State University Assistant

Aaron Adair, Ph.D. Page *

Aaron Adair, Ph.D.

989-***-**** www.draaronadair.com ********@*****.*** Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Physics, Ohio State University 2013 Master of Science, Physics, Ohio State University 2011 Bachelor of Science, Physics, Michigan State University 2008 Bachelor of Science, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Michigan State University 2008 Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, Michigan State University 2008 Summary

An educator and researcher whose work has received world-wide attention. A passionate, creative, and data-driven teacher in secondary and higher education. Scientifically trained in physics and astronomy, as well as in education and history. A well-regarded writer and speaker to both public and professional audiences on science, history, and religion.

Research Experience

Chair of Science, Technology, & Society, Southwest Popular/American Culture Association 2015-Present Presented new studies on astronomy and cosmology in notable American subcultures while chairing the SWPACA conference sessions. Editorial board member for SWPACA journal, Dialogue. Researcher at Leadership Lab Initiative, Harvard Graduate School of Education 2016 Investigating the nature of workplace responsibility and the meaning of doing good work. Visiting Assistant Professor, Merrimack College 2014-2016 Research program in physics education outcomes from student-centered methods, measure of evolution of physics conceptions, and the history of science. Guest/assistant lecturer for science and religion course. Publication on using the history of science to better science education in museums and planetariums. Advanced topics in biblical studies relating to mythology and cosmology. Researcher in Physics Education Research Group (PERG), Ohio State University 2010-2014 Graduate researcher. Includes data collection from concept inventories, computer simulations, and student interviews. Examination of data with statistical tools, including model analysis. Major research project required setting up for lectures and providing online materials to students. Other projects included creating a new reasoning test, creating a project-based curriculum for teaching Newtonian mechanics, and designing test questions with distractors. Thesis research concentrated on feeling of non-physical forces and learning gains after changes to classroom pedagogy compared to control groups. Advisor: Lei Bao. Experimentalist on ATLAS Detector, CERN, Ohio State University 2009-2010 Analysis of signal decay in parts for particle detector optics, radiation-hardening of new components. Spent summers on-site at CERN. Advisor: KK Gan.

Astronomer Intern at SETI Institute, The Center for SETI Research 2007 Radio emission collection at 22 cm with Alan Telescope Array, created a new layout of map of neutral hydrogen in Milky Way. Work done remotely and on-site, programming in Java. Advisor: Gerry Harp. Teaching Experience

Teacher in Department of Science, Malden Catholic High School 2016-present Instructor for honors and AP physics, honors chem. Advisor for STEM Club, Astro Club, Stock & Trade Club. AP students went on to test with a much higher passing rate than the national average. Professor in Department of Physics, Merrimack College 2014-2016 Instruction and lecturing for first-year calculus-based physics students. Assistant to lecturer for algebra- based physics courses. Conducted advanced physics lab course. Implemented new instruction methods with redesigned physics lecture room; included more effective, student-centered class periods. Built and tested new experimental apparatuses for lab courses. Aaron Adair, Ph.D. Page 2

Teaching Assistant in Department of Physics, Ohio State University 2008-2014 Worked in first-year physics courses, both calculus and algebra-based. Always received high ratings by students compared to other TAs, all the while implementing lessons from research. Tutor at Ohio Contemporary Chinese School, Worthington Kilbourne High School 2013-2014 Sunday school physics lecturer and tutor. Helping high school students prepare for the AP Physics C tests as well as generally supplement high school physics lectures. Show Presenter at Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University 2003-2008 Duties included prepping systems (projectors, special effects, computers, etc.), introducing main show, presenting star talk, setting up telescopes, and answering questions. Planetarium used a digital star projector (Digistar II).

Publications

• “Aristotle, Impetus, and High Schoolers” [in progress]

• The Star of Bethlehem: The Science and the Mythology [forthcoming from Onus Press, 2018]

• “Mass Education on Science and its History: Using Misconceptions in Physics to Teach History and Science” in Sonja Brentjas, Taner Edis, Lutz Richter-Bernburg, How (not) to Narrate History of Science, Medicine and Technology in Non-Western Cultures: 1001 Inventions and Its Problems with History, Science and Technology, Ergon Verlag, 2016.

• “The Bethlehem Star” in John W. Loftus, Christianity in the Light of Science: Critically Examining the World’s Largest Religion, Prometheus, 2016.

• “A Critical Look at the History of Interpreting the Star of Bethlehem in Scientific Literature and Biblical Studies” in George van Kooten, Peter Barthel, The Star of Bethlehem and the Magi: Interdisciplinary Perspectives from Experts on the Ancient Near East, the Greco-roman World, and Modern Astronomy. Brill, 2015.

• The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View. Onus Press, 2013.

• “Project-Based Learning: Theory, Impact, and Effective Implementation”, REAL: Research in Education, Assessment, and Learning 3, 1 (Mar 2012), pp. 6-21; with Lei Bao.

• “The Star of Christ in the Light of Astronomy”, Zygon: Journal of Science & Religion (Mar 2012), pp. 7-29.

• “Science, Scholarship, and Bethlehem’s Starry Night”, Sky & Telescope 114, 6 (Dec 2007), pp. 26-29. Talks & Conferences

AAPT, Summer 2018

• Historical Narratives for Teaching Physics Concepts--A High School Implementation (Talk) Southwest Popular/American Culture Association Conference, Feb 7-10, 2018 (Chaired session)

• Flat Earth Beliefs around the World (Talk)

Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Nov 19-22, 2016

• Euhemerus and the New Testament: The (Re)birth of a Legend (Talk) Southwest Popular/American Culture Associate Conference, Feb 10-13, 2016 (Chaired session)

• Astronomical Prophecies in 2015: Blood Moons & the Return of the Star of Bethlehem (Talk) Second Conference on Laboratory Instruction: Beyond the First Year (BFY II), July 22-24, 2015

• Creating and implementing activities for advanced labs for physics majors University of Groningen, Oct 23-24, 2014

• The Star of Bethlehem: Astronomical Observations in the Context of Antiquity (Conference, Invited) AAPT, Summer 2012

• Project Based Learning: A Review and an Implementation (Talk)

• Probing the Origins of Students' Naïve Preconceptions: Force and Motion (Talk)

• Using a Roller Coaster to Teach Physics: A PBL Implementation (Poster)

Contact this candidate