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Physics and Astronomy Department Faculty

Biography Ron Armale, Ph. D. Teaching Experience  Physical Science Department Chair, Cypress College, 1998 – present. Professor of Astronomy & Physics, Cypress College, 1996 – present. Assistant Professor of Astronomy & Physics, Saint Mary's College of California, 1995 – 1996. Education Ph.D. Plasma Physics, University of California, Irvine, 1994. B.S. Physics, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1988.  Summa Cum Laude. Attended Citrus College, CA, 1982 – 1985. Glendora High School, CA, graduated 1982.

 Academic and Scholarly Activities at Cypress College, 1996 – present.

Internal College Activities

• Physical Science Department Chair, Cypress College, 1998 – present.
• Developed and taught a new course:  PHSC 104 Physical Science for Teachers, 2005.
• Developed online components to the astronomy and physics course using Blackboard, 2003-present.
• Developed and taught a new honors course:  ASTR116H Honors Introduction to Astronomy, 2002.
• CA Block Grant Proposal Writer for the Science, Engineering, and Math Division which has received more than $700,000, 1998 – present.
• Served on seven hiring committees which hired one president, two deans, three faculty members, and one division office manager, 1997 – 2007.
  
• Member of the following Cypress College committees:
• Leadership Team, 2000 – present.
  
• Tree Committee, 2004 – 2006.
  
• Distance Education, 2003 – present.
• Honors Program,  1999 – 2006.
• Technology/College Direction 3,  1998 – 2005.
• Faculty Advisor to:
• Alpha Gamma Sigma – CA Community Colleges Honor Society,  1996 – present.
• Engineering and Physics Club,  2003 – present.
• Webmaster of the Physics and Astronomy Department, Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society, and the Society of Physics Students,  1997 –present.

 External College Activities

• Received a $1,200 grant from the National Society of Physics Students to build a Cosmic Ray Detector with Physics Majors, 2004.
  
• American Physical Society (APS) Membership Committee, 2001 – 2003.
• American Physical Society (APS) Task Force on Disability, 2000 – 2001.
• College Faculty Representative for the Congressional Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Program, 1999 – present.
• College Faculty Representative for the JPLUS/NASA program which provides scholarships and research opportunities for our students at Cal Tech and JPL,  1996 – present.
• Cypress College Faculty coordinator of the Mt. Wilson Telescope in Education Program which allows our students to remotely operate via computer the 14-inch and 24-inch telescopes on Mt. Wilson,  1996 – 2004.
• Member of The American Association of Physics Teachers, 1989 – present.
  

Courses taught at Cypress College

• PHYS 130:  Principles of Physics – Conceptually based.
• PHYS 201:  College Physics – Trig based.
• PHYS 221, 223:  General Physics – Calculus based.
• ASTR 116:  Introduction to Astronomy.
• ASTR 116H:  Honours Introduction to Astronomy.
• PHSC 117:  Cosmology Seminar.
• PHSC 104: Physical Science for Teachers.

Academic Interests

• Reform of introductory physics curriculum.
• Online instruction.

Publications

• R. Armale and N. Rostoker, "Fast Magnetic Field Penetration Into a Plasma Beam." Physics of Plasmas, July 1996.
• R. Armale and N. Rostoker, "Fast Magnetic Field Penetration Into an Intense Neutralized Ion Beam," in the 9th International Conference on High Power Particle Beams, Proceedings of Beams 92, edited by David Mosher and Gerald Cooperstein, Vol. II, p. 890, May (1992).

Hobbies

• Swing, Salsa, and Ballroom dancing. 
• Hiking, bicycling, swimming, and running.
• Walking Snickerdoodle dog.
• Reading science fiction.