I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Education. My work focuses on science and engineering education for K-12 teachers and for elementary school students.  I am currently co-PI of two funded grants. One grant, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) focuses on developing Computer Science curriculum for upper elementary school students and studying how children learn computational thinking. The other grant, funded by Chevron and the NSF, focuses on how to develop undergraduate large-enrollment inquiry-based physics curricula that are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  At UCSB, I teach courses for Ph.D. students, pre-service teachers, and undergraduates. My courses include technology and learning, physics and everyday thinking, and methods for teaching elementary school science.

In addition to research and teaching, I am a content advisor to the Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation (MOXI), an upcoming museum that will focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM), with a particular emphasis on physical science and engineering.

Prior to joining the faculty at UCSB, I received my Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder, my M.S., in Geophysics from Stanford University and a B.S. in physics from Valparaiso University. I also spent two years teaching Physics in Tanzania, East Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer.