The physics department welcomes Caitlin Hansen to the new position of preceptor in physics laboratory instruction and management. Caitlin will be primarily responsible for managing the Physics 165/166 lab equipment and materials. She will also be involved with efforts at teaching effectiveness and improvement. In addition, she will be a section instructor for 165/166, help with outreach and provide general instructional support.
Caitlin’s primary focus is increasing the awareness of and involvement in the process of learning about science through an emphasis on improved pedagogy and classroom practices. Caitlin received her B.S. and M.S. from Southern CT State University where she taught undergraduate physics labs for both science and non-science majors. She has also helped coordinate and run Family Science Night, an outreach program for New Haven elementary schools aimed at increasing family involvement in the process of learning science. Caitlin holds a CT teaching certification and is a former CT public school teacher. Beyond her science education interests, Caitlin was part of the Astronomy and Astrophysics research group at SCSU where her research focused on proper motion measurements of Milky Way satellite galaxies.
Outside of work, she is also an enthusiastic scuba diver with 6 specialty certifications and enjoys traveling, when able to, to check out new dive sites around the world. On a more daily basis, she loves thrift shopping as it is both a great eco-friendly, sustainable practice and fun to restore thrifted items.