I am currently Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Senior Instructional Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Chicago. Prior to this position, I was an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, a Helmsley Postdoctoral Teaching Scholar in the Department of Physics at Yale University, and a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Vassar College. I received my Ph.D. in the Department of Physics at the University of Chicago, where I studied dark matter phenomenology with Professor Edward Kolb. I previously obtained an Ed.M. in Mind, Brain, and Education and the Teaching and Learning of Physics from Harvard University, and an A.B. and S.M. from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College.
I am completely devoted to promoting excellence in university physics teaching. Over the last thirteen years, I have taught physics and astronomy courses at all levels of the undergraduate curriculum, including traditional introductory sequences, intermediate classical mechanics, electrodynamics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, and planetary astrophysics, and advanced seminars in elementary particle physics and modern cosmology.
I believe that excellence in physics teaching depends profoundly on a pedagogy informed by our scientific understanding of teaching and learning from cognitive science and physics education research. Established models of the cognitive and emotional development of adolescents and young adults allow us to understand the broader psychological context in which learning takes place. Research on cognitive constructivism, conceptual change, and metacognition shapes our understanding of the dynamics of learning and how it is most effectively facilitated. Research on social constructivism prompts us to provide ample opportunities for students to work alongside peers and teachers both inside and outside the classroom. Studies of motivation challenge us to foster students’ intrinsic motivation for learning physics. Finally, findings in physics education research allow us to anticipate the preconceptions that students bring to the classroom, teach effective problem-solving strategies, and employ a wealth of pedagogical tools, assessment techniques, and educational technologies to promote inclusion and success in the physics classroom.
I lead a small, interdisciplinary research program in mind, brain, and education, which is informed by and in turn informs my pedagogy. In the last several years, I have been developing a collection of contemplative practices aimed at integrating formal theory and personal experience in the undergraduate physics curriculum. This research has involved student research assistants with backgrounds in physics and astronomy, mathematics, cognitive science, and neuroscience, many of whom have presented our findings at professional conferences and co-authored peer-reviewed publications.
All of my professional activities are motivated by a strong belief in the inherent value of diversity and the uniqueness of each individual. I believe that creating an atmosphere that is welcoming and inclusive to all educational backgrounds, cognitive styles and abilities, cultural views, personal experiences, and motivations is essential to promote deep learning for all students. The pedagogical tools, assessment techniques, and educational technologies I employ in my courses provide constant opportunities for students to find personal meaning in the material, reflect on their own understanding, engage metacognitively in their unique learning process, contribute to discussion, and experience a sense of belonging in our learning community.
Professionally, I am actively involved in the following activities:
Leadership and management the Department of Physics graduate program serving approximately 220 graduate students working alongside 60 physics faculty members and 30 researchers in other departments in the The University of Chicago Physical and Biological Sciences Divisions, at the The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and at three national research laboratories---Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Oversight of the graduate program and the graduate student experience including admissions, recruitment, and enrollment, the academic curriculum, doctoral candidacy, academic and research advising, thesis and advisory committees, research group climate and conflict resolution, academic integrity, good standing and academic probation, student funding, research prizes and fellowships, and teaching assistant training and advising.
Advancement of policies, programs, and practices to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the graduate program in line with the Department of Physics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan as well as divisional and institutional DEI efforts. This includes the active recruitment of students from historically underrepresented groups, holistic graduate admissions, candidacy course oversight, individual and group tutoring programs, advisor-advisee expectation compacts, critical mathematics and research skills workshops, early thesis committee formation and annual academic progress reports, regular student town halls, and teaching assistant diversity trainings.
Leadership and supervision of efforts to advance teaching innovation and excellence in undergraduate and graduate curricula by leading professional development workshops in science pedagogy, offering training and support for active-learning pedagogy and inclusive teaching practices, organizing speakers and journal clubs, leading faculty discussions on the teaching and learning of physics, teaching a graduate seminar on the teaching and learning and physics, and managing the recruitment, hiring, and supervision of instructional professors with expertise in physics education.
Expertise on collective bargaining agreements and union relations with both the graduate student and instructional professor unions, including participation in contract negotiations, securing fair and equitable terms for union members while supporting institutional goals, fostering positive relationships between the administration and union members, addressing disagreements with a focus on resolution and collaboration, and disseminating information about and ensuring adherence to the collective bargaining agreements at both the departmental and divisional levels.
Maintenance of close partnerships with offices across the Physical Sciences Division, the College, and the University to further our educational mission and to support student success and wellbeing, including creating and implementing new academic program policies, providing students with institutional and community resources, guiding faculty through emergent issues in their engagement with their undergraduate and graduate students, and offering individualized support to students facing significant academic or personal challenges.