Dr Don Neely

Qualifications
Biography
Research
Selected Publications
Teaching Interests 

Qualifications

BA(Hons); DipEd; PhD 

Biography

Dr Don Neely completed his undergraduate physics degree and education studies at Macquarie University in 1977 and then worked as a science teacher for the NSW Department of Education. He returned to Macquarie University in 1979 and on completion of his PhD in 1983, took a position on the staff of Murdoch University. Don joined the then Macarthur Institute of Higher Education in December 1985 as a foundation member of the science staff at the new Campbelltown campus. The Macarthur Institute of Higher Education was subsequently incorporated into the University of Western Sydney (UWS) in 1989. During this time Don contributed to the teaching of the physics degree, coordinating first year as well as teaching higher year units, including condensed matter physics and optics. He also acted as the chair of the department of physics from 1994 and then as coordinator of the physics group through a number of subsequent restructures until the phasing out of the physics degree at UWS in 2003. Since then Don has continued to coordinate and teach first year service physics for other science courses.

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Research

Dr Don Neely has previously worked on optical and electrical properties of vacuum deposited thin films. In recent years he has been involved in full time teaching.

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Selected Publications

Neely, D.F., Tansley, T.L., &  Foley, C.P. (1985). Determination of the Morphology and Effective Optical Constants of Non Ideal Thin Films, Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Solid Films and Surfaces, Sydney, Australia (Aug. 1984). Applications of Surface Science, 22/23, 804-812. 

Tansley, T.L., & Neely, D.F. (1985). Oscillatory Conductivity in Adsorbate Saturated polycrystalline zinc oxide. Thin Solid Films, 129, L75-77.  

Tansley, T.L., Foley, C.P., & Neely, D.F. (1984). Anomalous Thermal Desorption from Polycrystalline Zinc Oxide Thin Films. Thin Solid Films, 121, L85-88.

Tansley, T.L., & Neely, D.F. (1984). Absorption, Desorption and Conductivity of Sputtered Zinc Oxide Thin Films, Thin Solid Films 12, 95-107. 

Tansley, T.L., Neely, D.F., & Foley, C.P. (1983). Optical Dispersion in Zinc Oxide,   Physica Status Solidi (a), 77, 491-6.

Tansley, T.L., Neely, D.F., & Foley, C.P. (1983). Conduction Mechanism in Sputtered Polycrystalline Zinc Oxide Thin Films. Thin Solid Films 117, 19.

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Teaching Interests

As a physicist with a strong background in education Don is interested in the broad fundamental areas of physics and how these relate to other disciplines. In particular his challenge is to enter the minds of students, particularly those from “non mathematical” backgrounds, to discover how to help them develop an understanding of physics as a mathematical model which they can apply to their own disciplines.

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