Rate My Professor Shannon Mayer

Shannon Mayer is Professor of Physics at the University of Portland, where she joined the faculty in 2002. She has served as chair of the Physics Department and currently co-directs the Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture. Mayer earned a Bachelor of Science from Pacific Lutheran University in 1987, a Master of Science from Oregon State University in 1989, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Oregon State University in 1997. Throughout her career, she has been actively involved in mentoring STEM students in classrooms and laboratories, as well as contributing to university leadership initiatives, including serving as a leadership coach for students.

Mayer specializes in optics, with research interests encompassing quantum optics, laser spectroscopy, physics education, and science policy. Her publications appear in technical journals, teaching journals, conference proceedings, and book chapters. She co-edited Awaken the Stars: Reflections on What We Really Teach (ACTA Publications, 2017), a collection of essays by University of Portland faculty that explores teaching and mentoring students in the Catholic and Holy Cross tradition. In recognition of their commitment to the university's mission, Mayer and her husband, Chemistry Professor Steve Mayer, received the 2021 Spirit of Holy Cross Award from the Congregation of Holy Cross. Mayer writes and speaks on the intersection of faith and science, emphasizing the role of wonder in physics education. She describes her work as pursuing wonder in physics and empowering students to become wonderers, discovering the remarkable aspects of the world through scientific inquiry and the beauty of equations such as the wave equation.