Education and Public Outreach.

I have always loved the E/PO aspect of being an astronomer.  I devote a lot of time to my teaching and class preparation, and receive generally positive feedback about my performance as an educator.

Courses I have taught at NMSU:  ASTR 105G (The Planets), ASTR 110G (Introduction to Astronomy), ASTR 301G (Revolutionary Ideas in Science), ASTR 500 (Seminar: Planetary Science Across the Electromagnetic Spectrum), and ASTR 620 (Solar System Astrophysics).

Professional Development:

There is always room for improvement!  I have participated in numerous activities and workshops sponsored by the Teaching Academy at NMSU, which is designed to support educators at NMSU through training and mentoring.

Scholarship of Teaching:

In the Fall of 2008 I began implementing a Team Based Learning (TBL) approach to my instruction in my undergraduate classes.  In April 2009, Dr. Laura Madson (NMSU Psychology Department) and I presented a paper on our respective approaches to team based learning at the International Conference on College Teaching and Learning in Jacksonville, FL.  Click here to learn more about our experiences with TBL.

Outreach Activities:

I have been involved in several K-12 initiatives, primarily by serving as a resource for local schools and providing astronomy lectures or demonstrations on an as-needed basis.  For several years I was the coordinator of the Las Cruces Public Schools SCIence ADvisor (SCIAD) program, which places volunteer scientists and engineers in the local schools to serve as resources.  I also conducted two separate three-day astronomy workshops for middle school science teachers from Otero and Dona Ana Counties; these workshops were held in the summers at the Sunspot Astronomy and Visitors Center.