Physics Welcomes New Chair

Eduardo Mucciolo, Ph.D., is the new chair of the UCF Department of Physics. Dr. Mucciolo officially began serving in his new appointment on May 20, 2016.

Dr. Mucciolo has been at UCF since 2003 when he was hired as a tenure-track associate professor, teaching all levels from freshman physics to graduate courses. In 2006 he was granted tenure and became a full professor in 2010. During that time, Dr. Mucciolo also served as the graduate program director, participated in several departmental committees, and was a member of the Faculty Senate.

Before joining UCF, Dr. Mucciolo received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, following which he took a postdoctoral research position at NORDITA. He then joined the faculty of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, where he achieved the rank of associate professor with tenure.

Currently, Dr. Mucciolo serves as a professor of physics with a joint appointment in Computer Science. His research in recent years has focused on quantum computation, and has spanned condensed matter physics and computer science.

“Dr. Mucciolo received strong support from the search committee and his colleagues,” said Michael Johnson, Ph.D., Dean of the UCF College of Sciences. “I hope you will join me in congratulating Dr. Mucciolo on this new position.” 

As the new Physics chair, Dr. Mucciolo hopes to lead the department in its continuous upward trajectory, focusing on making its undergraduate and graduate physics programs the best in the state.

“We have taken great strides in this direction in the last ten years,” said Dr. Mucciolo. “But there is still a lot to improve to get there. I am fortunate to count on the support of my colleagues in the Department and of the Dean and his staff, who all share my vision. The collegiality, energy, and enthusiasm of the faculty, students, and staff in the Department create the perfect conditions for reaching this common goal.”