Physics Union Mathematics
Key Personnel
Eugenia is a professor of science education in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. Eugenia is one of the lead developers of PUM who has been continually adding to the library of PUM materials over the years. Eugenia is one of the co-developers of ISLE. She conceived and tested the ISLE prototype when teaching physics in middle school and high school for thirteen years in Moscow, Russia. This work was further enhanced by the cooperation of A. Van Heuvelen to create ISLE in its present format and in the collaborative writing of the College Physics textbook (published by Pearson) and accompanying Active Learning Guide. She uses ISLE and PUM in courses for pre-service and in-service physics teachers. E-mail Eugenia if you have any questions about PUM philosophy (process, multiple representations, etc.) and implementation, and how to use PUM in teacher preparation courses.
Suzanne is the Director of the Physics Gateway Program and an Associate Director of the Math and Science Learning Center at Rutgers University. She was co-PI on the first ISLE NSF grant. She has extensive experience working with under prepared university freshman engineering students and has been using ISLE in the past 6 years with them. Suzanne is the "math heart" of PUM. She develops invention sequences which help students devise and conceptualize physical quantities. She makes sure that PUM modules develop deep mathematical reasoning and PUM students learn to make sense out of equations. She used PUM modules when teaching in a high school for 5 years. Contact Suzanne about any questions related to the mathematics in PUM modules.
a former middle school science teacher who is now a PhD students in physics education program at Rutgers, Graduate School of Education. Rob uses PUM in the science methods courses for future elementary teachers. Rob is responsible for organizing PUM workshops in NJ. Please e-mail him at
robert.zisk@gse.rutgers.edu if you wish to take a workshop.
Jim has worked on PUM first as a graduate student now as a high school teacher. He has taught in the algebra based physics courses at Rutgers as well as the Rutgers Astrophysics Institute, a summer program for high school students. Jim also brings his experience as a computer consultant and programmer to the project. He is the designer of this website and you can contact him if you have any difficulties downloading the materials. Currently he is teaching Physics and AP Physics using all of the PUM Modules. Jim's classroom is a classroom you can visit if you wish to see PUM in action. E-mail Jim and make an appointment! You can also e-mail Jim if you are interested in how to engage your students in sending experiments to space - currently an experiment of his students is orbiting Earth on the International Space Station.
Danielle is a graduate of Rutgers GSE. She has used the Kinematics, Dynamics, Momentum, Work/Energy, Electrostatics, Electric Fields, and DC Circuits modules. Danielle's classroom is an exciting environment where students are engaged in developing their own concepts and working on numerous projects. Danielle is part of the team who runs PUM workshops in the summer. Danielle's classroom is another classroom that you can visit if you wish to see PUM in action. Send an e-mail to Danielle and make an appointment!
Scott Robinson uses PUM in Physics First courses at North Arlington High School. Scott wrote teacher notes for Kinematic and Dynamics. His focus is on helping his students develop facility with math while learning physics in 9th grade. He is an expert on building interdisciplinary teams of teachers and he will be happy to show his classroom to you if you are interested in how PUM works in an urban environment. E-mail Scott to make an appointment!
Chris is a graduate of Rutgers GSE. He taught Physics and Freshman Physics using PUM modules for Kinematics, Dynamics, Momentum, Work/Energy, and Electrostatics. He is the main contributor to the Optic module that will be available soon. Contact Chris if you have issues with formatting the modules - he will help you!
Matt contribute his experience as a physics teacher and graphic designer to the modules. The funny icons that cue you what is coming are Matt's idea. Later Matt developed amazing computer games that use ISLE philosophy and engage students in developing and applying complex concepts (go to
http://www.theuniverseandmore.com). Matt is also an exert in motivating students and is an amazingly effective teacher: 75% of his AP students receive 5s on the AP exams. He has been using PUM with students of different levels with an astounding success. If you wish to see Matt in action and experience live the amazing learning atmosphere he creates - send him an e-mail.
