Remembering Physics Professor Dr. Joseph Chalmers

With sadness, Wayne State mourns the loss of Dr. Joseph Chalmers, an early and eminent member of our academic community.

Dr. Chalmers completed the extent of his university education at Wayne State University, earning his Bachelor of Science in 1960, Master of Arts in 1962 and Doctorate in Theoretical High Energy Physics in 1967.

Throughout his years at Wayne State, the Department of Physics and Astronomy benefited from his intellectual collaboration and ambition, which he demonstrated as a teaching assistant, research assistant, teaching associate and research associate.

Dr. Chalmers was a Ph.D. student under Dr. Al Saperstein and he was a pioneer in understanding the nuclear physics underlying the synthesis of nuclei in stars. He performed calculations of proton-nucleus collisions in comparison with collision experiments.

The work in his dissertation revealed details of how neutrons and protons interact via the strong force. This work was part of the foundation that ultimately led to the modern-day focus on quarks as fundamental constituents of protons and neutrons.

Dr. Chalmers served as a professor and chair in the physics department at the University of Louisville for four decades. Following his retirement, he continued teaching at the University of California, San Diego for another two decades. Throughout his lifetime, his dedication and passion for teaching impacted the lives of thousands of students nationwide.

We express our gratitude for the dedication Dr. Chalmers demonstrated to the academic growth of so many of his peers, colleagues and students. Please join us in honoring his memory.