybrid gas/electric vehicles, which are becoming increasingly popular in efforts to reduce gasoline consumption,” said Shand. “If the magnets are more powerful, they can be made smaller so the motors can be more compact and efficient.” The scientists will look at disorder on the scale of one nanometer. Put in perspective, Shand said, “100,000 nanometers equals one strand of human hair.” The three-year project will also support one UNI physics undergraduate student. Shand will integrate his research into UNI’s Upward Bound Math and Science program, and present workshops to middle and high school teachers and high school students about the importance of nanoscale materials. Shand has written more than 20 research papers and hopes to pursue a patent from the research’s outcome. “But I continue to be excited about teaching.” Shand’s interest in science began as a young boy when his parents bought him a chemistry set. “One event that really triggered my desire to do physics, though, was when my older brother came home from boarding school. He had started to study physics and was explaining density to me,” he said. “It sounded so wonderful to be studying such a thing.” Shand obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of the West Indies in Kingston. It is also where met his wife, Michelle Mullings-Shand. They have been married 18 years. Mullings-Shand has a master’s degree in industrial engineering and works in UNI’s Office of Sponsored Programs. The couple love to travel and have visited many states, but Iowa is where they call home. “In Indiana, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to interact with people in the community— it was more with people on campus. Iowa is different. Here you have the opportunity to interact with people in the community. They are extremely open and friendly. They come up to me in the grocery store and strike up a conversation. It’s a nice thing to experience.” —CJ Hines |
