Christina Othon
Professor of Physics
- Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- M.S., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- B.S., University of Iowa
Born and raised in Illinois, I was the first person in my family to graduate from college. I went to graduate school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln earning a Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics. After that, I conducted research at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C. on 3D tissue printing for regenerative medicine, and at Caltech investigating protein hydration dynamics, before beginning my own academic research career and teaching. My research now focuses on how liquid dynamics can modify and regulate biological processes. I have had a very diverse career that allowed me to work closely with researchers in other disciplines such as biology, chemistry, and medicine. This experience has informed my teaching and mentoring of undergraduate research students. I aim to demonstrate to students in other majors, how physics can inform topics in their own disciplines.
What is your teaching philosophy in 8 words or fewer?
Student centered learning that inspires student’s goals.
What is something your students would be surprised to learn about you?
That I believe in extra-terrestrial life.
What is something you’ve experienced that makes Ripon College special?
The community is small, but also very friendly.