Acoustics in an undergraduate physics department

Physics departments that provide only undergraduate degrees can be a good fit for faculty with acoustics expertise, given that such departments value research experiences for undergraduate students and Acoustics is a branch of applied physics that is amenable to undergraduate level research projects with modest budgets. The caveat is that faculty at such institutions need be at least as passionate about teaching as doing research. Rather than leading a team of PhD students and postdocs, they reap significant rewards in training young students be good physicists and to help some find their passion in acoustics. Motivated faculty can also find ways to incorporate acoustics into the curriculum, as well as into outreach and student club activities. This presentation will highlight experiences from a nearly 30-year career at Central Washington University that demonstrate how acoustics can become an integral part of the undergraduate physics experience.