Steven J. Pollock is an American professor of

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and a President's Teaching Scholar at the

University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...

, where he has taught since 1993. His specialisations are in

physics education research Physics education research (PER) is a form of discipline-based education research specifically related to the study of the Physics education, teaching and learning of physics, often with the aim of improving the effectiveness of student learn ...

and in nuclear theory. He is the 2013 U.S. Professor of the Year.

Early life and education

Pollock sat for an Sc.B. in physics at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

in 1982 and for an

M.S. A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medicine ...

and Ph.D. in physics at

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

respectively in 1984 and 1987 for his thesis, entitled ''Electroweak Interactions in the Nuclear Domain,'' under Professor John Dirk Walecka.

Career

He was a postdoctoral fellow in nuclear physics at the Nationaal instituut voor subatomaire fysica (NIKHEF),

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, from 1988 to 1990, and at the University of Washington's Institute for Nuclear Theory from 1990 to 1992. In 1993 he became a senior scientist at NIKHEF before joining the

University of Colorado at Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a Public university, public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a Federated state, state, it is the fla ...

as an assistant professor, where he was promoted to associate professor in 2000 and to full professor in 2009. In the early aughts (2000s) he shifted his primary focus to physics education research. In 2003 he co-founded the learning assistant programme.

Research

Pollock investigates and develops curricular and pedagogical reforms and assessments in upper-division physics courses. He investigates impacts of established reforms in large lecture introductory courses, including the use of "''Tutorials'' in introductory physics", with graduate TA training, and use of undergraduate learning assistants. He has advised four graduate students and eight postdoctoral fellows in nuclear physics and in physics education research.

Bibliography

Books

* ''Particle Physics for Non-physicists: a Tour of the Microcosmos'' (2003). The Teaching Company. . * ''Physics 1'' (2001). Thinkwell. ASIN 1605380261. * ''Great Ideas of Classical Physics'' (2006). The Teaching Company. .

References

External links

Steven Pollock faculty homepageSteven Pollock's website at University of Colorado BoulderPER group homepage
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pollock, Steven Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni Stanford University alumni Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) University of Colorado Boulder faculty Living people 21st-century American physicists American educational theorists Fellows of the American Physical Society