| |
Jeff D. Chalk III, ex-SMU professor who taught physics with flair, dies at 87
Lying on a bed of nails and ‘drinking’ liquid nitrogen were among the feats he pulled off to pique the interest of non-science majors
By Joe Simnacher, Staff Writer
Jeff D. Chalk III was devoted to his students, whether lying on a bed of nails to drive home a point to non-physics majors or tirelessly working to help students seeking admission to medical or dental school.
Throughout his 30-year career at Southern Methodist University, the professor strove to learn the names of all his students, even those he taught in off-site classes via electronic hookup.
...Chalk was famous for the dramatic demonstrations he provided his general physics classes, showmanship that was designed to pique interest in science among non-majors, said his wife, Sarah Chalk of University Park.
One summer, the Chalks made a bed of nails.
“It was as big as a door. ... There were hundreds and hundreds of nails in that thing,” his wife said.
Chalk would lie on the bed of nails while a colleague used a sledgehammer to shatter a cinder block resting on his chest.
“My husband kind of hammed it up,” his wife said. “He’d take his glasses off and act as if he were afraid.”
For another attention-grabber, he would “drink” liquid nitrogen from a foam cup. While the extremely cold liquid would rapidly freeze living tissue, it also vaporized before reaching his lips....
|
|
|
