Stephanie Chasteen
Stephanie Viola Chasteen (March 25, 1972 – November 3, 2024) was an American physics education researcher and science communicator,[1] known on social media as "sciencegeekgirl".
Life and work
[edit]Chasteen was born on March 25, 1972, in Appleton, Wisconsin. She was educated at Oyster River High School in Durham, New Hampshire, and majored in social psychology at Bard College,[2] graduating in 1995.[3] After serving in the Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa, she received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Cruz,[1] in 2005,[3] specializing in condensed-matter physics.[1] During her graduate studies, with the support of a fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, she also interned as a science news reporter at NPR.[2]
After postdoctoral work at the Exploratorium in San Francisco,[1] from 2005 to 2007,[3] she worked for the University of Colorado Boulder Science Education Initiative for over ten years, beginning in 2007.[4] She also worked as a lecturer in physics beginning in 2012.[3] Following this, she became an independent consultant in physics education, remaining active in external evaluation of physics programs.[4]
Chasteen died on November 3, 2024, after a year-long struggle with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. She was 52.[1]
Recognition
[edit]Chasteen was the 2024 recipient of the Lillian McDermott Medal of the American Association of Physics Teachers,[5] and was named a Fellow of the American Association of Physics Teachers in 2024.[1]
Chasteen was posthumously named a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in 2024, after a nomination from the APS Topical Group on Physics Education Research, "for significant contributions to physics education research, including groundbreaking work on departmental change, teaching upper-division courses, evaluating and supporting numerous research projects and dissemination programs, and outstanding service to the APS Topical Group on Physics Education Research".[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Stephanie Chasteen, American Association of Physics Teachers, November 7, 2024, retrieved 2024-12-02
- ^ a b Stephanie Chasteen Obituary, Tabor Funeral Home, November 2024, retrieved 2024-12-02
- ^ a b c d Curriculum vitae (PDF), retrieved 2024-12-02
- ^ a b "Stephanie Chasteen", Physics Education Research, University of Colorado, retrieved 2024-12-02
- ^ Dr. Stephanie Chasteen is the 2024 recipient of the Lillian McDermott Medal, American Association of Physics Teachers, retrieved 2024-12-02
- ^ APS Fellows archive, American Physical Society, retrieved 2024-12-02
External links
[edit]- Sciencegeekgirl blog (archived)
- Stephanie Chasteen publications indexed by Google Scholar