Martin, Paul
Paul Martin
Instructor | College of Engineering and Science - Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences
Contact Information
Personal Overview
I have been teaching at Florida Tech since 2009. My first courses were physics 1 and physics 1. Since that time, I have taught over thirty courses including physics 1, physics 2, modern physics, electromagnetic theory, and geophysics. I started as an adjunct professor but in January of 2020 I became an Instructor expanding the number of courses I can teach. I enjoy working with the students, helping them understand the physics and their career goals.
Educational Background
I received my PhD from Florida Tech in 2007 specializing in space sciences. I also have a space sciences masters degree from Florida Tech which was awarded in 2000. I have two bachelor's degrees, one in physics, the other in computer information systems from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Professional Experience
Before I became a physicist, I was a software engineer for eight years specializing in database system development. My biggest and most expensive project was to develop a networked/distributed database system for Text Services at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Research
I study magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves. I take magnetic field time series, recorded at different locations across the Earth, and render the data into a wave. I use the Fourier and wavelet transforms to extract the magnitude, frequency, and wave vector of the wave. I then look for commonality in the frequency and wave vector to construct the MHD wave. This wave research allows me to use my programming experience to develop numerical solutions for remote sensing the plasmasphere.