Graeme Smith
Lecturer in Physics
I have been a lecturer at Somerville since 2001, but I first came to Oxford in 1993 to read Physics as an undergraduate (at Oriel College).
In 1997 I started work on my DPhil under the supervision of Professor Dame Carole Jordan (who retired from teaching at Somerville several years ago), having worked with her on my fourth year undergraduate project. I started teaching at Somerville directly after completing my thesis.Most of my research, including my thesis, has concerned a long-standing problem in understanding the brightness of helium emission lines seen in the ultraviolet spectrum of the solar atmosphere. My interest in astrophysics dates back to a young age, but it was rekindled by a look at Kepler’s laws in A-level physics. It was probably that spark that inspired me to apply for my first degree (although the influence of my long time love of science fiction should not be underestimated).