Flory, David

Professor of Physics
School of Natural Sciences
Metropolitan Campus

Web: TheFlorys.org/David.Flory/
Email: flory@fdu.edu
Voice: 201-692-7064

Interests, courses taught:
Prof. Flory's original specialty was elementary particle physics and relativistic quantum field theory. At FDU he has taught the entire physics curriculum from undergraduate courses in General Physics, University Physics, Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Thermodynamics, Modern Physics, and Quantum Mechanics through to graduate courses in Statistical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Quantum Theory, Relativistic Quantum Mechanics and Mathematical Methods of Theoretical Physics.

Prof. Flory has a secondary area of interest in astronomy and general relativity and has taught about the solar system, stars, black holes, relativity and cosmology at the introductory level for three decades. He has a personal interest in archeology, especially in the American Southwest, and in archeoastronomy, the study of prehistoric astronomy.

Credentials, capsule biography:
B.A. Reed College, 1964
M.A. Columbia University, 1966
Ph.D. Yeshiva University, 1969

Prof. Flory has been on the faculty of FDU since 1969 and Professor of Physics since 1980. He has served as Chairman of the Physics Department and as Director of the School of Natural Sciences. He also served for a decade as an Assistant Vice President in FDU's central administration, working in Academic Affairs, Information Systems, and Human Resources. He has now returned to full-time service as a professor.

Prof. Flory has also had a long involvement in the role of faculty in American higher education. He is a lifelong member of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and served as President of the FDU Council of AAUP Chapters for six years from 1977 to 1983. He has a through knowledge of issues concerning academic freedom, faculty governance, and collective bargaining and unions in higher education. He is one of the authors of the University's Faculty Handbook.

Publications, press mentions:
Prof. Flory has been interviewed by New Jersey media, both print and electronic, on a variety of topics. He is happy to speak with the press in the areas of astronomy, physics, prehistoric astronomy, comets, black holes and stars. For family/living sections, he is an expert on getting started in astronomy, family activities with astronomy, and the night sky month-by-month.