Lew Riley

Lew Riley is a Professor of Physics and Pre-engineering Program Coordinator at Ursinus College. He joined the faculty in 2002 and holds a B.S. from Guilford College and M.S./Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from Florida State University. His research integrates experimental nuclear structure studies with detector simulations, focusing on neutron transfer reactions, gamma-ray spectroscopy, and collective nuclear behavior.

Riley leads the Ursinus College Nuclear Structure Group, collaborating with national laboratories like FRIB (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams) and FSU. Key projects include developing the UCGretina simulation for gamma-ray tracking and investigating neutron shell structures. His work consistently receives NSF grant support (since 2000), enabling undergraduate research participation in accelerator experiments.

His publications emphasize nuclear spectroscopy, detector technology, and exotic nuclei, reflecting trends in experimental validation of nuclear models and computational simulations. Recent articles explore neutron transfer dynamics, octupole states, and inverse-kinematics proton scattering.

Riley mentors undergraduate researchers in projects ranging from detector simulations (GEANT4) to experiments at FSU and MSU. His NSF grants include a Major Research Instrumentation award for nuclear research infrastructure. He also coordinates Ursinus' pre-engineering program and teaches advanced courses like Quantum Mechanics and Modern Physics.