Rate My Professor Leigh Hargreaves

Leigh Hargreaves is an Associate Professor of Physics at California State University, Fullerton, in the Department of Physics. He serves as the Assessment Coordinator, Undergraduate Advisor, and Bachelor of Science degree program coordinator. His research focuses on atomic and molecular electron-reaction science, specializing in low-energy electron scattering experiments from gaseous targets, including biomolecules. This work investigates electron-molecule interactions to better understand radiation-induced damage in cancer therapy, particularly the effects of secondary low-energy electrons on DNA molecules. He maintains laboratories in DBH-150 and DBH-152 for these experiments.

Hargreaves earned his degrees in physics at Flinders University in Australia, completing his PhD in 2008 with the thesis 'Absolute Electron Scattering Cross Sections for the CF2 Radical,' published in Physical Review A. He performed postdoctoral work at the University of Adelaide before visiting California State University, Fullerton in 2011 to collaborate with Professor Murtadha Khakoo. He joined the faculty as Assistant Professor in 2014 and was promoted to Associate Professor. His publications include 'Electronic excitation of methanol by low energy electrons,' 'Electronic excitation of furan molecules by low energy electron impact,' 'Refutation of a propensity rule in low-energy electron scattering by neon atoms,' and 'Low-energy electron scattering from water vapor,' along with contributions in the Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. His research has over 860 citations per Google Scholar. Hargreaves received Junior/Senior Faculty Research Grants for undergraduate experiments in electron scattering from biomolecules. He earned Faculty Recognition Awards for Excellence in Service in 2020 and 2023 for his outstanding undergraduate advising, meeting each physics major every semester with an open-door policy. He has chaired sessions at American Physical Society meetings, including the Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics annual meeting.