Two physics professors from St. Mary’s College of Maryland gave talks at the American Association of Physics Teacher’s virtual winter meeting.
Erin De Pree, associate professor and chair of the physics department, described training physics students to diffuse racial microaggressions. Work in the department, including the efforts described by De Pree, recently earned the Optical Society of America’s Diversity & Inclusion Advocacy Recognition for the SMCM physics department.
Professor Josh Grossman gave a talk, co-authored with Angela Johnson, professor and chair of the educational studies department. They created a set of exercises for students to dispel misconceptions about the teaching profession by guiding them through questions and data about teaching careers, particularly in STEM disciplines. Their work is funded by a recruiting grant from the Physics Teacher Education Coalition. More information can be found on the SMCM Physics Teacher Education Program website.
