Miller energizes Physics

By Laurie Mellas-Ramirez

Bill Miller is not from Roswell, but he has an eye for unidentified flying objects all the same. On a morning stroll recently, the Farmington native had a physics encounter of the Albuquerque kind.

“I saw a bright light,” said Miller, department of physics and astronomy teaching lab supervisor. “On second glance, I saw that a sprinkler had gotten the sidewalk wet and the streetlight was reflecting the light. It wasn’t a UFO.”

Miller brings similar real world examples to the laboratory and classroom. If you smell chocolate chip cookies while you walk past

Regener Hall, it’s coming from his solar oven demonstration.
“It shows students ‘yes, you can actually do something with solar energy.’ And they get a cookie at the end of class.”

In the past few years he assisted in revamping three physics and one astronomy lab as well as the course Physics 106, light and color, which he teaches.

“Physics is the study of the forces of nature. We can’t avoid interactions with it. We teach where nature pushes and what’s going to push back. We convey concepts so the students learn the basics, but they don’t have to work out the equations at the 100 levels. We try to take away the mystery, but not the wonder.”

Miller graduated from Farmington High School in 1967. He moved to Portales and then to Dallas where he worked for Texas Instruments before deciding to return to school.

“I wanted to work with people, not machines,” he said.

He enrolled at UNM and focused on sociology and economics. He developed an interest in many different subjects and later chose to earn a bachelor of university studies.

“I claim to have three credits from every department,” he said.

Advisors noted that with a few more political science courses under his belt he would be perfect pre-law, but Miller ruled for the U.S. Peace Corps instead. He traveled to West Africa and for two years worked at the University of Cape Coast in the Physics Department.

While in New Zealand holding another position he met and married Jeanine, a nurse. After more travels, in 1986, with a brand new son, Travis, the family moved to Albuquerque.

At UNM for little less than 17 years, Miller says he still enjoys travels with his family, which includes Aaron, 13, at least once a year both in the U.S. and abroad.

He is working on a master’s degree in the College of Education Department of Educational Thought and Sociocultural Studies.

Being a man who likes to be on the move, he frequently walks for causes. So keep an eye peeled for Miller -- in training -- he might be sighted at a department near you.

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