Nathan A. Unterman

VITA

Nathan A. Unterman
Chicago, Illinois

Email: nunterman@newton.dep.anl.gov

FORMAL EDUCATION

M.S. Science Teaching, 1988, DePaul University. Concentration in Secondary Science Curriculum Design. Courses included science content as well as curriculum design.

B.S. Astronomy, 1975, University of Michigan. Minor in Physics and Mathematics, with courses including geology, meteorology, and chemistry.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

National Lewis University, (1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007) Research in Cognition and Education, NMR and mesophysics Research, Assessment Design for Concept Inventories.

REST Program at Northwestern University -Diffusion Measurements of Liquids Near Surfaces Using NMR (2003).
Fabrication of AFM Tips (2004) Fabrication of Hall Probe for mesoscopic applications (2005)

QuarkNet participant ANL (2002, 2007), FNAL Fellows program (2007)

Aurora University, (1991, 2007) Technology: relevance, applications and trends, Quarknet.

TRAC Program at FermiLab -data aquisition (1989) and Argonne National Laboratory (1990).

DePaul University, (1990) telecommunications course.

Problem Based Learning Institute, SIU, 1996.

Illinois Institute of Technology, High School Science Workshop.

Northeastern Illinois University, (January 1976 to 1989), Secondary education certification. Courses included methods of teaching secondary science and mathematics, psychology of the exceptional child, and food technology.

District 225 In-House, data acquisition and processing; html; analysis of TIMMS data; Creating Meaningful Assessments and Mining the Data.

Adler Planetarium (1977), designed, constructed and tested an 8" and a 3" Newtonian telescope.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

1985 - present

Glenbrook North High School; teacher of physics. Advised numerous students who entered the NASA/NSTA shuttle competition, Intech-90, and the Duracell competition. Updated the Unified Science course materials and teacher's edition. Assisted numerous teachers from other schools with physics instructional materials. Supervised students for the National Bridge Building contest. Developed "Activities in Physics" course guide for students. Teacher Mentor. Student Teacher mentor (3 times). Data Team member and assessment consultant. Team member for executing a student experiment on NASA’s C9a Weightless Laboratory (2006)

Advanced Honors Research Program

Developed an engineering co-op program to place students in part-time jobs in local industry.

Developed program for student placement in university laboratories.

PART-TIME

Co-Sysop, NEWTON BBS, Argonne National Laboratory 1991 - present

Barat College; Fall 1991 to 2002. Adjunct professor of Education; Methods of Teaching Science, Elementary.

Judged school Science Fairs.

Part-time at North Park College as an instructor for Methods of Teaching Secondary Science, fall 1988, 1989.

Tutoring students in science, math and language.

Science curriculum consultant to several area private schools.

1984 - 1985

Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center; teacher of physics and honors physics. Invited for fifth time to NASA/NSTA Student Shuttle Involvement Project.

Pre 1984 teaching experience includes: Ida Crown Jewish Academy (1 year), St. Scholastica High School (5 years), Weber High School (3 years), Telshe Yeshiva (1 year), and Inroads Chicago, Inc. (6 summers).

SERVICE

Founding member of KESHET, (1980) a community wide organization of parents who have children with special needs. These special needs cover a full range of problems such as genetic defects, later handicaps, etc. The organization meets informational and support needs, as well as religious and educational needs of the parents and children. Chair of Hospital Survey Committee (survey published August, 1989), member of Constitution Committee.

Led many meetings of the Kenilworth Explorer Scouts. Topics included astronomy and space science.

Founder of the Sol and Tillie Hasson Day School (1994-2003). Member of Board of Education.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (1973-2004)

American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) (since 1977)

Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists (1973-2000)

Editorial Board for The Physics Teacher (1990-1993)

Illinois State Physics Project (ISPP) (since 1980)

National Science Teachers Association (1976-1987, 2000)

Illinois Science Teachers Association (1985-1986, 2000)

Association of Science Educators (since 2001)

AWARDS

Pacesetter Award for work on NEWTON BBS, Argonne National Laboratory 2005

John Rush Award for Contributions to ISPP 2005

Kohl International Teaching Award 1991

Teacher of the Year - Distinguished Teacher Award, Glenbrook North High School 1989

Distinguished Teacher Award, Glenbrook North High School (nine times)

Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence -- Runner up 1987, Nominee 2001

Distinguished Science Teacher Award -- Illinois (twice)

Governor's Master Teacher Award 1983

PUBLICATIONS

Author and Reviewer of Physics Days manuals for Six Flags Great America (1989 -present) and Six Flags Marine World (2004).

Collaborator, TIMMS testing and Physics Education in First in the World Consortium Schools, 1998.

Co-author, Not just for Dummies: The Physics of Auto Safety, Museum of Science and Industry, 1997.

Author, Amusement Park Physics: A Teacher's Guide, Second Edition, J. Weston Walch, March 2001.

Contributor to Amusement Park Physics for the AAPT, June 1990.

Developer of accelerometer kit for Pasco Scientific; consultant on accelerometer kit for Cenco.

Author, "The Rebuilt Tacoma Narrows Bridge," 35 mm slide set with a teacher's manual, AAPT, 1983.

Reviewer of "Conceptual Physics with Paul Hewitt" video tapes, 1991.

Reviewer, contributor and pilot teacher of Paul Hewitt's Conceptual Physics 1987 and 1991 Physics text, reviewed and contributed some material for the Addison-Wesley Physical Science Program, reviewer of Merrill's Principles and Problems of Physics, 1986 physics text, and reviewed "Science is . . ." for Walch Publishers. Edited and field tested a new high school electronics activity kit developed by Motorola.

PRESENTATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT

AAPT - Attended six winter conventions and five summer conventions, the most recent being winter, 2006. Led workshops in Amusement Park Physics (APP) at the 1989 San Francisco and 1990 Minneapolis Conventions. Delivered paper on Student Experiments for World Year of Physics winter 2006 and NEWTON BBS at 1996 convention. Delivered papers on use of remote sensing devices in APP at Summer 2003 Convention. Delivered a paper and ran a workshop at ChemEd '89 in Kingston, Ontario in August 1989 on APP.

FITW - Member of Physics group in First in the World Consortium, developing an Energy Concept Inventory; April 2000.

Materials Research Society - Curriculum Design Proposal for Integrating Materials Science into the pre-college curriculum, Boston 2004.

American Chemical Society Chicago Conference (2007) Presented paper on Nanoscience Surveys and Inventories.

NCLT (National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering) assessment circle member 2005-present.

National Science Teachers Association - Involved many students in the Space Shuttle Involvement Project (7 regional winners in the first 5 years). In 1985 and 1986, attended state conventions and in 1982 a national convention. Presented paper at 2001 national convention.

Illinois Science Teachers Association - Presented at the 1986 State Convention on the curriculum development of a high school level of conceptual physics and chemistry. Presented 4 papers in October 2000 on Use of Whiteboards in Science Classes, NEWTON BBS, Amusement Park Physics, and Energy Misconceptions in the Science Curriculum. 

ISPP - Attends and contributes at meetings, and some biweekly meetings at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Have contributed information regarding Space Shuttle, the Rebuilt Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a model of a potential gradient for the nucleus of an atom, an errata to Merrill's physics text, and an interim copy of Physics of the Amusement Park. These have been placed in ISPP's Phenomenological Library. Member of amusement park committee.

AAAS - Attended national meeting in 1987, 1989, 1990, 1996.

Illinois Scientific Literacy Network Conference, 1997.

National Science Supervisors Association Institute 1991 - presented a workshop on Amusement Park Physics.

International Conference on Thinking, MIT, 1995

Harris Institute on Problem Based Learning, Chicago, 1995

Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Fall Conference 1991 - Invited small group leader on "Educational Excellence."

Attended ChemEd '89 and '91.

Six Flags Great America Amusement Park Physics Presenter (1989 to present).

Six Flags Marine World Amusement Park Physics Presenter (2003).

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Hobbies include philately and rock hounding.

Worked at Motorola in the Automotive Electronics Division, testing and optimizing production on a new product (1990). Developed sealing technology and received patent #5,179,501, "Laminated Rigidizer for the Forming and Sealing of Electronic Packaging," (1991).

Last Up-date Monday.08.October.2007