BROOKINGS The first law of thermodynamics is energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change forms.
Whether energy can be retired and what form it will take when retired is about to be tested by South Dakota State University physics professor Larry Browning, whose 35-year career at SDSU will officially wrap up May 21. This spring was the final semester in a 50-year career of teaching science.
It dates to his grad school days at Purdue University and includes seven years at Marquette (1983-90). He has been at SDSU since 1990.
At age 72, Browning finds that the external force of aging has worked to reduce his kinetic energy, especially when it comes to a pair of gimpy knees. But the total energy that has fueled his teaching career remained constant as he approached giving his last round of finals in physics II for biology majors and physical science for early childhood education majors.
During his time at SDSU, Browning has been a literal and figurative spark to the department, according to chemistry, biochemistry and physics department secretary Sally Krueger, whose 53-year tenure at SDSU makes Browning seem like a newcomer.
During his time at SDSU, Browning has been definitely unpredictable. I should have realized from the first fall semester he was on staff, when he asked me where he could purchase fireworks for demonstrations, that life in physics was going to get interesting, Krueger said.
Making science fun
For almost his entire SDSU career, Browning has taken on the role of science wizard on top of his classroom duties. For years, Browning has done 15 to 20 wonders of science shows each semester, some on campus and many on academic breaks that took him around the state, including remote schools, as well as to neighboring states.
For more than two decades, his partner in scientific wizardry has been chemistry professor Matt Miller.
He said, It is fitting that I met Dr. Browning at an outreach event. It was my first Washington Pavilion Spooky Science event (2001), but I have no idea how many times he had already done this. It was clear that he had a focus of conveying science ideas to the students in an entertaining way.
He believed the audience would leave with knowledge about science, and actually enjoy themselves too. His hope was that a student at such an event would be fascinated with the ideas and become a student of science in the future. Clearly, I was impacted because I am still following him to all sorts of events.
When Browning joined the SDSU faculty in 1990, he was on the planning committee for the Engineering Expo, which at that time was largely about high school outreach. The committee wanted a way to capture students attention before a day of engineering contests began. Browning volunteered to do science magic for the 1992 expo.
He has been making things explode, make smoke and seemingly defy gravity ever since. He actually started performing science stunts at Marquette in 1983.
Found career, spouse at SDSU
Browning said teaching at SDSU was a good move for him. He enjoyed his relationship with physics department head Warren Hein and College of Engineering Dean Duane Sander as well as his colleagues. SDSU also is where he met his wife, Della.
Browning explained that he was writing an anthology on the atomic bomb for Salem Press. He learned that H.G. Wells had written a book predicting the atomic bomb. Browning trekked to the campus library to check out The World Set Free.
The book wasnt on the Briggs Library shelves, so Browning asked the acting acquisitions librarian if the book could be ordered and if she would like to go out for dinner. He got a yes on both questions. The Brownings have been married 32 1/2 years and have two children, Emily and Joseph.
Both are following Brownings STEM direction, though on their own path. Emily Alvarado is a doctoral student in mechanical engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks while living in Juneau. Joseph is finishing degrees in computer science and mathematics at Dakota State.
Science show cast included daughter
Emily Alvarado remembers being recruited by her dad to perform in a Spooky Science show at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls when she was in sixth grade.
Thats also the most frequent comment Browning hears from the audience. Entertainment is the medium, but the message is that science is fun, he said.
Miller said the student reaction is gratifying. At least in the moment, theyre enjoying it, and they might be inspired to try science. You can have a lot of fun, and science is a great way to do it.
Browning said he initially became interested in science because he was fascinated by the world. I wanted to understand what was going on. By understanding it, I would have a better understanding of how things worked and have a chance to help others.
Theres no better way to understand the world than to understand physics, but his bachelors degree was in electrical engineering. However, the Syracuse University grad opted for a number of physics electives and pursued graduate degrees in physics at Purdue.
One of the classes that Browning was best known for was astronomy, which he taught for 10 years. He said it was easy to remember the start. He was teaching the class on the Dakota Digital Network, only the second SDSU faculty member to do so.
On Jan. 16, 1991, President George H.W. Bush declared the start of the Persian Gulf War. The astronomy channel was preempted, Browning recalled.
When the college hired Judy Vondruska, whose specialty is astronomy, Browning left that class to her.
Im the Swiss army knife of the physics department. I could teach a lot of different classes, and at some point I started getting grants, so that occupied my free time, he said. He has been awarded more than 20 grants during his tenure, many for teacher training.
Honored with star quilt
Browning also has worked with Native American students for virtually his entire SDSU career. He recalls that in 1992, John Tebesh approached him about creating a club for Native American students interested in engineering. Browning helped Tebesh draft a constitution and get it approved by the Students Association.
Michelle Buffalo Knuppe replaced Tebesh as student leader in 1995. Now a physical scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey at the EROS Center near Baltic, she recalls many great memories with Browning.
I took astronomy with Larry and enjoyed learning about the sky and stars and going up on the roof of Crothers Hall to do some stargazing. The class loved it when he brought chocolate chip cookies for break time.
Larry was a big help and proponent for me attending national conferences and leadership camps with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. He also helped volunteer at many of the wacipis put on by the Native American Club in the old Frost Arena.
Recently he has called to check in with me while going I was through breast cancer. We also get together for coffee or lunch when I am in Brookings to catch up and reminisce.
The club was reestablished in 2014 and named the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. In recent years, it has been stronger than ever, winning national awards, including the Distinguished Chapter of the Year Award, the Advocacy Partner Service Award and the Recruitment and Retention Award in 2022.
The chapter won the Outreach and Community Service Chapter Award in 2023 and 2021. In 2024, the chapter received the Impact to AISES Mission Award, which considers four areas community engagement, cultural integration, professional development and advocacy and awareness.
At this springs wacipi, the group presented him a star quilt.
Browning said, Working with AISES has been very gratifying. Being a first-generation college graduate from Appalachia gives me insight into some of the issues and challenges our AISES students deal with. I always feel a sense of pride and joy when one gets a degree, and a need to redouble my efforts if I know I can help another.
Retirement will bring a trip to Alaska to see his infant granddaughter and may include knee replacement surgery. But he isnt retiring his wizards cape.
Performing science magic with Miller makes for exhausting days, but they are also satisfying, Browning said.
Leave a Reply