Pi Nuessle

Graduate Research Assistant and Volunteer Teacher

George Washington University

Physics

Pedagogical Methods Used

Peer Instruction / Think-Pair-Share, Collaborative problem-solving, Conceptually-oriented activities, Context-rich problems, Guided inquiry, SCALE-UP / studio / workshop physics, Modeling Instruction, Mathematically-focused activities, Experimentally-focused activities

Life Sciences Focus

I mostly focus on growth and motion when I include biological applications, though fossilization and oxygenation may also come up.

Education Research and Pedagogy Expertise

I taught equestrian classes for five years, so I know a basic amount about kinesiology, movement, physical therapy, nutrition, and disease progression/pharmocology for people, cats, and horses/mules/donkeys. This, along with teaching at the National Air and Space Museum, is also where I built my experience in special education. As an astrophysicist, I can also consult on the effects of forces on the human body. Finally, because I have a special interest in fossils, I know more than average about extinct organisms and some of their descendants. For instance, the last time the globe warmed, during the PETM, horses shrank to cat-sized.

Describe the courses that you teach for life sciences students

I'm not teaching right now, but my school offers special physics courses specifically for medical and biology students.

What is your approach to teaching physics for life science students?

Physics affects all of us, and acts as a sort of fence for what life can do. It guides biochemical processes, shapes bodies, and affects where certain types of ecology are possible. In short, it's extremely helpful for biology students to understand as the underlying "rules" that their studies follow, even if it isn't always directly relevant.