New John H. Rourke Professor of Physics
Professor and Chair of Physics Kenneth Burch, a leading researcher in condensed matter physics, has been named the John H. Rourke Professor of Physics, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., has announced,
Kenneth Burch (Gary Wayne Gilbert)
Burch, who joined the Boston College faculty from the University of Toronto in 2013, succeeds Professor of Physics Kevin Bedell, the inaugural Rourke Chair holder.
“As a researcher, teacher, departmental leader, and stalwart participant in the work of the University, Ken exemplifies the sort of faculty excellence we hope for at Boston College,” said Fr. Kalscheur. “I am grateful for all he has done for his students and the Physics Department, and I look forward to his future accomplishments.”
The chair was created by a $3 million bequest from the late siblings John and Mary Rourke, the long-time owners of Rourke’s Pharmacy in Brighton Center near Ď㽶Đă. At the time of the gift, it was the largest bequest in the University’s history. John Rourke ’41 and his sister ran the landmark pharmacy—established by their father in 1897—into their 80s. Ěý
“I am extremely honored and grateful to join the growing list of endowed chairs at Ď㽶Đă that represent such a high level of scholarship and service,” said Burch, who just finished his first year as department chair. “I have very big shoes to fill, given Kevin’s accomplishments as the inaugural holder of the professorship. I am also excited about the opportunity to try high risk/high reward projects with a source of reliable support not tied to specific projects.”
As a researcher, Burch’s work focuses on quantum materials, optical spectroscopy, and biosensing. His research has resulted in more than 100 publications, with many papers in high-impact journals such as Nature. He has given more than 200 invited talks at domestic and international conferences, and his work has been supported by numerous organizations, including the National Science Foundation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy. In 2022, Burch was named a fellow of the American Physical Society.
In addition to his scholarly work, Burch welcomes students from across the University, and beyond, to satisfy their interests in fundamental physics and devices with societal impacts—whether as a physics major, or to simply expand their knowledge. He frequently attends events to reach out to underrepresented students and discuss the ongoing research of his group.
He routinely hosts undergraduate students to perform research in his lab, including students from Chemistry and Biology, with many serving as co-authors on papers and patents. He has participated in “Skype a Scientist” for many years, holding video conferences with K-12 students from around the country to expose them to his pioneering research and explain why physics is exciting and impactful.
One of Burch’s recent projects focused on using the material graphene, where electrons behave as particles of light, to create a cutting-edge biosensor for early detection of diseases and opioids in wastewater.
Burch said the Physics Department has remade itself during the past decade, building a unique focus entirely on materials. The faculty’s focus on condensed matter physics has supported recent initiatives that have expanded faculty hires into Applied Physics.
The emphasis on condensed matter “offers opportunities to explore the emergence of exotic phases, novel quasi-particles, along with devices and techniques that provide revolutionary capabilities to society—such as clean energy, biological sensing, and efficient AI,” Burch said. “To achieve this, we made a concerted effort to hire top-notch faculty who also better reflect the society we serve.”
As chair, Burch has sought to open up classes and talks to students outside of the major course of study.
“We are working to increase our course offerings to non-majors, both at the undergraduate and graduate level,” Burch said. “I have also been meeting regularly with other STEM chairs to find ways to create joint opportunities for course offerings and potential faculty hires.”
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