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At a large Hispanic-Serving Institution in the southwestern United States, physics was integrated into an algebra content course for preservice teachers. Due to the pandemic, content was asynchronously taught during the fall 2020 semester. During the fall 2021 semester, content was taught in both hybrid and face-to-face format. This research question was: Regarding preservice teachers’ leaning and academic experiences, what were the differences between perceptions of preservice teachers’ learning on the subject of physics-based algebra in an asynchronous format compared to a hybrid or face-to-face format? Data were gathered from both preservice teachers and their instructors. Data from preservice teachers showed that the in-person and hybrid instruction cohort saw a significant change in Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy from pre- to post-test when testing at the .05 level, whereas this was not the case for the online instruction cohort. There was no statistical difference in the post Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy and post Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy scores between the face-to-face and hybrid preservice teachers and the asynchronous preservice teachers. Their instructors felt that experiences were more fruitful in a face to face format. 

Preservice elementary teachers generally have little background in physics or physics education. Five weeks of content using technology (motion sensors and data loggers) was integrated across seven courses taught by three different instructors. Data were gathered from preservice teachers (n = 193) using the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument at a large public Hispanic Serving Institution in the southwest United States. Results showed statistically significant improvements in the Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy subscale, but not in the Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy subscale. 

Development of a computational technique for the analysis of quasi-normal modes in hybrid-plasmonic resonators is the main goal of this research. Because of the significant computational costs of this analysis, one has to take various symmetries of these resonators into account. In this research, we consider cylindrical symmetry of hybrid-plasmonic ring resonators and implement a body-of-revolution finite-difference time-domain (BOR-FDTD) technique to analyze these resonators. We extend the BOR-FDTD method by proposing two different sets of auxiliary fields to implement multi-term Drude-Lorentz and multi-term Lorentz models in BOR-FDTD. Moreover, we utilize the filter-diagonalization method to accurately compute the complex resonant frequencies of the resonators. This approach improves numerical accuracy and computational time compared to the Fourier transform method used in previous BOR-FDTD methods. Our numerical analysis is verified by a 2D axisymmetric solver in COMSOL Multiphysics. 

This research paper describes an autoethnographic study of three individuals: Julie, a tenured faculty member and experienced engineering education researcher, and two novice engineering education researchers, Paul, a more junior faculty member, and Deepthi, a graduate student. The tripartite mentoring relationship between us formed as part of a National Science Foundation Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (NSF RIEF) project. We grounded our work in the cognitive apprenticeship model of mentoring and theory of social capital, asking the question: How do mentors and mentees perceive shared experiences? Over the course of 16 months, we collected data in the form of reflective journal entries and transcripts from individual and joint interviews, combining these with other documentation such as emails and text messages. We analyzed these data by identifying three critical incidents over the course of the relationship to date and comparing each of our perceptions of these shared experiences. We found that our perceptions of the shared experiences differed greatly, providing multiple opportunities to improve our future communication. We also discovered that our initial mentoring model in which Julie mentored Paul and Paul mentored Deepthi did not withstand scrutiny. Because Paul was new to engineering education research, it was better for Julie to mentor both Paul and Deepthi than to expect Paul to teach Deepthi topics and methods that were new to him. We assert that other projects would benefit by this approach as well. Our findings offer broad implications for the efficacy of reflection and communication in mentoring relationships. 

This work describes a novel approach to patterning Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) on Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) using a laser cut Kapton® tape mask for rapid prototyping. Measurements taken before and after experimentation conclude a non-significant change in sheet resistance while using this method to pattern with a p-value of 0.2947 for a two-tailed paired t-test for significance. 

The PI Launchpad attempts to provide an entry level explanation of the process of space mission development for new Principal Investigators (PIs). In particular, PI launchpad has a focus on building teams, making partnerships, and science concept maturity for a space mission concept, not necessarily technical or engineering practices. Here we briefly summarize the goals of the PI Launchpad workshops and present some results from the workshops held in 2019 and 2021. The workshop attempts to describe the current process of space mission development (i.e. space-based telescopes and instrument platforms, planetary missions of all types,etc.), covering a wide range of topics that a new PI may need to successfully develop a team and write a proposal. It is not designed to replace real experience but to provide an easily accessible resource for potential PIs who seek to learn more about what it takes to submit a space mission proposal, and what the first steps to take can be. The PI Launchpad was created in response to the high barrier to entry for early career or any scientist who is unfamiliar with mission design. These barriers have been outlined in several recent papers and reports, and are called out in recent space science Decadal reports.