Currently I am developing and teaching four nuclear science classes that form the basis for our new track in Health Physics:

• PHZ 3308 Applications of Nuclear Physics (3). An introduction to nuclear structure, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, radiation detection, interactions of radiation with matter, biological effects, and the application of nuclear physics.
• PHZ 3360 Introduction to Radiation Protection (1). An introduction to the principles of radiation protection. Topics include time, distance, and shielding, activity, radioactive decay, nuclear instrumentation, and the measurement of radiation. Prerequisite: PHY 2049.
• PHZ 3361 Radiation Detection and Measurement (3). Interaction of radiation with matter, radiation detectors, gamma spectroscopy, pulse processing, counting statistics, radiation shielding. Prerequisites: PHY 3106 or CHM 3411.
• PHZ 4731 Introduction to Health Physics (3). An introduction to health physics. Topics include the biological effects of radiation exposure, environmental and personnel monitoring, dosimetry and dose calculations, and governmental regulations. Prerequisite: PHZ 3361.

From Spring 2011 through Spring 2017, I taught a large enrollment introductory class, PHY 2053 Physics w/out Calculus I, to a population of mainly pre-med students. Over the years, I radically changed the delivery and assessment of this course from a traditional lecture format to an active learning format. The final assessment format for this class probably could be best described as adaptive competency tests: students earn a better grade by passing progressively more difficult problems; they are given a chance to retake a failed test. I also abandoned the all to common partial credit grading system and replaced it with a rubric that emphasizes explanations and evaluation. This has resulted in decreasing the failure rate of the class by about a factor of two, while at the same time increasing the quality of the students’ work.

My current plan is to flip the nuclear science classes listed above from a lecture format to an active learning environment. My ultimate goal is to build a Nuclear Sciences Learning Community, in which students from the more advanced courses work side-by-side with students taking their first nuclear course. I plan to use an assessment philosophy similar to the one I developed for the intro physics class, i.e., more frequent low stakes testing; more emphasis on written explanations than just mathematical formalism.

Courses taught at FIU

• PHY 1020 Understanding the Physical World
• PHY 2048 Physics with Calculus I
• PHY 2049 Physics with Calculus II
• PHY 2053 Physics without Calculus I
• PHY 2054 Physics without Calculus II
• PHY 2065 Problem Solving in Physics without Calculus I
• PHZ 2102 Problem Solving in Physics I
• PHZ 2103 Problem Solving in Physics II
• PHY 3106L Modern Physics Laboratory I
• PHY 3107L Modern Physics Laboratory II
• PHZ 3308 Applications of Nuclear Physics
• PHZ 3360 Introduction to Radiation Protection
• PHZ 3361 Radiation Detection and Measurement
• PHY 4134 Widely Applied Physics I
• PHZ 4731 Introduction to Health Physics
• PHY 4905 Independent Study
• IDH 4905 Honors Independent Study
• PHY 4936 Special Topics
• PHY 4990 Nuclear Physics & Applications
• PHY 4990L Radiation Detection and Measurement Lab
• PHZ 5304 Advanced Nuclear Physics
• PHZ 5340 Particle Interactions and Detection
• PHY 5936 Special Topics Research
• PHY 5930 Seminar in Physics
• PHY 6935 Graduate Research Seminar
• PHY 6939 Graduate Research
• PHY 6970 Thesis Research
• PHY 6971 Master’s Thesis
• PHY 7981 Ph.D. Dissertation