Associate Professor of Physics
156 Padnos Hall of Science
Department of Physics
Tel: (616) 331-2722
Fax: (616) 331-3740
Email: [email protected]

Education 

• Ph.D. Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 2003.
• B.S. Utah State University, 1999.

Professional Experience

• Associate Professor of Physics, Grand Valley State University, Aug. 2009  - Present.
• Assistant Professor of Physics, Grand Valley State University, Fall 2003 - 2009.

Teaching 

• SCI 226, PHY 201, PHY 204: For General Education and Future Elementary Teachers.
• PHY 601, PHY 610, PHY 620, PHY 660: For the Masters of Education Physics Emphasis program: 

Research Interests

I am interested in questions of how and why we teach physics. What role can physics education play in the development of cognitive skills? What role do the unexpressed goals sometimes called the Hidden Curriculum play in physics classroom. Some examples of hidden curriculum may include epistemology (how do you know), ontology (what is there), and gender roles.

Research with Undergraduate Students

• “Development and Assessment of Materials which help students Apply concepts of Energy Conservation and Entropy” Tim Steenwyk, 2006.
•  “A Comparative Study of the Effects of Teaching Techniques on Student Learning During Lessons in Geometrical Optics” Brandon Branch, 2006.