The more experiments they have been able to provide, the more demand for them has grown, he says. The reason for this is that the professors Reuckner deals with are astutely aware of what demonstrations he is doing for other classes. "They don't want to be outdone by anyone," says Rueckner.

In addition to the competitiveness, "there is an appreciation by the faculty to have fun with these things," adds Rueckner.

Rueckner adds that another aspect of the field which he enjoys is the collaboration with the faculty and staff of different schools.

Wondering where you can take a class with this cool guy? Fret not. Rueckner is a teaching assistant for Science A-26, "Waves, Particles, and the Structure of Matter." He is also in charge of facilitating the hands-on laboratory experiments conducted in the Science Center, though he gets help from four technicians in the daily running of the labs.

Does he want to focus more of his energies on teaching? Not really. Rueckner says, "What I'm doing now is exciting enough and very challenging. I like to tinker and come up with new ideas."

Spaced Out

Time, money and space are the most formidable challenges to Rueckner's work now.

Rueckner's Prep Room is overflowing with electrical cords, video equipment, desks and 52 gallon drums, among other things.

Originally, the room was designed for the assembly and preparation of experiments for the lecture halls, a waiting room of sorts for a scientists' toys.

Now the room is where much is stored and many work. Demonstrations and experiments are often though of and constructed there as well.

"Over the years, we have outgrown our space. Working is next to impossible," says Rueckner. Soon they will take over some space from the Science Center machine shop and reorganize storage, he says.

"The hope is to create a better work environment for development work," he says.

Space is not his only problem. Another, Reuckner says, is money. While the Advanced Physics Labs are in the process of being upgraded with a $300,000 grant from the Shell Oil company, the demonstration budget has remained relatively constant, says Rueckner.

Because Rueckner is so busy with the renovations of the labs and demonstration space, he has little time for as much scientific research as he has done at other times. A few years ago, Rueckner worked at duplicating cold fusion for six months.

For now, Rueckner says he looks forward to getting back to the world of creation and ideas, opposed to the more bureaucratic tasks with which he has recently been consumed. The rest of the science world awaits while they wonder, what will "Wolf" come up with next?