We are a physics department that values highly both its cutting-edge research programs and its commitment to education of its students, and the synergy between research and teaching in the education of undergraduate as well as graduate students. Members of our faculty are regularly recognized for excellence in teaching and mentoring. A 2006 survey by Academic Analytics, LLC, part of which was published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, rated this department as 16th out of the 172 Ph.D. granting physics departments in the U.S. in scholarly productivity, on a per faculty basis, as measured by items such as publications, citations, research grants, and awards.