German professor teaching physics at Augusta State

By: Sophie Baconnet

Posted: 10/27/09

At first, his accent is barely noticeable. After a few minutes though, it becomes obvious that Hauke Busch, assistant professor of physics, is from a foreign country.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Busch came to the U.S. in the early '80s as a highschool exchange student in a one-year exchange program.

At the end of his first year, though, Bush went to Gonzaga University, Wash., as an undergrad student and never really went back to his native country.

"Sometimes, I didn't go back for several years," Busch said. "I don't usually go back more than once a year."

As a scientist, Busch is obviously very concerned by climate change. In fact, it is one of the main parts of the program he created for one of his classes, physical science environment. Examples of the topics discussed in the program include how to recycle and what people can do as individuals to help slow down climate change.

"From my background (engineering), I'm interested in renewable energy," Busch said. "All the technologies are available, and we have scientists who know all about it. You can look at other communities, see what went right and wrong (and)learn from the mistakes. Everything 'going green' is usually very profitable."

However, Busch agrees by saying that too much time has been lost.

"It wouldn't be a big deal to recycle all the sudden, here," Busch said. "They have the infrastructures. We don't need studies or anything. We know pretty much everything to do at this point."

Busch has been teaching at Augusta State for only five years. After he earned a doctorate degree in mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Busch said he worked in the aerospace industry for a little bit.

"Then, I was an intelligent officer in the Navy," Busch added.

In 2005, Busch obtained a second Ph.D. from Old Dominion University, VA., this time in physics, and came to Augusta State in 2005. Teaching was far to be a new task for him, though. In grad school, Busch said he accumulated nearly 10 years of teaching as a grad student.

"Everybody is a teacher in our family," he said. "My wife is an elementary school teacher at North Harlem in Columbia County. The whole family is educated, I guess."

As for his children, they are perfectly fluent in German and English.

"For kids, especially, it's so easy to learn (foreign languages). They don't even know," he said. "My wife understands German but she doesn't really speak."

Next time he'll be back in Germany, his children will hang out and catch up with their cousins. In German, of course.