July 6, 2001 UNT Inhouse publication: portrait gallery

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Jerry Duggan: UNT got him hooked on physics

Initially, Jerry Duggan, professor of physics, didn't intend to get his degree from North Texas; the university was simply one step in his plan to complete a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at another school. However, Duggan took some physics courses at North Texas to prepare for the engineering program, and he was hooked.

"My father was an engineer and my brother and I both wanted to be engineers. I was interested in mechanical engineering, though – not physics. I took the physics courses that were required for the mechanical engineering degree and loved them," Duggan says.

He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from North Texas and attended Louisiana State University for his doctorate. Duggan has been teaching and conducting research at North Texas since 1973.

"I enjoy research because I get to study the nucleus of the atom. It's really the last frontier to study," Duggan says.

Since Duggan came to North Texas, he has worked to improve the lab equipment in the physics department and the research capabilities of the physics lab. The lab has more than $6 million worth of equipment, including accelerators, growth chambers and diagnostic equipment. Currently, Duggan and the physics department are involved in collaborative research efforts with Texas Instruments, Motorola and Pittsburgh Plate and Glass Co. The research measures high-tech film thickness and determines the amount of trace impurities on the surface of various industrial materials.

"The more pure a material is, the better it is for manufacturing. If a material has impurities in it, it won't work. If that happens, companies like TI and Motorola won't make any money. If we can help them improve their products, they'll support us," Duggan says.

Duggan hopes his students enjoy physics and are challenged by it, much like he is.

"There's no point in doing something if you don't enjoy it – you have to have zest for what you do," he says.

Earlier this year, Duggan was named a fellow by the American Physical Society . To be honored, a member of the society has to first be nominated by at least two current fellows. Only 0.5 percent of the members of the society are named fellows.

Outside the university, Duggan enjoys fishing and running. He runs at least five days a week and participates in 5- and 10-kilometer races. Since he began running in 1961, he has run more than 15,000 miles — more than half the circumference of the earth.

"I have even won a couple of ribbons," he says. "That just means that all the people in the race weren't very good, though."