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We present a collaborative duoethnography on the intersection of individual identities, a research project on empathy, and external events. The Oct. 7th attacks on Israel and ensuing invasion of Gaza raised difficult questions surrounding identity and relationships for the authors, one (Hamdan) a Muslim-Palestinian American cis-women postdoctoral researcher with family in the West Bank, the other (Franklin) a white, American Jewish cis-male professor with parents and extended family living in Israel. This study reveals the authors creating a space in which difficult conversations can occur, with attention to explicit and implicit power differentials. Reflective and generative writings reveal themes of fear, concern for each other, and appreciation for how their research on empathy both facilitates and benefits from these conversations. The work concludes with implications for how physics education researchers can better support each other in the face of external political and geo-political conflicts and pressures. 

Faculty members play a crucial role as change agents in promoting cultural transformation within academic environments and empathy, a fundamental component of effective teaching, mentoring, and collegiality, is essential for fostering a student-centered and holistic approach. We present a theoretical model for empathy development and navigation in physics faculty as they engage with students and colleagues. Two pathways—cognitive and affective—are connected with previous work and explored. Cognitive empathy, a slower, intellectual process, is mediated through reflective witnessing, whereas affective empathy, a faster, emotional process, builds on shared or adjacent lived experiences. Understanding the nuances associated with the different pathways can inform efforts to increase participation and foster an inclusive environment, which often presumes a meaningful understanding of what best supports individual students. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

The ability to emotionally or intellectually understand another person’s thoughts and feelings — empathy — can foster critical connections that facilitate learning and collaboration. We present a case study of physics faculty that examines their experiences empathizing with students, both in and outside of the classroom. We expand on frameworks for understanding the empathy process by identifying key mediating factors, and note various barriers that faculty express as preventing them from taking empathetic action. Our analysis unpacks the mechanisms of communication and contextual information, which play key roles in the empathetic process, with implications for programs that rely on empathy to develop more inclusive STEM academic spaces.