Lander University Lecturer of Physics Dr. Michelle Deady, winner of this year's Young Faculty Teaching Award, "always enjoyed looking up at the stars."
Her interest was stoked by a course in stellar astronomy she took as an undergraduate at Ohio State University.
"I realized how much we can learn about the stars without leaving Earth," she said.
For as long as she can remember, she wanted to teach, and since earning a B.S. in astronomy from O.S.U. and enrolling in the doctoral program at the University of Toledo, that's what she's done. By the time Deady received her Ph.D. in physics with a concentration in astrophysics, in 2016, she had spent six years teaching introductory astronomy and physics courses as a graduate teaching assistant.
Deady's background in astronomy has come in handy at Lander, where she recently finished her fourth year. In the spring, she taught Introduction to Astronomy, a general education course that she designed. In the fall, for the first time ever, she'll teach Astronomy 111, an online course that she also created.
"Physics ties in with astronomy," she said, and she's taught a variety of physics and geology along with space science courses. Deady is Lander's campus director for the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium and participated in the Citizen CATE Project during the 2017 solar eclipse, gathering data and making sure that Lander's telescope was tracking as it should.
Deady said she enjoys working with students, especially the moment "when they finally understand what's going on."
She believes that students "learn more when they are actively engaged in the learning process," and approaches her teaching accordingly. "In my physics classes, I have them walk me through the steps of the problem. That way, when they work through the problems on their own, they have a sense of whether they are on the correct track or not."
She said she is "always looking for ways to help my students do well and succeed in my classes."
Deady, who was nominated for the Young Faculty Teaching Award by her colleagues in the Department of Physical Sciences, said she is happy to be recognized for her work.
"I plan on continuing to teach at Lander and continue to improve my teaching," she said.