Student Success and Curriculum Research
Faculty and Staff Biographies and |
Barbara Clark Barbara Clark is the Director of the Science Diversity Office (SDO) and the Women in Science Programs (WISP). SDO is an umbrella organization that also encompasses the Multicultural Science Programs. Clark is responsible for programs that increase recruitment, retention and graduation for students underrepresented by race and/or gender in the College of Science. She also works with faculty and staff to increase diversity awareness in order to hire and promote faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds. Additionally, Clark serves as Special Assistant to the Provost for .25 FTE. In this role she coordinates Multicultural and Gender Issues Diversity Forums for the entire campus. Over 2000 people have participated in these Diversity Forums during the last ten years.
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Stephen M. Durbin Professor Durbin's research interests have focused on unique applications of x-rays to fundamental questions of condensed matter physics, biological physics, and to the dynamical interaction of x-rays with matter. Using some of the best x-ray beamlines in the world at the Advanced Photon Source (Argonne National Lab), recent investigations of heme proteins utilizing resonant nuclear absorption by the 57-Fe Mossbauer isotope have shown how the coupling between the protein backbone with the heme molecule can play a role in the biological functioning of these important macromolecules. Other projects include the application of terahertz radiation to the detection of biological materials and for understanding the role of "biological water" in protein dynamics. Future plans include the development of techniques for time-resolved x-ray detection with picosecond resolution, for probing the transition between electronic excitations and lattice displacements in ultrafast reactions.
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Nicholas J. Giordano The physics of nanostructures and mesoscopic systems Musical acoustics and the physics of the piano Computational neuroscience Computational physics Guitar acoustics
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Eric Riggs Professor Riggs is a member of the Earth System Science Education research group at Purdue University. He is also the President of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, the premier professional society for geoscience education research and teaching and publisher of the Journal of Geoscience Education. Riggs and his graduate students study many related aspects of field-based teaching and learning in the geosciences, focusing on issues of geoscience knowledge construction, spatial cognition related to geoscience expertise, and cross-cultural education. Riggs is the co-founder of the Indigenous Earth Sciences Project, based at Purdue since 2006, which is a research and outreach effort working to make geoscience education accessible and useful to Native Americans across North America. Riggs’ scientific research is in the area of rock deformation, structural geology, and mineral physics.
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Chris Sahley Professor Sahley’s research interests have been centered on the elucidation of the cellular, molecular, and neural network mechanisms underlying learning and memory. A secondary research area has been the neural mechanisms mediating recovery of function following neural trauma. More recently, she has joined with Science Education faculty on proposals aimed at developing effective and innovative approaches to STEM education. Professor Sahley’s administrative duties include developing collaborative initiatives and creating new programs across colleges. Professor Sahley works closely with Barb Clark, the Director of the Science Diversity Office, on all issues of diversity but with a special focus of the success of women students and faculty.
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Bill Walker Bill Walker is the Executive Director for the I-STEM (Indiana Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Resource Network. As Executive Director for the I-STEM Resource Network, Bill organizes and manages the creation of a statewide resource network for K-12 STEM education. I-STEM activities have included addressing professional developments needs for teachers of mathematics and science; facilitating the development of a webpage that will be a leading information source to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and higher education personnel in K-12 STEM education, and initiating a statewide network with regional lead institutions of higher education to facilitate regional and statewide improvement in K-12 STEM education. Bill is also the Director of Science K-12 Outreach at Purdue University, which creates professional development programs for teachers of science and mathematics. Prior to working with I-STEM, Bill taught high school and middle school mathematics for eight years.
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Gabriela Weaver Gabriela Weaver’s research focuses on developing, implementing and assessing innovative instructional methods and materials for chemistry. The overall goals of her work are to use these to achieve greater retention of students in the sciences, to help them develop a better understanding of the material, and to motivate their interest in the subject. Specific activities in Weaver’s research include developing research-based or inquiry-based learning, developing instructional materials for active learning, developing or adapting instructional technologies to facilitate student learning, and implementing and assessing the educational impacts of these materials. She has worked with teachers in K-12 as well as with students and faculty at the college undergraduate level (including 2-year colleges). With CASPiE, she has been engaged not only in the development of instructional materials, but also in research to examine the effects of this instruction on students’ scientific process skills, such as experimental design, and scientific communication skills. Research on faculty development is another component of the CASPiE research, using theories from communities of practice to understand the engagement of instructors as practitioners of science research within their classroom teaching.
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