Book cover of "The Python-based Laboratory" by John Essick Python Programs and Ancillary Materials for
The Python-Based Laboratory: A Hands-On Guide for Scientists and Engineers

 

Bio

John Essick is a solid-state physics experimentalist whose research interests center on the optoelectronic properties of semiconductors and teaching interests on advanced laboratory development. He has been a professor in the Reed College Physics Department since 1993, where he is currently the Emeritus David W. Brauer Professor of Physics. Prior to his position at Reed, he was a professor in the Physics Departments of Occidental College and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Essick’s doctoral work investigated the defect states in hydrogenated amorphous silicon using capacitance-based techniques. While at Reed, he has supervised 72 yearlong senior thesis projects on semiconductor topics including crystalline & amorphous silicon, novel III/V materials, quantum dots, and photovoltaic cells as well as his other interests in quantum optics and laser-based atom trapping.

Essick has been active in upper-division instructional laboratory development throughout his teaching career. He has served on the Advanced Laboratory Physics Association (ALPhA) Board of Directors and organizing committees for the Conference on Laboratory Instruction Beyond the First Year (BFY) of College conferences and ALPhA Immersions, hosted ALPhA Immersion workshops, and is author of the textbooks The Python-Based Laboratory: A Hands-On Guide for Scientists and Engineers and Hands-On Introduction to LabVIEW for Scientists and Engineers. Essick is editor of the Instructional Laboratories and Demonstrations section of the American Journal of Physics.

Education

  • Ph.D. 1988 University of Oregon
  • M.S. 1978 University of California, Los Angeles
  • B.S. 1976 University of California, Berkeley

Notable Publications

  • J. Essick, The Python-Based Laboratory: A Hands-On Guide for Scientists and Engineers, Fourth Edition, Oxford University Press, December 2024
  • Edgar Perez and John Essick, “Chaos in the Monopole Ion Trap,” Am J. Phys. 89, 84 (2021)
  • J. Essick, Hands-On Introduction to LabVIEW for Scientists and Engineers, Fourth Edition, Oxford University Press, June 2018
  • Neal Woo and John Essick, “Determining the Muon Mass Using a Scintillator-Based Detector,” Am J. Phys. 85, 611 (2017)
  • N. Reynolds, C. Panda, and J. Essick, "Capacitance-Voltage Profiling: Research-Grade Approach versus Low-Cost Alternatives," Am. J. Phys. 82, 196 (2014).
  • B. Brau, C May, R. Ormond, and J. Essick, “Determining the Muon Mass in an Instructional Laboratory, ” Am J. Phys. 78, pp. 64-70 (2010).
  • Z.M. Schultz and J.M. Essick, “Investigation of Exciton Ground State in Quantum Dots via Hamiltonian Diagonalization Method,” Am. J. Phys. 76, 241 (2008).