Paul Alsing:
CLASS OF 1975
Waldwick High SchoolClass of 1975
Waldwick, NJ
Michigan State University - PhysicsClass of 1979
East lansing, MI
St. Lukes Grammar SchoolClass of 1971
Ho ho kus, NJ
Paul's Story
Life
***********************************
Short History of my life since Waldwick HS:
***********************************
After high school I went to Michigan State University (1975-1979) on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. Not the way I really wanted to go, but I come from a family of 9, so this was the way to pay for it. I got a B.S. in Astrophysics.
From 1979-1981 was a grad student in the Dept of Physics at the University of Texas at Austin working in quantum optics (physics) (light-matter interactions). However before I could finish my degree the AF decided they couldn't live without me, so I went to the AF Research Lab in Albuquerque, NM from 1981-1986. After my active duty tour, I went back to shcool and eventually got my Ph.D in quantum optics in 1991. I did a postdoc in Canberra Australia for a year and then came back to Albuquerque and have been here ever since 1992. I was at the High Performance Computing Center at the University of New Mexico for 10 years, and am now working for the AF again, but as a civilian scientist.
I work on a lot of things related to recent field of quantum information and quantum computation, and dabble in quantum effects in general relativity (Einstein was always my hero growing up). For the last few years I've been visiting the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, collaborating and also taking vacation there.
I am married to Nancy (no kids - I came from a family of 9, remember? so I know what its like - actually some of my other brothers and sisters are picking up my slack), and have two Persian kittens. I...Expand for more
play guitar, used to sail (deperately trying to get back to it - even in NM lakes - no kidding) and enjoy thinking and doing physics. Nancy and I just visited Italy last year for the first time (no laptops!) as a pure vacation. We did the self-art tour visiting Milan, Florence and Rome. As I get older, I'd love to travel more, especially to Europe. (Need to find the time and the money- ain't that always the case).
Its hard to believe that 30 years have gone by since we graduated from Waldwick HS. I remember trying to figure out what it would be like being 43 when the year 2000 came around. Where are all the flying cars! Why doesn't may normal car get 80 mpg? I remember when Kennedy said we would go to the moon. I believed him and decided that I had a shot at being the first man on Mars, the way things were going. But then it all abruptly ended in 1973 with Apollo 17. The year 2000 seemed so incredibly far away. Now its 2005 and we are having our 30 year HS reunion. Except for all the bumps and turns in life, I still feel pretty much like what I did when I was 15-17 in HS. I guess we imagine other people as being "older", but never quite feel old ourselves. The best response I heard when someone asks 'How ya doin?' is "Above ground and mobile!" The older I get, the more resonance that statement seems to have.
Best to all of you.
We lived in interesting times during HS - the tail end of the hippie generation! The real rock and roll generation. "Far-out dude!" Can you believe Ozzy and Keith Richards are still alive?!!! Truly, Rock-and-Roll will never die!
-Paul
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Register for Free to view all yearbooks!
Reunions
Photos