Prestige, Pinocchios Entice Marcus to Physics Department

Charles M. Marcus, an associate professor of physics at Stanford and leading researcher in submicron electronic technology, has accepted a tenured professorship in the physics department.

"I was tremendously excited," Marcus said. "I feel at home at Harvard."

Marcus, 37, graduated from Stanford with a degree in physics in 1984. He was a graduate student at Harvard--a "personally formative period"--receiving his Ph.D. in physics in 1990.

Marcus turned down an offer of tenure at Stanford in favor of Harvard's. He said the decision between the two came down to intangibles while he was visiting Cambridge recently.

"I was having pizza with my son at Pinocchio's and everything just felt right," he said.

Ian H. Chan, currently a graduate student in the physics department, worked under Marcus at Stanford as an undergraduate and remarked on his energy and approachability.

"He's a hands-on guy. He was always very excited about his work," Chan said. "He'd jump right in and show students how to solder and cut metal."

Marcus' appointment coincides with the creation of a new center for nanotechnology--Marcus' field--at Harvard. Marcus said he hopes the center will "put the Harvard at the forefront."

"I believe this will be the Harvard century in physics," he added.

The appointment is the fourth in series of recent physics senior Faculty hires, events usually rare.

"Charlie is a great guy," said Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Howard M. Georgi '67. "We've been interested in him for a long time."

Georgi said that the department's goal is not expansion; each hire represents a unique opportunity.

"We probably won't be hiring as many in the near future," he said.

Marcus is not the first junior physics professor that Harvard and Stanford have competed for in recent months.

"There is not a rivalry. [Both universities] are excellent, but there is a finite number of excellent people," Marcus said.

Marcus cited the openness of communication, the growth initiatives, his positive experiences with the University and the overall excellence of the department as factors in Harvard's favor.

Marcus said now is a good time to be a physics professor looking for a new appointment.

"The market is great right now [for junior Faculty]. Everyday I get calls searching for faculty," Marcus said.

"For me, it's the perfect job: you don't have to wear a tie, you can keep your own hours, and as long as you're smart, you can be as weird as you want," he added.