As an ambitious department, we are on our way to becoming one of the major physics and astronomy departments in our nation. We are inspired by the words of Dr. Paul Horn, the first president of the university: "Everything that is done on these West Texas Plains ought to be on a big scale. It is a country that lends itself to bigness. It is a country that does not harmonize with things little or narrow or mean. Let us make the work of our college fit in with the scope of our country. Let our thinking be in world-wide terms.

Education is our passion and we take pride in teaching our students well at all levels. Our introductory courses comprise inquiry-based sections as well as sections dedicated for physics majors and honor college students. In the recent past, we upgraded teaching labs and classrooms to include technologies that make a better learning environment for our students and we will continue on this path. Our undergraduate majors now number 130+ and are individually advised by a dedicated faculty advisor and staff throughout their careers here. The American Institute of Physics has, in the last several years, repeatedly acknowledged our Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapter as outstanding for their myriad activities in research, peer mentoring, community engagement, and other initiatives. In addition to the courses we offer, we engage our undergraduate students in cutting-edge research in the department and at research facilities around the globe where we work.