PEWS Curriculum and Pedagogy Director Dr. Melissa Jacquart is collaborating with Dr. Sarah Watzman, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, on Watzman’s undergraduate honors seminar focused on the effectiveness of using dance as a means of explaining physics concepts.
The development of this seminar constitutes the educational component of Dr. Watzman’s recently awarded National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (NSF CAREER) award, a prestigious award given to early-career scholars whose activities “build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research” (NSF). Watzman’s work studies how magnetism can be used to enhance the conversion of thermal energy into electricity, and the CAREER award will support her research of topological materials, including investigating the potential for new magnetic phases in these materials. You can learn more about the project here in this recent UC article!
Dr. Jacquart will support the educational component of the NSF project, which involves Dr. Watzman’s work with the Black Box Dance Theatre to create a series of videos that explain difficult concepts in physics using dance. The program will involve engaging high school students and UC undergraduates in workshops, culminating in a dance performance. Jacquart will help to create and facilitate surveys to evaluate the ability of dance to explain physics concepts in a way that increases participant understanding and interest in the field. She will also develop and deliver guest lectures for Watzman’s honors seminar on the basics of scientific process and scientific communication.
