College Physics

Dr. Roger A. Freedman is a Lecturer in Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

He was an undergraduate at the University of California campuses in San Diego and Los Angeles, and did his doctoral research in theoretical nuclear physics at Stanford University. He came to UCSB in 1981 after three years of teaching and doing research at the University of Washington. At UCSB, Dr. Freedman has taught in both the Department of Physics and the College of Creative Studies, a branch of the university intended for highly gifted and motivated undergraduates. In recent years, he has helped to develop computer-based tools for learning introductory physics and astronomy and has been a pioneer in the use of classroom response systems and the "flipped" classroom model at UCSB. Roger holds a commercial pilot's license and was an early organizer of the San Diego Comic-Con, now the world's largest popular culture convention.

As a Teaching Professor of Physics at the Colorado School of Mines, Todd G. Ruskell focuses on teaching at the introductory level, and continually develops more effective ways to help students learn. One method used in large enrollment introductory courses is Studio Physics. This collaborative, hands-on environment helps students develop better intuition about, and conceptual models of, physical phenomena through an active learning approach. Dr. Ruskell brings his experience in improving students' conceptual understanding to the text, as well as a strong liberal arts perspective. Dr. Ruskell's love of physics began with a B.A. in physics from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. He went on to receive an M.S. and Ph.D. in optical sciences from the University of Arizona. He has received awards for teaching excellence, including Colorado School of Mines' Alumni Teaching Award. Dr. Ruskell currently serves on the physics panel and advisory board for the NANSLO (North American Network of Science Labs Online) project.

Dr. Philip Kesten, Associate Professor of Physics and Associate Provost for Residential Learning Communities at Santa Clara University, holds a B.S. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his Ph.D. in high energy particle physics from the University of Michigan. Since joining the Santa Clara faculty in 1990, Dr. Kesten has also served as Chair of Physics, Faculty Director of the ATOM and da Vinci Residential Learning Communities, and Director of the Ricard Memorial Observatory. He has received awards for teaching excellence and curriculum innovation, was Santa Clara's Faculty Development Professor for 2004-2005, and was named the California Professor of the Year in 2005 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Education. Dr. Kesten is co-founder of Docutek, (A SirsiDynix Company), an Internet software company, and has served as the Senior Editor for Modern Dad, a newsstand magazine.

Dr. David Tauck, Associate Professor of Biology, holds both a B.A. in biology and an M.A. in Spanish from Middlebury College. He earned his Ph.D. in physiology at Duke University and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Stanford University and Harvard University in anesthesia and neuroscience, respectively. Since joining the Santa Clara University faculty in 1987, he has served as Chair of the Biology Department, the College Committee on Rank and Tenure, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; he has also served as president of the local chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Tauck currently serves as the Faculty Director in Residence of the da Vinci Residential Learning Community.