Anson Hook obtained his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2012. Afterwards, he did postdoctoral work at the Institute for Advanced Study and Stanford. He joined the faculty at the University of Maryland in 2018. Hook works in theoretical particle physics. He focuses on theories beyond the standard model (model building), analyzing the signatures of these new theories at current experiments (phenomenology) and designing new experiments to look for evidence of dark matter.

Research:

• Elementary Particles

Research Projects:

Centers & Institutes: Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics

• Physics 411: Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism
• Physics 274: Mathematical Methods for Physics I
• Physics 624: Advanced Quantum Mechanics
• Physics 851: Advanced Quantum Field Theory

• The Richard A. Ferrell Distinguished Faculty Fellowship
• New Members of the Department of Physics

Chris got his BS in Astronomy and Mathematics from the University of Southern California in 2007. Then he took a relatively short drive to University of California - San Diego for his PhD. He split his time (almost exactly in half) between San Diego and CERN where he worked on the CMS experiment and was fortunate to work directly on the Higgs boson discovery in the Higgs boson to two photons analysis during LHC's Run 1. After receiving his PhD in 2014, he became a Postdoctoral Researcher at Princeton University during LHC's Run 2.
While there he was a contributor to precision luminosity measurements, the observation of the Higgs boson decay to bottom quarks, and High Luminosity LHC outer tracker upgrades. Now Chris is further pursuing understanding underlying features of the Higgs boson via searches with two Higgs boson signatures.

Research:

• High Energy Physics

• Physics 171: Introductory Physics Mechanics and Relativity
• Physics 441: Introduction to Sub Atomic Physics

• US Joins FCC Effort: Maryland’s Impact
• When Higgs Fly

Will Fox joined the Department of Physics in January 2025, and is affiliated with the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics.  He received his B.A. in Physics from Princeton University and Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.   Prior to the University of Maryland, he was Principal Research Physicist at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and a Lecturer in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University.   Between his finishing his undergraduate degree and starting graduate school, he worked for a year teaching math and physics at a high school in Kathmandu, Nepal. His research is in high-energy-density plasma physics and plasma astrophysics. He received the Thomas H. Stix Award for Outstanding Early Career Contributions to Plasma Physics Research from the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics in 2019, and the John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research from the APS Division of Plasma Physics in 2020.

Research Area:

• Plasma Physics

Centers & Institutes: Institute for Research in Electronics & Applied Physics

• Physics 410: Classical Mechanics

Ryo Mori joined UMD Physics in March 2025. Prior to joining Maryland, he was a Research Associate at the Institute for Solid State Physics, the University of Tokyo, Japan. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and his B.E. from Keio University, Japan. During his Ph.D. and postdoctoral research, he specialized in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in quantum materials with Alessandra Lanzara at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He was also awarded the prestigious PRESTO grant from the Japan Science and Technology Agency in 2024. His research group at Maryland will develop multidimensional spectroscopic approaches to explore exotic electronic phenomena in quantum materials and devices.

Research Areas: 

• Condensed Matter Experiment
• Quantum Science and Technology

The Mori group investigates emergent phenomena in quantum materials, exploring both their intrinsic states and those created through external driving or artificial design, with the goal of understanding the fundamental mechanisms and discovering novel quantum states. A central approach is the development and application of advanced photoemission spectroscopy techniques to probe the electronic structure and collective excitations with high precision. These efforts aim to uncover new states of matter and to clarify their potential roles in future quantum technologies. Additionally, the group engages in collaborative efforts to advance next-generation photoemission spectroscopy instrumentation and methodologies, pushing current boundaries by integrating experimental innovation with fundamental studies of quantum materials.

Centers & Institutes: Quantum Materials Center

Physics 276: Experimental Physics II

Jordan Goodman is a Distinguished University Professor and the former Chair of Physics Department at the University of Maryland. His area of research, Particle Astrophysics, studies cosmic radiation to better understand the properties of elementary particles and the processes in space that produce these particles. This field blends elements of high energy physics and astrophysics. Starting with his Ph.D. work, which showed evidence for an abundance of heavy elements such as iron in high energy cosmic rays, he has worked to understand the nature of cosmic rays which hit the earth. Previously, his work has concentrated on two experimental efforts-- Milagro and IceCube. He is now the Principal Investigator and US Spokesperson of the HAWC Gamma Ray Observatory. He is a UMD Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and Distinguished University Professor.

Research Area:

• Particle Astrophysics

Research Projects:

• HAWC
• Milagro
• Super-K
• Ice-Cube

Centers & Institutes: Joint Space-Science Institute

• Physics 105: Physics for Decision Makers
• Physics 106: Light, Perception, Photography & Visual Phenomena
• Physics 272: Introductory Physics: Fields
• Physics 499P: Special Problems in Physics: Particle Astrophysics

• HAWC Finds High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emissions from Microquasar V4641 Sagittarii
• UMD Scientists Help Discover the Highest-Energy Light Coming from the Sun
• The Extraordinary Adventures of Lifelong Terp Jordan Goodman
• HAWC’s Measurement of the Highest Energy Photons Sets Limits on Violations of Relativity
• Jordan Goodman Named Winner of Yodh Prize
• The latest on HAWC and the search for high-energy gamma rays
• HAWC Gamma-Ray Observatory Reveals New Look at the Very-high-energy Sky
• Jordan Goodman Receives Physics Distinguished Alumnus Award
• Das Sarma and Goodman Selected for CMNS Board of Visitors Awards