Benjamin Van Dusen
National Science Foundation
Engineering Directorate, Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP)
2009-10
Colorado – High School Science
Ben Van Dusen is currently completing doctoral work in Physics Education Research (PER) at Colorado University Boulder’s School of Education. His work is focused on preparing high school teachers to integrate technologies into their physics classrooms. Prior to his Fellowship, Van Dusen taught physics, AP physics, IB physics, earth science, and math at South Eugene High School (SEHS) in Eugene, Oregon. During his five years at SEHS, he also held the positions of Science Department Head and Faculty President.
Van Dusen earned a B.A. in Physics from the University of California Berkeley. During his time at Berkeley, Van Dusen conducted research in both the Hollick Lab, looking at the epigenetic mechanisms of gene control in maize DNA, and the Stamper-Kurn Lab, exploring novel techniques of creating Bose-Einstein Condensate. He holds a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Oregon. While teaching at SEHS, Van Dusen continued to take graduate level physics research credits in order to advance his research on Quantum Chaos in Nano-Electronics in the Taylor lab.
Van Dusen served as an Einstein Fellow with the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Engineering Directorate, Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) from 2009-10. During his time at NSF, Van Dusen was the lead on IIP’s Committee of Visitors and a Small Business Technology Transfer solicitation (Research on digital gaming in education, sol. #10-590). As part of his review of IIP’s activities, Van Dusen contributed articles to NSF’s Current and created IIP Stars, a compilation of IIP’s highlights, as well as a brochure about each of IIP’s programs. Van Dusen also sat on panels at the Wilson Center, the American Physics Society, and ABC News.
Van Dusen has earned grants for his physics research and his work on integrating technology into the classroom, including the MJ Murdock Partners in Science Grant, MJ Murdock Continuing Education Grant, and the Pacific University Educational Technology Grant. As an extension of his work on Quantum Chaos, Van Dusen created an interactive installation that debuted at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and now resides at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Van Dusen earned the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in STEM Education Research for his current work at CU Boulder. He has also produced several publications for Streamline to Mastery (S2M), a project that is designed to empower high school STEM teachers to create their own professional development opportunities and to become leaders in the STEM education community.
Ben says his educational motivation is to create a system that stimulates students’ critical thinking skills. “My goal is not to teach students what physicists know but rather how physicists think. As a high school education reformer, I feel that it is vital that we create informed citizen scientists.”
When not at schools or universities, Ben will likely be on a disc golf course. As a sponsored player, Van Dusen has competed in tournaments in 24 states and in the last five World Championships.