John R. Thompson

John R. Thompson is a Professor of Physics at the University of Maine, where he has been a member of the Physics Education Research Laboratory since 2002. He holds a joint appointment with the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education and serves as a Cooperating Professor of STEM Education. His career spans faculty roles at Grand Valley State University (2000-2002) and a postdoctoral position at the University of Washington (1997-1999). He earned a Ph.D. in Physics (1998) and M.S. (1992) from Brown University, and a B.S. in Physics (cum laude) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1990).

Thompson’s research focuses on Physics Education Research (PER), particularly at the mathematics-physics interface. He investigates student understanding of:

• Vector calculus and differential elements in electromagnetism
• Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics
• Eigenvalue equations and probability in quantum mechanics
• Calculus applications (Taylor series, Fundamental Theorem, partial derivatives)
• Graphical representation interpretation in kinematics

His work employs network analysis, symbolic forms theory, and conceptual blending to map student reasoning. Notably, his 2024 articles examine probability in quantum contexts through symbolic network analysis, while 2023 studies focus on context-dependent equation construction.

Thompson has received prestigious accolades including Fellow of the American Physical Society (2023), Outstanding Referee (2020), and a Fulbright Scholar award (2008-2009). He co-founded the American Physical Society’s Topical Group on Physics Education Research (GPER) and served as its Chair (2018). As Chair of the University of Maine’s Physics Department (2017-2022, 2023-present), he has shaped institutional academic policy.

His educational initiatives include research-based tutorials for entropy, Taylor series, and heat engines, which showed improved student performance over lecture-only methods. He collaborates nationally on NSF-funded projects like DUE-1551038 to transform undergraduate STEM education.