Teaching

Students in the the Strawbridge Astronomy Library during Professor Karen Master's Advanced Topics in Astrophysics class. Photo by Holden Blanco '17
With students in the the Strawbridge Astronomy Library during Observational Astrophysics class, Spring 2019. Photo by Holden Blanco ’17

Haverford Classes

  • PHYS303 – Statistical Physics.
  • ASTR341: Advanced Observational Astronomy – Use of the Strawbridge Observatory 16″ for CCD observing, often an observing trip (e.g. to the Green Bank Observatory to use the 40′ telescope)
  • Intro Physics Labs (lab sections accompanying PHYS 101, 102, 105, and/or 106) – Laboratory instructor for the labs which course which accompanies first year physics courses
    • PHYS101, PHYS105 and PHYS105 labs Fall 2024
    • PHYS102, PHYS105 and PHYS106 labs Spring 2022, 2024 and PHYS106, PHYS102 labs, Spring 2019.
  • ASTR352: Extragalactic Data Science.
    • A 0.5 credit course covering galaxies, and techniques of data science used in modern extragalactic research Github Respository for ASTR352.
    • Spring 2025 (0.5 credit, semester long class meeting once a week).
    • Spring 2024 Syllabus (6 students; a 0.5 credit, semester long class meeting once a week).
    • Fall 2021 Syllabus. Covered as a Cool Class by the Haverblog. Done in second half of Fall 2021 semester (in series with Andrea Lommen’s 0.5 credit course on Gravitational Waves).
    • An evolution of ASTR344: “Galaxies and Cosmology”, a full credit upper level galaxies and cosmology class for Astro majors which I taught Spring 2018
  • WRPR194: Explaining the Universe – a first year writing seminar themed around writing about astronomy (always 12 students).
  • ASTR204: Introduction to Astrophysics – a one semester introduction to astrophysics (prereq is PHYS105 or the equivalent and students should have taken, or be co-enrolled in PHYS106 or equivalent). This course covers the basic of stellar astrophysics, the interstellar medium, galaxies and cosmology as well as an introduction to python for astronomy.
    • Fall 2021 Syllabus — Fall 2019 Syllabus (first time taught as ASTR204 – a modification of the old two semester Introduction to Astrophysics (ASTR205; which I taught in Fall 2018, and ASTR206) to fit it into a single semester class. — Fall 2018: I taught the similar class: ASTR205: Introduction to Astrophysics I (stellar astrophysics and planets)
  • PHYS105: Fundamental Physics I – Typically the first physics class in the Physics/Astrophysics/Astronomy major track, this class covers classical (Newtonian) mechanics and thermodynamics with examples mainly drawn from the physical sciences. Along with PHYS106 this is intended to be a one-year introduction suitable for students interested in the physical sciences.
  • ASTR101: Astronomical Ideas
  • ASTR152: First Year Seminar in Astrophysics
    • A half credit topics class in astrophysics intended for students taking first year physics classes.
    • Taught Spring 2019, 2018
With students in Astronomical Ideas (Feb 2020) in Quaker and Special Collections in the library looking at archival astronomical material. Photo: Emily Williams ’20.

Pedagogical Learning/Research

In Fall 2018 I had the pleasure of taking the Teaching and Learning Institute Seminar (a Haverford/Bryn Mawr joint pedagogy seminar).

In collaboration with the VOLCROWE team I published a short paper on how/if people learn while engaging in online citizen science: “Science Learning Via Participation in Online Citizen Science“, Masters et al. 2016, JCOM, 15, 3.

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (in the UK). This designation came following the submission of this set of Case Studies and Reflections on my teaching at Portsmouth. My application was commended for the following points:

  • A strong application which evidenced all of the values of the UKPSF
  • A democratic approach to learning and teaching with particular focus on the inclusive curriculum
  • Your approach to the teaching of scientific writing and fostering effective learning environments for your students

Portsmouth Classes

  • Introduction to Computational Physics (2016, 2017)
  • Application of Physics and Space Science (2015, 2016, 2017)
  • Mathematical Physics I (2011, 2014)