Willie Rockward

Willie Rockward has a unique combination of academic, professional, and community leadership experiences. Since August 2018, he has served as the chair of the Department of Physics & Engineering Physics at Morgan State University (MD). Previously, he served seven years as the chair of the Department of Physics & Dual Degree Engineering Program and 20 years as the research director of the Materials and Optics Research & Engineering Laboratory at Morehouse College (GA). Among his professional leadership experiences, he is the past president of both the National Society of Black Physicists and the Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honor Society. Also, he has served a combination of 30+ years as senior pastor of the Divine Unity Missionary Baptist Church in East Point, Georgia; associate minister of Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta; and associate minister of New Shiloh Baptist Church in Baltimore. He is a strong proponent of STEM mentorship using methodologies of faculty-to-student, peer-to-peer, professional shadowing, life-skills coaching, research apprenticeship, and civic engagement. His current research interests include micro/nanolithography, extreme ultraviolet interferometry, metamaterials, terahertz imaging, nanostructure characterization, and crossed phase optics.