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Spotlight on new faculty: Eric Kuo, Physics Education Research

11/13/2019 Jessica Raley for Illinois Physics

Eric Kuo studies the mechanisms of how physics students think and learn, using these investigations to inform design and assessment of new instructional methods.

Written by Jessica Raley for Illinois Physics

The Department of Physics at Illinois welcomes an extraordinary set of ten new faculty members this year. Eight of them have arrived on campus and have begun setting up their labs and settling into life in Champaign-Urbana. Two more faculty are set to arrive in January. We will feature each of them here over the next couple of weeks. Check back regularly to learn more about the exciting work these new faculty members are doing.

Professor Eric Kuo (right) discusses AP Physics education with Maggie Mahmood.
Professor Eric Kuo (right) discusses AP Physics education with Maggie Mahmood.

 

 

Gary Gladding and Victoria Christensen Faculty Fellow Eric Kuo

Eric Kuo studies the mechanisms of how physics students think and learn, using these investigations to inform design and assessment of new instructional methods. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to learning, he draws on principles and techniques from related fields, including psychology, cognitive science, and the learning sciences. A major focus of his work is clarifying problem-solving expertise: how do people learn to apply what they know to solve unfamiliar problems? His continuing research investigates the impact of students’ (i) mathematical and conceptual cognition and (ii) motivation, attitudes, and beliefs about learning on how they solve physics problems. Building on this work, he has shown that a mathematical sensemaking-focused curriculum can foster problem-solving insights and physical interpretations of mathematical results. At Illinois, he plans to develop quantitative and qualitative characterizations of student problem solving in physics courses, as well as develop and test different instructional techniques, including the use of causal reasoning diagrams and future iterations of the mathematical sensemaking curriculum. Eric will join the Illinois Physics faculty in January 2020.

For more information about Eric's work, or to inquire about joining his research group, click here.

Madeline Stover is a physics doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying atmospheric dynamics applied to forest conservation. She interns as a science writer for Illinois Physics, where she also co-hosts the podcast Emergence along with fellow physics graduate student Mari Cieszynski. When Stover is not doing research or communications, she enjoys hosting her local radio show, singing with her band, and cooking with friends.

Daniel Inafuku graduated from Illinois Physics with a PhD and now works as a science writer. At Illinois, he conducted scientific research in mathematical biology and mathematical physics. In addition to his research interests, Daniel is a science video media creator.

Karmela Padavic-Callaghan, Ph. D. is a science writer and an educator. She teaches college and high school physics and mathematics courses, and her writing has been published in popular science outlets such as WIRED, Scientific American, Physics World, and New Scientist. She earned a Ph. D. in Physics from UIUC in 2019 and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Jamie Hendrickson is a writer and content creator in higher education communications. They earned their M.A. in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2021. In addition to their communications work, they are a published area studies scholar and Russian-to-English translator.

Garrett R. Williams is an Illinois Physics Ph.D. Candidate and science writer. He has been recognized as the winner of the 2020 APS History of Physics Essay Competition and as a finalist in the 2021 AAAS Science and Human Rights Essay Competition. He was also an invited author in the 2021 #BlackinPhysics Week series published by Physics Today and Physics World. 

 

Karmela Padavic-Callaghan, Ph. D. is a science writer and an educator. She teaches college and high school physics and mathematics courses, and her writing has been published in popular science outlets such as WIRED, Scientific American, Physics World, and New Scientist. She earned a Ph. D. in Physics from UIUC in 2019 and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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This story was published November 13, 2019.