Mission and Vision
We explore and share knowledge at the intersection of physics and traditional engineering and scientific fields, applying physics techniques, skills, and principles. Through research and scholarly pursuits, we create new knowledge. We share this knowledge by teaching undergraduate and graduate students, and by providing service to industry, government, and professional organizations. In all our endeavors, we strive for excellence. Our long-term goal is to establish our engineering physics major as the top program of its kind in the nation, and to make our graduate program in applied physics the leading Ph.D. program in the country for interdisciplinary research and education that combines physics with other fields.
History
At its founding in 1946, Cornell’s Department of Engineering Physics undergraduate program aimed to bridge the gap between basic sciences and fundamental engineering.
In the early 1950s, graduate research in engineering physics began to expand, and the department was renamed the “School of Applied and Engineering Physics” when a graduate program in applied physics was introduced in 1967. As one of the country’s earliest applied physics programs, it was built on the idea of allowing individuals to focus on multiple areas, introducing new research areas as they emerge, and accommodating transitions as fields evolve through stages of development, growth and decline. This founding vision continues to guide our work today.