Amy Spivey

Amy Spivey is Professor of Physics at the University of Puget Sound, where she teaches across the physics curriculum—from introductory courses to advanced Analytical Mechanics and Electromagnetic Theory—and leads a first-year seminar on 21st-century energy technologies.

She earned her B.S. from Westmont College (1996), followed by an M.S. (1999) and Ph.D. (2003) from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she conducted graduate research at JILA using ultrafast lasers to study exciton dynamics in GaAs semiconductors.

Her current research program centers on optical and materials physics, with a focus on time-resolved photoluminescence of semiconductor colloidal quantum dots. Working with collaborators at several Pacific Northwest universities, she aims to improve luminescent solar concentrators—work supported by a grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

Across her publications, a clear trajectory emerges: from fundamental ultrafast spectroscopy of excitonic systems toward applied nanomaterials for renewable-energy technologies.

Professional memberships & service:

• Northwest Section, American Physical Society (APS)
• APS Division of Laser Science
• American Association of Physics Teachers
• Optical Society of America
• Regular reviewer for the American Journal of Physics

She currently advises no specifically named students in the provided text and is supported by the aforementioned Murdock Trust grant.

Professor Spivey is based in Tacoma, Washington, and enjoys reading fiction, film, and outdoor activities when time permits.