To see new students go from being a bit weary or unsure about the format to being fully engaged and excited to come to class is really satisfying. You have to understand them, at least in theory.
Physics is the structure that engineering is built on. For a lot of students, it’s about cementing their choice to become an engineer. Introduction to physics is not astronomy, but it is the first physics class most students take at Chico State, so I think it’s really important to make it a good one-and try to change people’s minds about physics. My lecture assistant and I are constantly going around, talking to groups, and asking questions. This is great for students because they get a lot of feedback, and it’s great for me because I get to interact with a lot more students. There’s basically no traditional lecturing where I stand up at the front with a piece of chalk in my hand and wonder who is paying attention. We use the studio physics model, where students work in groups, do activities and problems together, and then discuss them as groups. The classrooms where we have the introductory courses are specifically designed for teaching physics. How do you bring a sense of engagement to your classroom?
Sky children of light joining hands chain series#
Hall Fact #1 Hall and Professor Kevin McLin organized and hosted an astronomy series at the Gateway Science Museum, called “Gateway to the Stars.”
Sky children of light joining hands chain plus#
It was a combination of these things, plus additional events, that really got me interested in community outreach. There, we would open the old historic telescope to the public every Wednesday and visit state parks around Wisconsin every summer with small reflector telescopes for people to try. I went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for graduate school to study astronomy and astrophysics. Every Friday, we’d go out to different classrooms across the city, from kindergarten to community college, and do a bunch of fun, accessible physics demos-things like using torque and the idea of an extending lever arm for a 5-year-old to lift their teacher. I went to undergrad at Fresno State (don’t hate me for it), which has this unique, one-of-a-kind outreach program. I’ve also been lucky to learn and work in environments where community engagement is built into the culture. We’re a big part of the community and as an employee of a state-fund school, I feel like it’s my duty to give back. Frizzle during the Annual SPS Pumpkin drop on Halloween 2022.Ĭommunity engagement is clearly important to you-where did that start for you and how are you applying it to your role at Chico State? To change the perception, we have to start by reaching people as early as possible. I love events like this that show how it’s fun, not scary.
Physics in particular has a bad reputation-it intimidates people. From little children to emeritus professors, who doesn’t enjoy watching pumpkins splatter? Beyond that, I think it’s always exciting to get children onto campus and interested in science. What was it like hosting the annual pumpkin drop event for the first time since the pandemic caused its hiatus? Between her research on the formation of clouds in space, teaching, and spearheading a range of community initiatives, she provided some insight into the ways she’s making physics fun for all. Now in her third semester as an assistant physics professor at the University where she shares a name with one of its most prominent buildings, Hall is making all things in her realm (introductory mechanics, quantum mechanics, and soon, astronomy) more accessible, engaging, and enjoyable. The field of science has given her a lot-a career, a passion, and a purpose-so it is from a place of deep gratitude that she gives back to her community. Physics offered a lens into how the universe came to be, how it functions, and where we (its only known people) fit in. Hall grew up mesmerized by starry skies on camping trips. Astronomer and physics professor Kendall Hall believes two things: that astronomy is the gateway to embracing physics.
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