Research

My current research focuses on computing education, exploring how people learn computational and data science concepts and how we can improve pedagogy in this domain.

Current Research Areas

Computing Education Research

I investigate how students develop computational thinking skills and programming expertise. Some key questions include:

  • How does doing computational work create opportunity for student agency and creativity?
  • What does self-efficacy development look like in interdisciplinary computing courses?
  • How do student problem-solving approaches intersect with their ability to master challenging computational concepts?

Pedagogical Approaches

I develop and evaluate new teaching methods for computational courses, especially those aimed at non-CS majors. Areas of interest include:

  • Active learning strategies in computing courses
  • Peer instruction and collaborative learning environments
  • The role of visualization and interactive tools
  • Project-based learning and real-world applications

Computational Thinking Across Disciplines

Exploring how computational thinking can be integrated into and support student learning in non-CS disciplines:

  • Computational methods in the sciences and beyond
  • Data and AI literacy for all students
  • Interdisciplinary approaches to teaching computing

Past Research

My past astrophysics research has explored the physics of galaxy evolution and the lifecycle of matter in the universe through advanced computational simulations:

  • Circumgalactic Medium (CGM): Studied the multi-phase gas surrounding galaxies using cosmological and isolated galaxy simulations. Collaborated on the development of Trident, a tool for generating synthetic spectra, enabling direct comparisons between simulations and observations to better understand CGM structure and its role in star formation and feedback.
  • Non-Equilibrium Ionization Chemistry: Developed methods to incorporate non-equilibrium ionization of metals into the Enzo simulation code, improving accuracy over traditional equilibrium assumptions. This work included building chemical network solvers (Dengo) to track ionization states and radiative processes during runtime, advancing models of the warm-hot intergalactic and circumgalactic medium.
  • Dust Destruction in Supernova Remnants: Investigated how reverse shocks in supernova remnants affect newly formed dust grains in metal-rich ejecta. Using large-scale hydrodynamic simulations, quantified dust survival rates under extreme conditions, finding significant destruction that challenges the idea of supernovae as the sole source of early-universe dust.

These projects collectively aim to deepen our understanding of galaxy formation, baryon distribution, and the interplay between stellar processes and cosmic structure.

Collaborations

I'm always interested in collaborating with other researchers and educators. If you're working on related topics, please reach out.