Would you like to add some teaching experience to your C.V.? Have you wondered what it would be like to combine teaching with research? Are you curious to see if you have what it takes to be a teacher? Come find out at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls (UWRF).
UWRF and the IceCube collaboration have obtained funds from the National Science Foundation’s Office of International Science and Engineering to develop a program that will bring two IceCube researchers to UWRF during the 2008-09 academic year. Each participant will teach half of a typical undergraduate course load (about two courses per semester) while conducting IceCube research with UWRF undergraduates as a half-time researcher.
The UWRF undergraduates and one of the participants will also be supported to conduct IceCube research in Sweden during the summer of 2009.
UWRF is the institutional home of IceCube collaborators Jim Madsen, Glenn Spiczak, and Rellen Hardtke. For several years, UWRF has involved undergraduate students in IceCube work, including two undergraduates who have worked at the South Pole.
River Falls (population 13,000) is located in western Wisconsin just a few miles from the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. It is 30 miles from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area (population 3.2 million), which offers a plethora of urban activities like theater, music, arts, clubs, museums, and sports. The Minneapolis-St. Paul international airport (MSP) is 40 minutes away by car and is served by more than a dozen airlines. With its rivers, hills, woods, and lovely surroundings, western Wisconsin is also an attractive area for people interested in outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, canoeing, and skiing.
This is a great opportunity to improve communications skills, to explore different types of institutions and environments, and to discover the rewards and trials of teaching undergraduate students in the United States. During subsequent years of the project, the program will be expanded to include students from two-year colleges.
The goals of the program are to:
UWRF has a successful undergraduate program with a faculty dedicated to teaching in a nurturing environment. Our department has seven full-time faculty members and approximately 100 physics majors. Recently, we were nationally recognized for being a “thriving” undergraduate physics program and for the growth in the number of our physics majors. Our mission includes excellent teaching, individualized advising, quality scholarship and public outreach. UWRF physics faculty have received numerous awards for outstanding teaching, advising, and mentoring.
We are looking for your help in making this program successful. To support the goals of the National Science Foundation’s Office of International Science and Engineering, we especially encourage applications from scientists outside the U.S. We will work with selected participants to obtain the necessary visas.
Please contact Jim Madsen to learn more about this excellent opportunity to contribute to science education while pursuing your research interests and building your resume.