Charles Roberts, Richard Whiteley and Keung Luke

Dr. Keung Luke, Professor Emeritus of the Physics, taught at CSULB from 1966-1998 (FERP 1998-2003). One of the things he values most about his time at the university is the ability to be a teacher-scholar. This allowed him to teach large general education classes like Astronomy 100, making it possible for him to interact with thousands of students over the course of his career. It also gave him the opportunity to integrate new technology and develop new curriculum. He views the development a new senior/ graduate course, “Interfacing in Experimental Physics” as one of his top accomplishments. In his own words, Dr. Luke says: “I speak the truth and lie not, it is both a joy and an honor to give back to CSULB, my beloved professional home for thirty-two years.”

Dr. Roberts was the Physics Chair and hired Dr. Luke in 1966. He set a goal for Dr. Luke when he started, to be a teacher-scholar. Over the years Dr. Luke strove to reach that goal. In 1992-3 he was honored with the CSULB Outstanding Professor Award and campus representative for the CSU System selection. In addition to this distinction, he also devoted sabbaticals and summers to research at some of the leading research institutions – Caltech, Stanford, University of New South Wales in Australia, and JPL. Six of his scientific publications were cited worldwide, a grand total of 409 times and one was even installed permanently at the University of Iowa to demonstrate Parallel/Series AC Resonance in electricity and magnetism.

Mr. Whiteley was Dr. Luke’s first graduate student. Subsequently, he was a part-time physics instructor at CSULB and the two of them collaborated in bringing the PC into the laboratory to automate data collection/analysis/display. They developed an entire senior/graduate level course on this subject and co-authored Laboratory Manual for Interfacing in Experimental Physics, a unique course in the CSU system. One student applied what she learned to automate a large thermal recycling chamber at an aircraft company where she worked and in her words “impressed her boss and her boss’ boss” because that process was previously done manually by a technician and took half a day.

This scholarship has been established by Dr. Luke to honor Dr. Roberts and Mr Whiteley, two relationships he valued greatly during his time at the College of Natural Science & Mathematics.

The College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics expresses gratitude to all scholarship donors who continue to enhance the quality of education students experience at CNSM.