Family and Friends of Roy Knispel
Dr. Roy Knispel began his career in 1975, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at UW Oshkosh. In collaboration with Dr. Sandra Gade, Dr. Barent Johnson, and several students, he conducted research into materials using nuclear magnetic and electron paramagnetic resonance techniques. With the onset of microcomputers, he advocated for the creation of a computing and instrumentation (C&I) emphasis for physics and computer science majors. Dr. Knispel became a respected teacher, mentor, and friend to students and colleagues within the University community. Producing its first graduate in 1983, graduates of the C&I program provided businesses throughout the country with much needed expertise in the interfacing of computers to instrumentation and data collection systems.
Dr. Knispel graduated with a Bachelor of Science in physics from Valparaiso University in 1962, completing a master’s degree in physics in 1964 from the University of Toledo, and a Ph.D. in physics from Montana State University in 1969. Following post-doctoral work in the Physics and Statistics Departments at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Dr. Knispel joined the faculty of the UW Oshkosh Department of Physics and Astronomy, where he served as a faculty member for 32 years, including chair of the department for six years. In 1979, he was awarded the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award.
Shortly before retiring in 2007, Dr. Knispel provided the leadership to establish a dual Physics/Engineering degree, in which students attend UW Oshkosh for three years and then complete their final two years of engineering coursework at UW-Madison or the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
Many students and colleagues remember Dr. Knispel as hard-working, spending long hours on the third floor of the Halsey Science Center. Graduates and fellow professors have credited his compassion and commitment as the reason for the extraordinary success of his students. In honor of his contributions to the University, Physics and Astronomy faculty established the Roy Knispel Physics and Astronomy Scholarship in 2009.