Dieter Forster is a professor of physics at Temple University in Philadelphia. He was born in Southern Germany and received his diplom" in physics at the University of Stuttgart in 1964, working under Hermann Haken. He then moved to Harvard University where he completed his Ph.D. in 1969 under Paul C. Martin. He has worked at Columbia University, the University of Chicago, and as a visiting professor, at the Technical University of Munich, the University of Stuttgart, and the National University of Mexico. He has taught physics courses on many levels but takes a special interest in conceptual level courses designed for students not entering the physics profession. His research has focused on the fluctuation theory of liquid structure and on phase transitions.