2025 President's Award for Teaching Excellence
Sebastian Carron Montero, PhD
Associate Professor of Physics
BS, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
MS, PhD, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Sebastian Carron Montero is this year’s recipient of the 2025 President’s Award for Teaching Excellence. This award was created in 1995 to recognize professors who are held in high esteem by their peers, students and the rest of the university community.
Carron Montero received his BS in physics at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He went on to complete his MS and PhD in physics from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. His PhD focus was in experimental particle physics. Before joining the faculty at Cal Lutheran in 2016, Carron Montero worked as a research assistant at Duke University, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Toronto and a research associate in the Particle Physics Division at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. He has authored and co-authored several publications, mentored graduate students both internationally and nationally, and has received numerous awards.
As an associate professor specializing in modern physics and applied electronics at Cal Lutheran, Carron Montero teaches a diverse range of courses, including applied electronics for physics majors, advanced photonics and optics, quantum mechanics, particle physics (quantum field theory), modern physics, advanced classical mechanics, and electromagnetism and optics. He has been an active member of the CMS collaboration at the European Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland, where he spearheads multi-institutional research initiatives focused on the search for dark matter and supersymmetric particles. His dedication extends beyond teaching and research: He mentors students, guiding them through rigorous research projects and providing unparalleled opportunities, including once-in-a-lifetime visits to CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory.
In students’ evaluations, Carron Montero’s impact is clear. “Physics can be a very challenging topic, but I found myself actually understanding the material, and I think this is due to Dr. Carron's teaching style,” one student wrote. “He genuinely cares for his students and their progress.” Another shared: “Though I am not a fan of physics — it makes my brain hurt — this class was very pleasant to attend. It was easy to participate, and Dr. Carron made the subject less daunting.”
As President John Nunes said when presenting Carron Montero with the 2025 President’s
Award for Teaching Excellence, “Whether he’s guiding students through complex equations
in modern physics or troubleshooting lab circuits in applied electronics, he is consistently
focused on one goal: helping students understand, grow and believe in their own potential.”