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Winter 2019

inner-workings of a piano

Giordano honored for career in physics

By Phillip Fiorini

Nicholas Giordano
Professor Nicholas J. Giordano

An expert in nanoscale physics, musical acoustics and the physics of musical instru­ments, Nicholas J. Giordano was named a distinguished alumnus of Purdue University in 2018.

Giordano was appointed dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics and professor of physics at Auburn University, an appointment that began in 2013 after a long and distinguished career as a faculty member and administrator for the Department of Physics and the College of Science at Purdue.

He began his academic journey at Purdue as an under­graduate, where he earned a bachelor of science in physics with honors. Giordano returned to his alma mater in 1979 as an assistant professor after serving on the faculty at Yale University, where he received his PhD in engineering and applied science.

While at Yale, Giordano began exploring mesoscopic, or nanoscale, metal structures — a research interest he pur­sued for 25 years and which led to his selection as a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Giordano’s research focused on the physics of nano­structures as well as musical acoustics and the physics of the piano, computational neuroscience and computational physics. In recent years, he applied his fascination with the piano to instruct others about the inner workings of the instrument and the physics of its sound.

“The question was: Can we take all we know about the piano, the physics of the hammers, the flexibility of felt or leather hammers, the construction of the soundboard, and calculate what the sound will be when it reaches your ear?” he said in a 2011 interview.

In 2004, Giordano was named Purdue’s Hubert James Distinguished Professor of Physics, and he has received numerous awards for his dedication to research and science education, including the Herbert Newby McCoy Award at Purdue in 1992.

During his distinguished career, Giordano has published more than 150 scientific papers and is the author of three books: Computational Physics with coauthor Hisao Na­kanish; College Physics, Reasoning and Relationships; and Physics of the Piano.

Career Highlights

  • Fellow of the American Physical Society, 1991
  • Recipient of the McCoy Award, 1992, and the Murphy Award, 1993, Purdue
  • Indiana Professor of the Year, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 2004
  • Head, Department of Physics, Purdue, 2007-13
  • Dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics, Auburn University, 2013-present