Robinett’s Advising Enhances the Student Experience
In the Department of Physics, each of the 160 physics undergraduate and 25 graduate students receives compassionate support and excellent guidance from their one-man advising unit, Richard Robinett, associate head for undergraduate and graduate students and professor of physics.
Robinett, who started at Penn State as an assistant professor in 1986, has been a member of the physics department administration since 1996. He has held multiple positions, and even substituted for two associate deans during their extended absences.
Physics Department Head Nitin Samarth said that Robinett is “passionate, inspiring, energetic, and completely dedicated to the welfare of the students.”
Under Robinett’s advising over the past 15 years, physics undergraduates have won roughly half of the major academic prizes at the Schreyer Honors College Medals Ceremony.
Yet extraordinary students are not the only ones receiving Robinett’s attention. Carol Deering, the department’s graduate coordinator, said, “He checks on the students to see how they’re making out and make sure they’re on track. When students are struggling, he doesn’t dismiss them. He recommends alternatives.”
Colleagues say that Robinett’s empathetic nature is key to his success as an adviser and mentor. He makes a concentrated effort to get to know his students as individuals. He recognizes their unique potential for success and motivates them to achieve their academic and career goals.
Robinett’s advising has contributed to the Department of Physics’s second highest rate of participation in experiential learning and pedagogical experiences in the college, according to the past two annual graduating-seniors surveys. Colleagues say that Robinett has a talent for matching undergraduates seeking research experience with researchers in the college.
Robinett has encouraged several students to apply for highly selective internships. Five students have participated in a first-class international experience with CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, working with the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator.
Robinett supports other co-curriculars by advising the Penn State chapters of the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma physics honors society. Colleagues say he is heavily involved in these clubs’ outreach activities, advocating for their funding and giving them advice on how to host successful events.
Although advising occupies most of Robinett’s time, he still manages to teach two courses: PSU 016: First-year Seminar Science, a requirement of all first-year students, and PHYS 44: Topics in Contemporary Physics, a course designed to help juniors and seniors plan their next steps.
Aside from working directly with students, Robinett participates in the University Faculty Senate, multiple committees including the Undergraduate Education Advisory Committee, and professional associations. He has also beenpublished in refereed journals and textbooks.
“Richard never turns anything down,” said Samarth. “I don’t know anyone other than him who has the energy, passion, and empathy with students to excel at this job.”