We have a long history of providing our students with a great educational experience. Our physics department awarded its first PhD in 1899. Since then, our students have earned degrees in virtually every area of physics, and our faculty have played key roles in a myriad of important research efforts.<br><br>Physics is the science of the properties of matter, radiation, and energy in all forms. As such, it is the most fundamental of the sciences. It provides the underlying framework for the other physical sciences and engineering and for understanding physical processes in biological and environmental sciences.