Alice Louise Bean

Alice Bean
  • University Distinguished Professor

Contact Info

Office Phone:
785-864-4742
Department Phone:
785-864-4626
Fax:
785-864-5262
Malott Hall, room #6084

Biography —

Alice Bean is an experimental particle physicist who came to KU as faculty in 1993. She works with the CMS collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider and specializes in silicon detectors. She also started the Quarked project (www.quarked.org) which seeks to teach children and others about particle physics in a fun engaging way.

Research —

My main research field is experimental particle physics. Presently, I am a member of the CMS collaboration. I analysis data searching for particles beyond those predicted from the standard model of particle physics. For instance, my current search focuses on supersymmetric top quark decays, while previously I have searched for a purported tprime vector like quark. A major focus is building and calibrating silicon pixel detectors for tracking charged particles. Through a joint project with the Dept. of Art and Design and the KU Natural History Museum we created a multimedia science education project called Quarked, www.quarked.org

Research interests:

  • Experimental particle physics
  • Quarked
  • silicon detectors
  • supersymmetry
  • stop particles
  • tprime particles

Teaching —

In addition to supervising several students in research, I teach upper division labs, science and policy, and introductory courses.

Teaching interests:

  • Electronics labs, physics for non-science majors

Selected Presentations —

Bean, A. (8/24/2015). Climate Change, Religion, and the State Department: What I did with my Jefferson Science Fellowship. Physics Department Colloquium. University of Kansas

Service —

I work on public outreach with the Quarked project and have numerous departmental activities. I seek to recruit more girls and women to study physics. From Aug 2014-Aug 2015, I was a Jefferson Science Fellow with the U.S. Department of State working with the Office of Religion and Global Affairs on climate change issues. I also am very active in reviewing proposals for the NSF, DOE and review paper drafts.