Nils Halverson Finds Teaching's Rewards in Astrophysics
Courtesy of the College of Arts and Sciences Magazine
Nils Halverson, PhD, takes teaching seriously. He has been teaching astrophysics at the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ since 2005.
Using Clickers to Spark Discussion
Graduate students may be surprised at first when Halverson asks them to use iclickers in their small, focused classes. However, Halverson has found clickers to be a valuable tool in letting students answer questions anonymously so that the class as a whole has an opportunity to discuss potential misconceptions without singling out students.
Halverson has conducted research about cosmic microwave radiation that originated after the Big Bang. He uses 10 m South Pole mm-wave telescope and the 12 m APEX telescope in Chile. Halverson says that it is important that his graduate astrophysics students also understand how to interpret information from these telescopes.
Dr. Halverson explains that, although his position at ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ involves research and important committees, teaching remains his favorite part of his job.