BenU faculty since 2005
Ph.D., University of Tennessee (2000)
M.S., University of Tennessee (1995)
B.S., North Park University (1991)

Courses Taught
College Physics Laboratory, College Physics, University Physics Laboratory, Modern Physics, Modern Physics Laboratory, Electronics, Electricity and Magnetism, Introduction to the Engineering Profession, Engineering Design

Awards and Recognitions:

• College of Science Dean’s Award for Service 2014

Research Area
Scanning Probe Microscopy, Optical Tweezers, Physics Education, Outreach

Professional Activities:

• Benedictine University Radiation Safety Officer
• Benedictine University IDEA On Campus Director
• Co-PI NSF Grant
• Laboratory Coordinator for Physics

Current and Former Research Students:

• Ameen Ahmed, Physics major
• Ambreen Aijazuddin, Physics major
• Sylvia Krupa, Biology major
• Robert Maynard, Physics major
• Nicholas Sexton, Physics major
• Jared St. John, Physics major
• Sonali Patel, 2013, Biology
• Alexis Wadowski, 2013, Physics
• Joseph Esner, 2012, Health Science
• Michael Krolikiewicz, 2012, Physics
• Onyekachi Nwoke, 2012, Health Science
• Alonso Valerio, 2012, Physics
• Michael Frailaide, 2011, Physics
• Beatriz Ibarra, 2011, Biology
• Alexander Seymour, 2011, Physics
• Jeremy Zoubek, 2011, Physics
• Muzamil Arshad, 2010, Physics
• Tricia Avanzado, 2010, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Michael Berry, 2010, Physics
• Matthew Ekhoff, 2010, Chemistry
• Swetha Sabu, 2010, Physics
• Jeremy Swaw, 2010, Biology
• Kristyn Bales, 2008, Physics and Biology
• Sean Smith, 2007, Physics

Recent Publications:
Publications:

• C. Parks Cheney, A. Wig, R. H. Farahi, A. Gehl, D. L. Hedden, T. L. Ferrell, D. Ji, R. Bell, W. J. McBride, and S. O’Connor, In Vivo real-time ethanol vapor detection in the interstitial fluid of a Wistar rat using piezoresistive microcantilevers, Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research 13(2) (2007)
• C. Parks Cheney, A. Wig, R. H. Farahi, A. Gehl, D. L. Hedden, T. L. Ferrell, D. Ji, R. Bell, W. J. McBride, and S. O’Connor, In Vivo real-time ethanol vapor detection in the interstitial fluid of a Wistar rat using piezoresistive microcantilevers, Appl. Phys. Lett. 90(1) (2007)
• C. Parks Cheney, A. Wig, D. L. Hedden, A. Gehl, A. L. Lereu, R. H. Farahi, S. R. Hunter, and T. L. Ferrell, Ethanol vapor detection in saline solution using piezoresistive microcantilevers, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 77, 095101 (2006)
• A. Wig, E. Arakawa, A. Passian, T. Thundat, and T. L. Ferrell, Photothermal Spectroscopy of Bacillus Cereus and Bacillus Anthracis from 2.5 µm to 14.5 µm with microcantilevers, Sensors and Actuators B 114, 206-211, (2006)
• A. Passian, A.L. Lereu, A.Wig, F. Meriaudeau, T. Thundat, T.L. Ferrell, Imaging standing surface plasmons by photon tunneling, Physical Review B 71,165418(1)-165418(6), (2005)
• A. Passian, A. L. Lereu, E. T. Arakawa, A. Wig, T. Thundat, and T. L. Ferrell, Multiple photon energies modulation via surface plasmons, Optics Letters 30(1), 41-43, (2005)
• A. Passian, A. Wig, A. L. Lereu, F. Meriaudeau, T. Thundat, and T. L. Ferrell, Photon tunneling via surface plasmon coupling, Applied Physics Letters 85(16), 3420-3422, (2004)
• A. Passian, A. Wig, A. L. Lereu, F. Meriaudeau, T. Thundat, and T. L. Ferrell, Probing large area surface plasmon interference in thin metal films using photon scanning tunneling microscopy, Ultramicroscopy 100, 429-436, (2004)
• L. A. Pinnaduwage, A. Wig, D. L. Hedden, A. Gehl, D. Yi, T. Thundat, R.T. Lareau, Detection of Trinitrotoluene via Deflagration on a Microcantilever, Journal of Applied Physics 95(10), 5871-5875, (2004)
• A. Wig, A. Passian, E. Arakawa, T. L. Ferrell, and T. Thundat, Interference effects in optically activated microcantilevers, Journal of Applied Physics, 95(3), 1162-1165, (2004)
• A. Passian, R. J. Warmack, A. Wig, R.H. Farahi, F. Meriaudeau, T.L. Ferrell, T. Thundat Observation of Knudsen effect with microcantilevers, Ultramicroscopy 97(1-4), (2003)
• G. Muralidharan, A. Wig, L. A. Pinnaduwage, D. Hedden, T. Thundat, R. Larou, Adsorption-desorption of Explosive Vapors Investigated with Microcantilevers, Ultramicroscopy 97(1-4), (2003)
• A. Passian, A. Wig, F. Meriaudeau, T.L. Ferrell, T. Thundat, Knudsen forces on microcantilevers, Journal of Applied Physics 92, (2002)
• A. Passian, A. Wig, F. Meriaudeau, T.L. Ferrell, Potential distribution and field intensity for a hyperboloidal probe in a uniform field, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, 20(1), (2002)
• A. Passian, A. Wig, F. Meriaudeau, M. Buncick, T. Thundat, T.L. Ferrell, Electrostatic force density for a scanned probe above a charged surface, Journal of Applied Physics, 90(2), (2001)
• F. Meriaudeau, A. Wig, A. Passian, J.P. Lauret, T.L. Ferrell, Multiple gold island layers on a fiber core: a promising sensing device, Opt. Eng. 40(5), (2001)
• F. Meriaudeau, T. L. Ferrell, E. T. Arakawa, A. Wig, A. Passian, T. Thundat, W. J. Shen, S. Patel, F. B. Kraemer, Study of Different Hormone-Sensitive Lipase Concentrations Using a Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor, Sensors and Actuators B, 73, (2001)
• F. Meriaudeau, A. Wig, A. Passian, T. Downey, M. Buncick, and T. L. Ferrell, Gold Island Fiber Optic Sensor for Refractive Indexes Sensing, Sensors and Actuators B, 69(1-2), (2000)
• T. Downey, F. Meriaudeau, A. Passian, A. Wig, T. L. Ferrell, Guided propagation in a step index, multi-mode fiber: effects of index difference variation on allowable TM propagation constants, Optics and Laser Technology, 31(4), (1999)
• F. Meriaudeau, T. R. Downey, A. Wig, A. Passian, M. C. Buncick, and T. L. Ferrell, Fiber optic sensor on gold island plasmon resonance, Sensors and Actuators B, 54(1-2), (1999)
• F. Meriaudeau, T. R. Downey, A. Passian, A. Wig, and T. L. Ferrell, Environmental Effects on surface-plasmon spectra in gold island films potential for sensing applications, Applied Optics, 37(34), (1998)
• F. Segner, M. Breinig, D. Desai, A. Wig and L. Straus, Recoil-ion charge-state-resolved electron-production cross sections at 55o for 1 MeV/u C5+ on He and Ar, Physical Review A, 54(2), (1996)

Magazines

• A. Wig, F. Meriaudeau, A. Passian, J.P. Goudonnet, and T. L. Ferrell, Spectroscopy with the Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscope, Microscopy Today, 00-3 (2000)
• T. L. Ferrell, F. Meriaudeau, A. Passian, J.P. Goudonnet, and A. Wig, Imaging with the Photon Scanning-Tunneling Microscope, Microscopy Today, 99-4(1999)

Peer-Reviewed and Invited Presentations:

• A. Wig, Activity Based Physics at Benedictine University.
  APFI Symposium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, July 2009
• A. Wig, Optical Tweezers
  College of Science Faculty Colloquium, Benedictine University, Spring 2009
• A. Wig, Use and Effectiveness of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations
  4th annual ACCA Pedagogy Symposium, Lewis University, IL, Fall 2008
• A. Wig, Activity Based Physics Education
  College of Science Faculty Colloquium, Benedictine University, Spring 2008
• A. Wig, A. Passian, P. Boudreaux, and T.L. Ferrell, Surface Plasmon Based Spectrometer
  American Physical Society March Meeting at New Orleans, Louisiana, March 2008
• A. Wig, Microcantilever Sensors
  College of Science Faculty Colloquium, Benedictine University, December 2006
• – A. Wig, A. Passian, E. Arakawa, T. L. Ferrell, and T. Thundat, Interference effects in optically activated microcantilevers
  – A. Passian, A. Wig, A. L. Lereu, F. Meriaudeau, T. Thundat, and T. L. Ferrell, Measurement of large area surface plasmon interference in thin metal films using photon scanning tunneling microscopy
  Nanostructures and Sensors Conference at Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire May 2003
• – N. Munoz Aguirre, A. Passian, A. Wig, T. L. Ferrell, Measurements of the dielectric function of allotropic water using absorption spectra of gold (Au) islands at the surface plasmon resonance
  – N. Munoz Aguirre, A. Passian, A. Wig, L. Martinez Perez, T. L. Ferrell, Room temperature gas response of evaporated Sn02 thin films using total internal reflection
  CSI 2002 9th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors Boston, USA July 7-10 2002
• – A. Passian, A. Wig, T.L. Ferrell, F. Meriaudeau, and T. Thundat, Knudsen forces on microcantilevers
  – A. Wig, A. Passian, S. Zhu, M. George, T. L. Ferrell, and T. Thundat, Optical activation of microcantilevers with applications for coatingless chemical detection
  Scanning Probe Microscopy Sensors and Nanostructures, May 26-29, 2002, Las Vegas, NV
• G. Muralidharan, A. Wig, L. Pinnaduwage, T. Thundat and R. T. Lareau, Chemical Sensors Based on Piezoresistive Microcantilevers
  2002 MRS Spring Meeting San Francisco, California April 1-5, 2002 Volume 723
• L.A. Pinnaduwage, P.F. Britt, J.E. Hawk, D.L. Hedden, R.H. Ilgner, G. Muralidharan, M.E. Sigman, T. Skeen, T. Thundat, A. Wig, E.J. Houser, and R.A. McGill, Explosive Vapor Detection Using Microcantilever Sensors
  3rd International Aviation Security Technology Symposium, November 27 – 30, 2001, Atlantic City, NJ
• F. Meriaudeau, A. Wig, A. Passian, T.L. Ferrell, New fiber optic sensor: application to refractive index sensing, p354-364
  Applications of Optical Fiber Sensors 2000, Proc. SPIE Vol. 4074
• F. Meriaudeau, A. Wig, A. Passian, T. Downey, M. Buncick, and T. L. Ferrell, Gold island fiber optic sensor, p214-23
  Fiber Optic Sensor Technology and Applications September 1999, Proc. SPIE Vol 3860
• – F. Meriaudeau, T.R. Downey, A. Passian, P.I. Oden, A.G. Wig, P.B. Crilly, S. Mangeant, T.L. Ferrell, Thin metal island plasmon sensor, p328-33
  – J.C. DePriest, F. Meriaudeau, P.I. Oden, T. Downey, A. Passian, A. Wig, T.L. Ferrell, Chemically Sensitive Surface Plasmon Devices Employing a Self-Assembled Composite Monolayer Film, p772-76
  – F. Meriaudeau, T.R. Downey, A. Passian, A.G. Wig, S. Mangeant, P.B. Crilly, T.L. Ferrell, Development of a fiber optics sensor based on gold island plasmon resonance., p1179-84
  International Conference of Application of Photonic Technology July 1998, Proc. SPIE Vol 3491
• T. L. Ferrell, P.B. Crilly, S.F. Smith, A.L. Wittenberg, C.L. Britton, G.W. Morrison, M.N. Ericson, D. Hedden, D. Bouldin, A. Passian, T. Downey, A. Wig, F. Meriaudeau, Medical Telesensors, p193-198
  Biomedical Sensing and Imaging Technologies January 1998, Proc. SPIE Vol 3253
• A.G. Wig, D. D. Desai, M. Breinig, Cusp electron production in Coincidence with Target Recoil Ions for 3 MeV C+ on Ar Collisions
  The 63rd Meeting of Southeastern Section American Physical Society (SESAPS) November 14-16, 1996, Decatur, Georgia

Current Research Projects
Optical Tweezers: Research will be conducted to use the BU optical tweezers instrument to study biological systems. Optical tweezers use focused light to trap and manipulate small objects. The initial study is focused on the trapping and analysis of E. coli bacteria. The project is experimental and involves learning about optics, lasers, and the interaction of light with matter.

Scanning Probe Microscopy: A Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) is a device used to image surfaces of materials with atomic resolution. This project will involve building and testing an STM. It is an experimental project and will involve computer programming and electronics.

Research Grants and Funding:

1. NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Award #1240091, “Expanding and Strengthening the Secondary STEM Teacher Training Program”, Co-PI (April, 2012) $ 1.2 million (grant period January 1, 2013-December 31, 2017.
2. Society of Physics Students, Reporter Grant, $500, Fall 2012
3. Society of Physics Students, Research Grant, $1796, Fall 2009
4. Society of Physics Students, Reporter Grant, $500, Fall 2008