WWU to Host ‘A Path Toward Social Justice in Physics Teaching’ April 11

Western Washington University will host Moses Rifkin, the Science Department head at University Preparatory Academy in Seattle, and Abigail Daane, a professor of Physics at South Seattle College, for “A Path toward Social Justice in Physics Teaching” at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 in the Communications Facility room 120.

This presentation is free and open to the public.

With more than 30 years of combined teaching experience, Rifkin and Daane have enjoyed careers focused on inspiring, challenging, and supporting students in learning science. As experiences outside their classes raised their awareness of systemic injustice, Rifkin and Daane began to develop and implement classroom lessons focused explicitly on the analysis of underrepresentation within physics.

Their lessons engage students and generate productive discussion and reflection surrounding the practice of STEM in society. In their presentation they will explore the importance and relevance of addressing equity explicitly in STEM teaching, and reflect on some of their own challenges and successes.

This presentation is co-sponsored by Western Washington University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy; The Ray Wolpow Institute for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity; and the Science, Math, and Technology Education program.

For more information about Rifkin and Danne’s presentation contact Western's Department of Physics and Astronomy at (360) 650-3818.

Moses Rifkin