Dr. Jessica Rosenberg
My name is Jessica Rosenberg and I am an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy and the Director of Education for the Quantum Materials Center at George Mason University. My PhD training is as an astrophysicist with my work focusing on what we can learn about galaxy evolution from the gas and star formation properties of galaxies. Through graduate school, my postdoctoral experiences, and now as a faculty member I have been engaged with STEM education both in the classroom and as a researcher alongside my work as an astrophysicist. I have worked to improve STEM education with a focus on the education and retention of a diverse group of students in the STEM disciplines and to create new models for graduate student preparation. I have developed and implemented education programs that span K-20, researched improvements to STEM classroom education, and examined how scientific research projects can have a broader impact on society though research, education, and outreach. As PI for this NSF-funded project on Cultivating Physics Identity and Belonging for Women in Physics: Mentorship and Leadership Development through the Pion Program, I am looking forward to improving our understanding of the factors that impact female physics students’ sense of belonging and their self-identification as physicists.
