Mark Somerville, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics

781-292-2516
mark.somerville@olin.edu

Dr. Mark Somerville joined Olin College from Vassar College, where he had been an Assistant Professor of Physics since 1998. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from MIT, as well as an M.A. (first class honors) in physics from Oxford University. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor of science (highest honors) in electrical engineering as well as a bachelor of arts (special honors) in liberal arts (English concentration). His academic honors include the Joint Services Electronics Program Doctoral and Post Doctoral Fellowship, the Office of Naval Research Graduate Fellowship, and the Rhodes Scholarship.

Dr. Somerville strongly believes in the educational value of getting students involved in hands-on research. He is also a strong advocate for integrating communication skills into the curriculum. His research focuses on the physics of semiconductor devices, with particular emphasis on high electron mobility transistors, which hold great promise for high-speed wireless and optical communications. He is currently examining the use of light emission to understand failure mechanisms in these devices; this work is supported by a Research at Undergraduate Institutions grant from the National Science Foundation. He has worked closely with undergraduates in a research setting both at MIT and at Vassar, and has published numerous papers with undergraduate co-authors in refereed journals.

Dr. Somerville has consistently received outstanding ratings for his interactive teaching style, both at MIT and at Vassar.
 
 
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