Rate My Professor John Hughes

John Hughes serves as Chair of the Department of Physical Sciences and Professor of Engineering Physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he grew up in the North Sea coastal town of Dunbar until his family moved to the United States when he was nine years old. Demonstrating an early passion for science, Hughes obtained his Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1995 and his Ph.D. in Physics from Dartmouth College in 2000. After completing his doctorate, he worked for five years as a research associate at the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, focusing on experimental space physics.

In 2005, Hughes joined the faculty at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, progressing to his current leadership position as department chair. Specializing in space physics and radio science as an experimentalist, his research has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Naval Research Laboratory. He has conducted fieldwork on radar and radio systems in remote high-latitude sites across Antarctica, Alaska, Greenland, Canada, and other locations. Key publications include 'First incoherent scatter radar observations of ionospheric heating on the second electron gyro-harmonic' (Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 2009), 'Experimental tests of the generation mechanism of auroral medium frequency burst radio emissions' (Journal of Geophysical Research, 2009), and 'Auroral medium frequency burst radio emission associated with the 23 March 2007 THEMIS study substorm' (2008). Hughes is also a contributing author to a major physics textbook. With over 340 citations, his work has influenced studies in ionospheric physics, plasma physics, and space weather. Despite his research background, he prioritizes teaching, emphasizing student success in introductory physics courses.