Phil Sadler

Background

About Phil Sadler

Dr. Sadler’s varied background spans authoring mathematics and science textbooks, teaching middle school science, engineering, and mathematics, and offering science and education courses at to Harvard’s undergraduate and graduate students. As director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Science Education Department, his research program includes: • assessment of students' scientific misconceptions and how they change with instruction, • computer technologies that allow students to engage in research, • the transition to college of students who wish to purse STEM careers, • and the enhancement of the skills of teachers. For his work in science education, Dr. Sadler has won numerous awards: • the Journal of Research in Science Teaching Award for work on assessing student understanding in science, given yearly for “the most significant contribution to science education research.” • the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Brennan Prize and the American Astronomical Society Education Prize for contributions to astronomy teaching • the American Institute of Physics’ Computers in Physics Prize by the three times for simulation software and his development of the MicroObservatory network of remote telescopes for student use. • the Millikan Medal of the American Association of Physics Teachers for his “notable and intellectually creative contributions to the teaching of physics.” He is the executive producer of A Private Universe. He is the inventor of the Starlab Portable Planetarium and many other devices used for the teaching of science, worldwide. Materials and curricula developed by Dr. Sadler are used by an estimated fifteen million students every year.