Associate Professor of Physics
152 Padnos Hall of Science
Department of Physics
Tel: (616) 331-2134
Fax: (616) 331-3740
Email: [email protected]

Education 

• Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin, 2007.
• B.A. Wesleyan University, 1998.

Professional Experience

• Associate Professor of Physics, Grand Valley State University, Fall 2019 - Present.
• Assistant Professor of Physics, Grand Valley State University, Fall 2013 - 2019.
• Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics, Rhodes College, 2012 - 2013.
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Ryerson University, 2009 - 2012.
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CFTC, University of Lisbon, 2008.

Teaching 

• PHY 220/221: General Physics I & II
• PHY 230/231: Principles of Physics I & II; 
• PHY 234: Engineering Physics
• PHY 330: Classical Mechanics
• PHY 350: Quantum Mechanics
• PHY 360: Statistical Thermodynamics
• PHY 380: Biophysics

Research Interests

My current research focus is on the mathematical and computational modeling of infectious disease. In particular, I like working with experimental data sets to understand virus infection dynamics. I also have experience and interests in statistical physics, astrophysics, nonlinear dynamics and quantum physics. As of 2020, I am shifting toward work on gravity and gravitational waves.

Selected Publications

1. S. Pakiela, B. Bolen, B.P. Holder, M. Rizzo, S.L. Larson. Understanding exotic black-hole orbits using effective potentials, arxiv:2303.04072 (2023). zoom-whirl web app (github)

2. N. Afshordi, B.P. Holder, M. Bahrami, D. Lichtblau. Diverse local epidemics reveal the distinct effects of population density, demographics, climate, depletion of susceptibles, and intervention in the first wave of COVID-19 in the United States, Mathematics of Public Health, Fields Institute Communications 85, 1-28 (2021). (Github: Population-weighted population density; COVID-19 Dashboard)

3. L.E. Liao*, J. Carruthers*, S.J. Smither, S.A. Weller, D. Williamson, T.R. Laws, I. García-Dorival, J. Hiscox, B.P. Holder, C.A.A. Beauchemin, A.S. Perelson, M. López-García, G. Lythe, J.N. Barr, C. Molina-París, Quantification of Ebola virus replication kinetics in vitro, PLoS Comput Biol 16(11):e1008375 (2020). doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008375

4. E.G. Paradis, L.T. Pinilla, B.P. Holder, Y. Abed, G. Boivin, C.A.A. Beauchemin. Impact of the H275Y and I223V Mutations in the Neuraminidase of the 2009 Pandemic Influenza Virus In Vitro and Evaluating Experimental Reproducibility, PLoS One 10(5):e0126115 (2015). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126115

5. L.T. Pinilla*, B.P. Holder*, Y. Abed, G. Boivin and C.A.A. Beauchemin. The H275Y neuraminidase mutation of the pandemic A/H1N1 virus lengthens the eclipse phase and reduces viral output of infected cells, potentially compromising fitness in ferrets Journal of Virology 86(19), 10651-10660 (2012). doi:10.1128/JVI.07244-11

6. S. Iwami, B.P. Holder, C.A.A. Beauchemin, S. Morita, T. Tada, K. Sato, T. Igarashi and T. Miura. Quantification system for the viral dynamics of a highly pathogenic simian/human immunodeficiency virus based on an in vitro experiment and a mathematical model, Retrovirology 9(1), 18 (2012). doi:10.1186/1742-4690-9-18

7. B.P. Holder*, P. Simon*, L. Liao, Y. Abed, X. Bouhy, C.A.A. Beauchemin and G. Boivin. Assessing the in vitro fitness of an oseltamivir-resistant seasonal A/H1N1 influenza strain using a mathematical model, PLoS ONE 6(3), e14767 (2011). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0014767

8. J.M. Tavares, B.P. Holder, M. Telo da Gama. Structure and phase diagram of self-assembled rigid rods: Equilibrium polydispersity and nematic ordering in two dimensions, Phys. Rev. E 79, 021505 (2009). doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.79.021505

9. B.P. Holder and L.E. Reichl. Stimulated-Raman-adiabatic-passage (STIRAP)-like transitions in a harmonically-modulated optical lattice, Phys. Rev. A 76, 013420 (2007). doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.76.013420

10. B.P. Holder and L.E. Reichl. Avoided crossings in driven systems, Phys. Rev. A 72, 043408 (2005). doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.72.043408

11. V. Strelnitski, J. Alexander, S. Gezari, B.P. Holder, J.M. Moran, M.J. Reid. H2O masers and supersonic turbulence, Astrophysical Journal 581, 1180 (2002).doi:10.1086/344244

12. A. Seth, L. Greenhill, B.P. Holder. Water Masers as Tracers of Protostellar Disks and Outflows in the Intermediate-Mass Star-forming Region NGC 2071 Astrophysical Journal 581, 325 (2002). doi:10.1086/344225

(* equal contributions)