Assistant professor of physics

 

From an early age, Dr. Andrew R. Frey, an assistant professor of physics at the University of Winnipeg, was interested in the big questions. He recalls looking up at the stars wondering what governs it all and was curious to know what it was like at the very beginning of time. 

These questions continue to drive his career and research in the study of subatomic constituents of matter and string theory. 

“It’s very similar to Sheldon Cooper’s work from The Big Bang Theory,” he explains. 

While he enjoys his work tremendously, Frey explains that the most challenging part of his work is writing up research projects as journal articles. He admits that although he would rather spend the time on the science part, communicating results is very important. 

“Doing the science is more fun,” he chuckles. 

Dr. Frey holds a bachelor of science from Wake Forest University in North Carolina, near his hometown of Winston-Salem, and a PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He lives in Winnipeg with his wife Dr. Rebecca Danos, who also works in the Physics department at U of W, and their cat, Anna. 

During his spare time, Frey enjoys a game of Frisbee and drinks tea to relax, both at work and at home. 

“I keep a wide assortment of tea.” 

At the end of a busy day he unwinds by reading a book or watching some television. He is quick to mention that he mostly watches television off of DVDs. 

“Yes, that includes The Big Bang Theory,” he adds.

 

AGE: 39. 

AREA OF RESEARCH: Subatomic constituents of matter (dark matter) and string theory. 

NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS: 38 referred publications. 

LOWEST GRADE IN UNIVERSITY: I always got straight A’s. 

WHAT’S YOUR SUPERPOWER: Curiosity. It provides me with the motivation to stay with the research. It keeps me going. 

FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF: Persistence. I have a great ability to keep on going with things even when they get difficult and the patience to help students to learn. 

FAVOURITE MUSIC GENRE: I listen to everything from classical music, oldies rock to more recent stuff. It depends on my mood. 

BEST THING ABOUT YOUR WORK: It would probably be working on something and realizing that I’ve discovered something that no one has discovered before. 

BOOKS I READ: I am big on science fiction. 

WHAT WOULD SAY TO STUDENTS INTERESTED IN YOUR FIELD: There is a lot to learn and sometimes it may seem daunting. Work hard and be persistent and you’ll go a long way. On a more personal note, if you are curious or interested and would like to chat with someone, I would be happy to talk.

Published in Volume 70, Number 16 of The Uniter (January 21, 2016)