Joelle L. Murray

Joelle L. Murray serves as Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Physics at Linfield University, where she has taught for 25 years across the physics curriculum including her signature course "Quantum Physics," featured in Dr. Crosser's podcast.

Education:

• B.S. in Physics and Mathematics, Beloit College
• Ph.D. in Physics, Michigan State University

Her research centers on complexity in biological systems through computational modeling, with current emphasis on insect swarms as collective phenomena. She integrates active pedagogies and DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice) initiatives into STEM education, viewing student collaboration as essential to physics learning.

Publication analysis shows an evolution from nuclear physics (1999) to interdisciplinary science education (2014) and complex biological systems (2016-2019). Recent work examines emergent phenomena in insect swarms using computational approaches, while earlier scholarship focused on particle physics dileptons in heavy-ion collisions.

Advising and Grants:

Professor Murray actively mentors undergraduate researchers, evidenced by multiple student-coauthored presentations at American Physical Society meetings. She serves as co-Principal Investigator on the NSF S-STEM grant "Linfield College S-STEM Scholarship Recruitment and Retention Program," supporting STEM student success through scholarships and academic retention strategies.

Her research operates through collaborative student-faculty teams conducting computational modeling of biological complexity, with facilities based in Graf Hall at Linfield University.