Alex King III

Dr. Alex King III is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy at Austin Peay State University (APSU), where he has been a faculty member since 2000. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has secured over $2.8M in research funding from agencies including the National Science Foundation and Tennessee Space Grant.

Education:

• Ph.D. Physics (High-Energy Physics Theory), University of Illinois at Chicago
• M.S. Physics, Southern Methodist University
• B.A. Physics and Chemistry, Austin College

Research Leadership: Established APSU's first engineering program (BSE in Engineering Physics) in 2017 and directs the Tennessee Governor's School for Computational Physics, a summer program for high-school students focused on computational modeling of engineering problems.

Research Focus: Specializes in computational approaches to applied quantum mechanics and mathematical physics, with applications spanning particle physics, optics, and physics education reform.

Publication Trends: His 15-year publication record shows evolution from theoretical high-energy physics (1996-1999) to applied computational methods in physics education and optical systems (2006). Core themes include quantum chromodynamics, particle colliders, genetic algorithms, and STEM curriculum development.

Grants & Leadership:

• Principal Investigator for 30+ external grants
• Founding Director of Engineering Physics program
• Director of Tennessee Governor's School for Computational Physics