Iowa's program is recognized for its top-notch research. Its 29 faculty members work in astronomy and in nine areas of physics, including atomic and molecular, condensed-matter, high-energy, mathematical, medical, nuclear, optical, plasma, and space physics. Departmental research garners more than $16 million a year in external support.

Several faculty members are fellows of professional associations such as the American Physical Society and the American Geophysical Union. One is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. The late James Van Allen, a longtime professor and renowned space researcher, discovered the Earth’s radiation belts—named the Van Allen Radiation Belts in his honor.

The department has two optical telescopes and a radio telescope on the roof of Van Allen Hall and a fully automated telescope in Arizona. The optical telescope facility, run by students, is used for teaching and research projects. The department also maintains a full machine shop and 24-hour computer labs.

Additional resources on the UI campus include superconducting fabrication facilities, the Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratories, and the Optical Science and Technology Center. Varied labs are devoted to plasma, medical, atomic, high-energy, and molecular physics. Several ultrafast laser labs, a III-V molecular beam epitaxy lab, and a high-resolution X-ray diffraction lab also are available.

Iowa City is only a few hours’ drive from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.