Administration
Julia Velkovska
Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Physics
19th & Grand 370D
615-322-0656
Kalman Varga
Vice Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Professor of Physics
19th & Grand 370E
615-343-9278
Alfredo Gurrola
Director of Graduate Studies in Physics
Associate Professor of Physics
17th & Horton A1010
915-401-9157
Stephen Taylor
Director of Graduate Studies in Astrophysics
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
17th & Horton A1114B
615-343-6296
Staff
Orrapan Aphayavong (Olly)
Academic & Educational Support Program Coordinator
17th & Horton A1004
I can help you with
- Coordinating Physics and Astrophysics Ph.D. programs
- Managing graduate student payroll
- Coordinating appointments and reappointments of postdocs and hiring
Don Berry
Coordinator, System Support
(615) 322-3542
19th & Grand 370
I can help you with
- Placing Oracle orders and processing shopper requisitions
- Processing expense reports for faculty
- Content updates to the department website
Michael Gillis
Grants Manager
(615) 875-9231
Buttrick Hall 412
On Campus: Tu, W, F
Remote: M, Th
I can help you with
- All aspects of the grant life cycle from proposal submission to post-award closeout
- Communication with Research Finance and SPA as the department's primary point of contact
- Coordinating set-up, continuation, and termination of all incoming and outgoing grant-funded subcontracts (incoming and outgoing) with the SPA Contracts team
- Making payroll costing changes for lab personnel funded by external grants/contracts
Libby Johnson
Administrative Officer
(615) 343-2449
19th & Grand 370F
On Campus: M, Tu, W
Remote: Th, F
I can help you with
- Anything related to the managing the day-to-day operations of the department
- Processing faculty and other personnel record transactions as departmental HCM (Human Capital Management Specialist)
- Reviewing and oversight of human resource activities, including payroll processing submissions for faculty (academic/summer), postdocs, staff, students, and temporary employees
- Overseeing department finances, expenditures, and reporting
Peggy Lucas-Mcgowan
Administrative Specialist
(615) 343-9072
19th & Grand 370G
On Campus: Tu, W, Th
Remote: M, F
I can help you with
- Coordinating appointments, reappointments, and promotions of faculty and Visiting Scholar requests
- Assisting Department Chair with calendar/scheduling
- Assigning Postdoc/Graduate Students’ office and key access
- Work orders
- Designing graphics and updating visual displays for department events
Jennifer Mcclellan
Administrative Specialist
(615) 343-7483
19th & Grand 370
I can help you with
- Coordinating weekly colloquium speaker engagements (including travel arrangements and processing honoraria)
- Planning department events and arranging faculty workshops
- Guest travel for visitors
- Procurement requests as a departmental procurement requester and one card holder
Alisha McCord
FUM/Administrative Manager
(615) 322-2570
19th & Grand 370M
On Campus: W, Th, F
Remote: M, Tu
I can help you with
- Serving as the department Financial Unit Manager (FUM), reviewing and approving expense reports, procurement requests, software store orders, and iLab requests
- Assisting with troubleshooting expense report and procurement questions
- Acting as the department liaison for hiring all research staff
- Overseeing the department space and space survey
Donald Pickert
Program Specialist
(615) 343-1026
17th & Horton A1004
On Campus: M, Tu, W, F
Remote: Th
I can help you with
- Assisting Directors of Undergraduate & Graduate Studies (DUS & DGS respectively) for graduate and undergraduate student needs
- Booking guest travel for student-related travel, registrations, and events
- Assisting students in completing necessary paperwork related to their Ph.D. and contact for graduate student recruiting
- Coordinating conference room reservations: Room Reservation Request Form
- Force registration for PHYS and ASTR classes
Juliet Traub
Administrative Specialist
17th & Horton A1114E
On Campus: T, W, Th
Remote: M, F
I can help you with
- Coordinating weekly colloquium speaker engagements (including travel arrangements and processing honoraria)
- Planning department events and arranging faculty workshops
- Supporting the Bridge program with travel and event coordination and procurement
- Guest travel for visitors
- Procurement requests as a departmental procurement requester and one card holder