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The first law of thermodynamics is energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change forms.

Whether energy can be retired and what form it will take when retired is about to be tested by South ��ֱ���� State University physics professor Larry Browning, whose 35-year career at SDSU will officially wrap up May 21. This spring was the final semester in a 50-year career of teaching science.

It dates to his grad school days at Purdue University and includes seven years at Marquette (1983-90). He has been at SDSU since 1990.

At age 72, Browning finds that the external force of aging has worked to reduce his kinetic energy, especially when it comes to a pair of gimpy knees. But the total energy that has fueled his teaching career remained constant as he approached giving his last round of finals in Physics II for Biology majors and Physical Science for Early Childhood Education majors.

During his time at SDSU, Browning has been a literal and figurative spark to the department, according to chemistry, biochemistry and physics department secretary Sally Krueger, whose 53-year tenure at SDSU makes Browning seem like a newcomer.

“During his time at SDSU, Browning has been definitely unpredictable. I should have realized from the first fall semester he was on staff, when he asked me where he could purchase fireworks for demonstrations, that life in physics was going to get interesting,” Krueger said.  

Making science fun

For almost his entire SDSU career, Browning has taken on the role of science wizard on top of his classroom duties. For years, Browning has done 15 to 20 “wonders of science” shows each semester, some on campus and many on academic breaks that took him around the state, including remote schools, as well as to neighboring states. 

For more than two decades, his partner in scientific wizardry has been chemistry professor Matt Miller.

He said, “It is fitting that I met Dr. Browning at an outreach event.  It was my first Washington Pavilion Spooky Science event (2001), but I have no idea how many times he had already done this. It was clear that he had a focus of conveying science ideas to the students in an entertaining way. 

“He believed the audience would leave with knowledge about science, and actually enjoy themselves too. His hope was that a student at such an event would be fascinated with the ideas and become a student of science in the future. Clearly, I was impacted because I am still following him to all sorts of events.”

When Browning joined the SDSU faculty in 1990, he was on the planning committee for the Engineering Expo, which at that time was largely about high school outreach. The committee wanted a way to capture students’ attention before a day of engineering contests began. Browning volunteered to do science magic for the 1992 expo. 

He has been making things explode, make smoke and seemingly defy gravity ever since. He actually started performing science stunts at Marquette in 1983.

 

Found career, spouse at SDSU

Browning said teaching at SDSU was a good move for him. He enjoyed his relationship with physics Department Head Warren Hein and College of Engineering Dean Duane Sander as well as his colleagues. SDSU also is where he met his wife, Della.

Browning explained that he was writing an anthology on the atomic bomb for Salem Press. He learned that H.G. Welles had written a book predicting the atomic bomb. Browning trekked to the campus library to check out “The World Set Free.”

The book wasn’t on the Briggs Library shelves, so Browning asked the acting acquisitions librarian if the book could be ordered and if she would like to go out for dinner. He got a “yes” on both questions. The Brownings have been married 32 1/2 years and have two children, Emily and Joseph.

Both are following Browning’s STEM direction, though on their own path. Emily Alvarado is a doctoral student in mechanical engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks while living in Juneau. Joseph is finishing degrees in computer science and mathematics at ��ֱ���� State.

Science show cast included daughter

Emily Alvarado remembers being recruited by her dad to perform in a Spooky Science show at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls when she was in sixth grade.

Alvarado recalls the fun of being on stage with peers and her father in costumes while elementary school children were mesmerized by tricks like creating a cloud within a bottle or triggering an explosion with a Culligan bottle. “They do such a good job of putting on a show, having fun going back and forth. I got to set stuff on fire. It was so cool.”

That’s also the most frequent comment Browning hears from the audience. Entertainment is the medium, but the message is that science is fun, he said.

Miller said the student reaction is gratifying. “At least in the moment, they’re enjoying it, and they might be inspired to try science. You can have a lot of fun, and science is a great way to do it.”

 

An early adopter of digital learning

Browning said he initially became interested in science because he was “fascinated by the world. I wanted to understand what was going on. By understanding it, I would have a better understanding of how things worked and have a chance to help others.”

There’s no better way to understand the world than to understand physics, but his bachelor’s degree was in electrical engineering. However, the Syracuse University grad opted for a number of physics electives and pursued graduate degrees in physics at Purdue.

One of the classes that Browning was best known for was astronomy, which he taught for about 10 years beginning in 1991. He said it was easy to remember the start. He was teaching the class on the ��ֱ���� Digital Network, only the second SDSU faculty member to do so. The class used public broadcasting’s second channel.

On Jan. 16, 1991, President George H.W. Bush declared the start of the Persian Gulf War.  The astronomy channel was preempted, Browning recalled.

When the college hired Judy Vondruska, whose specialty is astronomy, Browning left that class to her.

“I’m the Swiss army knife of the physics department. I could teach a lot of different classes, and at some point I started getting grants, so that occupied my free time,” he said. He has been awarded more than 20 grants during his tenure, many for teacher training. He also is the National Science Teaching Association faculty adviser.

Honored with star quilt this spring

Browning also has worked with Native American students for virtually his entire SDSU career. He recalls that in 1992, John Tebesh approached him about creating a club for Native American students interested in engineering. Browning helped Tebesh draft a constitution and get it approved by the Students’ Association.

Michelle Buffalo Knuppe replaced Tebesh as student leader in 1995. Now a physical scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey at the EROS Center near Baltic, she recalls many great memories with Browning. 

“I took astronomy with Larry and enjoyed learning about the sky and stars and going up on the roof of Crothers Hall to do some stargazing. The class loved it when he brought chocolate chip cookies for break time.

“Larry was a big help and proponent for me attending national conferences and leadership camps with AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society). He also helped volunteer at many of the annual wacipis put on by the Native American Club in the old Frost Arena. 

“Recently he has called to check in with me while going I was through breast cancer. We also get together for coffee or lunch when I am in Brookings to catch up and reminisce.” 

The club was reestablished in 2014 and named the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. In recent years, it has been stronger than ever, winning national awards, including the Distinguished Chapter of the Year ��ֱ����, the Advocacy Partner Service ��ֱ���� and the Recruitment and Retention ��ֱ���� in 2022.

The chapter won the Outreach and Community Service Chapter ��ֱ���� in 2023 and 2021. In 2024, the chapter received the Impact to AISES Mission ��ֱ����, which considers four areas — community engagement, cultural integration, professional development and advocacy and awareness.

At this spring’s wacipi, the group recognized Browning for his support by presenting him a star quilt.

Bxrowning said, “Working with AISES has been very gratifying.  Being a first-generation college graduate from Appalachia gives me insight into some of the issues and challenges our AISES students deal with.  I always feel a sense of pride and joy when one gets a degree, and a need to redouble my efforts if I know I can help another.”

Retirement will bring a trip to Alaska to see his infant granddaughter and may include knee replacement surgery. But he isn’t retiring his wizard’s cape.

Performing science magic with Miller makes for “exhausting days, but they are also satisfying,” Browning said.

Retirement party set for Browning

South ��ֱ���� State University physics professor Larry Browning will be honored at a retirement party from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Monday, May 19, in the Hobo Day Gallery in the University Student Union on campus. A short program will be held at 3 p.m.

The event flier bills Browning as the “most dangerous, explosive physicist on campus.”

For more information, contact department secretary Sally Krueger at 688-5428 or email her at Sally.Krueger@sdstate.edu.