James Cresser obtained a PhD in theoretical physics in 1979 from the University of Queensland. There followed a post-doctoral position at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany in 1980-82, a second post-doctoral position at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York, 1982-84, and a year as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He took up a position as lecturer in physics at Macquarie University in mid-1985 and was promoted to senior lecturer in 1991. His teaching activities are principally concerned with upper level theoretical physics, and he was the recipient of an Outstanding Teaching Award in 1998 for his contributions to the development and the teaching of the theoretical physics at Macquarie University. His research activities have been principally in the area of theoretical quantum optics. In the early 90's the main focus was on the theory of the micromaser, which has evolved into a general interest in the theory of open quantum systems, and quantum measurement theory. Most recent work has been on non-Markovian open systems, continuous position measurement, and quantum trajectory theory. He is married, with two children. His wife, Dr Ros Taplin works as a consultant on environmental matters. Apart from physics and family, his interests include playing the piano and meteorology. He used to play a good game of tennis, and having grown up riding the point breaks of the southern Queensland coast, he also remains ever hopeful that he will once again return to surfboard riding. |
