In Memoriam: Dr. Sam Faulkner

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of Dr. Sam Faulkner, emeritus professor of physics. He was a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday.

Dr. Faulkner joined FAU in 1986 as a professor of physics, after a distinguished career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory where he was head of the theory group in the metals and ceramics division. In those days the terms "alloy theory" and "Sam Faulkner" were almost synonymous. Dr. Faulkner came to FAU to be one of the leaders in the newly established Ph.D. program in physics and to head up the Alloy Research Center, two tasks that he fulfilled with extraordinary vigor and vision. His presence gave the department and the university immediate international recognition, which was further propelled by the organization of conferences and workshops that brought outstanding scientists to the campus. In addition, Dr. Faulkner was a passionate teacher, whose courses in Solid State Physics, Quantum Theory, and Computational Physics, amongst others, were student favorites.

Dr. Faulkner formally retired from FAU in 2003 and was given emeritus status. However, he remained very active in retirement. He published two scientific monographs as well as an action-adventure novel called "The Sparrow" (still available on Amazon). He also continued to teach physics courses as an adjunct professor, where he was just as popular as ever with the students.

Dr. Faulkner's scientific contributions in solid state physics have stood the test of time. Notably his papers on Multiple Scattering Theory as well as those on the Coherent Potential Approximation, have become classics in the field. His accomplishments have been recognized by Fellowships in the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as visiting professorships and numerous invited talks.

Dr. Faulkner was one of the key players in the physics department and the college of science for over thirty years. Those of us who had the privilege of knowing him appreciated his wit, his strong opinions, and his deep knowledge. He was a patient mentor to his peers and an outstanding advisor to his many students. He will indeed be missed. In this difficult time our thoughts go to his family, particularly his wife Dr. Theodora Leventouri, professor of physics.

Luc T. Wille
Professor and Chair
Department of Physics
Florida Atlantic University