Scott Franklin Headshot

Scott Franklin

Professor

School of Physics and Astronomy
College of Science
Director, CASTLE
svfsps@rit.edu
585-475-2536
Office Location
CAR-2116

Scott Franklin

Professor

School of Physics and Astronomy
College of Science
Director, CASTLE

Education

BA, University of Chicago; Ph.D., University of Texas

Bio

Soft Condensed Matter

Dr. Franklin studies geometrically cohesive granular materials, a particular form of soft matter that shows dramatic entanglement due to their shape. Examples include bird nests, haystacks, and clothes hangers, which all form rigid piles and resist untangling as they become intertwined.

Physics Education 

Dr. Franklin also maintains an active lab in physics education. Current projects include faculty engagement with diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and justice programs and, separately, how faculty develop and show empathy towards their students and colleagues.

svfsps@rit.edu
585-475-2536
Personal Links
Personal Website
Google Scholar
Areas of Expertise
Physics Education Research
Soft Condensed Matter
Granular Materials
STEM Education Research

Select Scholarship

Journal Paper
Alaee, Dina Zohrabi, et al. "How physics textbooks embed meaning in the equals sign." American Journal of Physics 90. 273 (2022): online. Web.
Kornick, Kellianne, Ted Brzinski, and Scott V Franklin. "Excluded area of superellipse sector particles." Physical Review E 104. (2021): 34904. Print.
Hane, Elizabeth N, et al. "Lateral Transfer Maps as a Metacognitive Tool in First Year STEM Courses." CourseSource. (2020): pages are meaningless for web-only articles. Web.
Freeman, Julian O., et al. "Random Packing of Rods in Small Containers." Granular Matter 21. (2019): TBD. Print.
Shishkov, Olga, et al. "Black Soldier y Larvae Rearrange Under Compression." Integrative and comparative biology. (2019): 1540. Web.
Wu, Jianing, et al. "Elephant Trunks form Joints to Squeeze Together Small Objects." Journal of the Royal Society Interface 15. (2018): unknown. Print.
Franklin, Scott V, et al. "Improving Retention through Metacognition: A Program for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing and First-Generation STEM College Students." Journal of College Science Teaching 48. (2018): unknown. Print.
Franklin, Scott V., et al. "Ant Aggregations Self-Heal to Compensate for the Ringelmann Effect." Soft Matter 12. 18 (2016): 4214--4220. Print.
Franklin, Scott V. "Extensional Rheology of Entangled Granular Materials." Europhysics Letters 106. 5 (2014): 58004. Print.
Franklin, Scott V., Eleanor C. Sayre, and Jessica W. Clark. "Traditionally Taught Students Learn; Actively Engaged Students Remember." American Journal of Physics 82. (2014): 798. Print.
Franklin, Scott V. and Lisa M. Hermsen. "Real-time Capture of Student Reasoning While Writing." Physical Review Special Topics -Physics Education Research 10. (2014): 20121. Web.
Gravish, Nick, et al. "Entangled Granular Media." Physical Review Letters 108. (2012): 208001. Print.
Franklin, Scott V. "Geometric Cohesion in Granular Materials." Physics Today 65. (2012): 70. Print.
Franklin, Scott V. "Geometric Cohesion in Granular Materials." Physics Today 65. (2012): 70. Print.
Sayre, Eleanor C., et al. "Learning, Retention, and Forgetting of Newton's Third Law throughout University Physics." Physical Review Special Topics --- Physics Education Research 8. (2012): 10116. Web.
Jackson, David P., Priscilla W. Laws, and Scott V. Franklin. "An Inquiry-Based Curriculum for Non-Majors." Science 335. (2012): 25. Print.
Published Conference Proceedings
Wilson, Emily C. and Scott V. Franklin. "Who Goes Where: Patterns in Academic Field Switching of Successful College Graduates." Proceedings of the 2020 Physics Education Research Conference. Ed. Steven Wolf, Michael B. Bennett, and Brian W. Frank. Washington, DC: n.p., 2020. Web.
Ryan, Qing X., et al. "Question Characteristics and Students’ Epistemic Framing." Proceedings of the 2020 Physics Education Research Conference. Ed. Steven Wolf, Michael B. Bennett, and Brian W. Frank. Washington, DC: n.p., 2020. Web.
Owens, Lindsay M., et al. "Physics GRE Requirements Create Uneven Playing Field for Graduate Applicants." Proceedings of the 2020 Physics Education Research Conference. Ed. Steven Wolf, Michael B. Bennett, and Brian W. Frank. Washington, DC: n.p., 2020. Web.
Gazzillo, Z., Scott Franklin, and S. L. Alarcón. "Using Quantum Computers to Study Random Close Packing of Granular Discs." Proceedings of the 2019 Tenth International Green and Sustainable Computing Conference. Ed. IEEE. Alexandria, VA: n.p., 2019. Web.
Kustusch, Mary Bridget, Eleanor C. Sayre, and Scott V. Franklin. "Identifying Shifts in Agency by Analyzing Authority in Classroom Group Discussion." Proceedings of the 13th International Conference of the Learning Sciences. Ed. unknown. London, England, England: n.p., Web.
Archibeque, Ben, et al. "Qualitative Measures of Equity in Small Groups." Proceedings of the 13th International Conference of the Learning Sciences. Ed. unkonwn. London, England: n.p., Web.
Franklin, Scott and Jonathan Lindine. "Faculty Discourse in the Classroom: Meaning in Mathematical Moves." Proceedings of the 2013 Physics Education Research Conference. Ed. Paula Engelhardt. Portland, Oregon: American Institute of Technology, Print.
Sayre, Eleanor C., et al. "A Web-Based System for Between-Student Testing in University Physics." Proceedings of the 2012 European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction. Zurich, Switzerland: n.p., 2012. Print.
Franklin, Scott V. and Tricia Chapman. "Diversity of Faculty Practice in Workshop Classrooms." Proceedings of the Physics Education Research Conference. Ed. D.J. Wagner. Philadelphia, PA: American Institute of Physics, 2012. Print.
Sayre, Eleanor C. and Scott V. Franklin. "Learning, Retention, and Forgetting in University Physics." Proceedings of the 2011 National Meeting of the American Education Research Association. Ed. unknown. New Orleans, LA: n.p., 2011. Print.
Full Length Book
Franklin, Scott V., Scott V. Franklin, and Mark D. Shattuck. Handbook of Granular Materials. 1 ed. Boca Raton, Florida: Taylor and Francis, 2016. Print.
(ed), Scott Franklin and Mark Shattuck. Handbook of Granular Materials. Ft. Lauderdale, FL: CRC Press, 2016. Print.
Published Article
Trepanier, Melissa and Scott V. Franklin. “Column collapse of granular rods." Physical Review E, 82 (2010): 011308. Print. "  É  *
Clark, Jessica, E. Sayre, and S. Franklin, “Fluctuations in Student Understanding of Newton’s 3rd Law." Proceedings of the 2010 Physics Education Research Conference, 2010. n.p. Print. "  É  *

Currently Teaching

PHYS-275
Sophomore Physics Seminar
1 Credits
This seminar will assist students in their preparation for the Physics Comprehensive Oral Exam (CORE) required at the end of the course by presenting a unified as opposed to topical approach to physics. Physics majors must pass this course before going on to 300-level Physics courses.
PHYS-320
Mathematical Methods in Physics
3 Credits
This course serves as an introduction to the mathematical tools needed to solve intermediate and upper-level physics problems. Topics include matrix algebra, vector calculus, Fourier analysis, partial differential equations in rectangular coordinates, and an introduction to series solutions of ordinary differential equations.
PHYS-360
Introduction to Chaotic Dynamics
3 Credits
This course introduces basic tools for visualizing the behavior of nonlinear systems. In particular, the students are required to use the computer as an exploratory tool for generating and observing transitions between periodic behavior and chaotic behavior. Most of the course focuses on the driven, damped pendulum as a model dynamical system, but the ideas are readily extended to other systems as well.
PHYS-790
Graduate Research & Thesis
1 - 4 Credits
Graduate-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.
PHYS-791
Continuation of Thesis
0 Credits
Graduate-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.

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