Barry Luokkala is a teaching professor and director of undergraduate laboratories in the department of physics at Carnegie Mellon University. He received his BS and MS degrees in physics at the University of Pittsburgh, where he did experimental research in the physics and chemistry of the ionosphere. He received his PhD in experimental condensed matter physics at Carnegie Mellon University. He has also served as program director for the Pennsylvania GovernorтАЩs School for the sciences and has been a science consultant for the Sloan Foundation Screenplay Competition in Carnegie MellonтАЩs School of Drama.