Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

The PSIWA, now operating for 20+ years, are week-long summer workshops for Pennsylvania high-school physics and Earth/space science teachers aimed at helping them teach their students about galaxies, black holes, cosmology, stars, and other topics. They serve as a high-leverage method of improving understanding of astronomy; each of the attending teachers will teach hundreds of students. Teachers from diverse, under-served school districts are specifically recruited with scholarship funds. The PSIWA programs include lectures on subject material, discussions of pedagogical approaches, hands-on activities, nighttime observing, and guest presentations. I will describe the accomplishments of the PSIWA, their future prospects, and broader lessons learned.

Biography:

W. Niel Brandt has been at Penn State since 1997 and is a professor in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics. Brandt uses a wide variety of astronomical facilities, often operating in the high-energy band, to study the physics, evolution, and ecology of active galaxies and other cosmic X-ray sources. He is an author of more than 650 research papers and leads a small research group including postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students. He also regularly teaches courses on high-energy astrophysics, black holes, and active galaxies, and he runs summer workshops for Pennsylvania teachers.