Arthur Eisenkraft speaks on Engaging Students in Science with Art, Physics and Literature, as part of the Azim Premji University Public Lecture series January 7, 2014 Arthur Eisenkraft, Distinguished Professor of Science Education, Professor of Physics Director, Center of Science and Math in Context (COSMIC) University of Massachusetts Boston Boston, MA, USA About the Talk For some students, science concepts are fascinating from the outset and the mathematics is a source of beauty. Other students need to enter the world of science through their other interests including sports, transportation, medicine, communications and technology. All students can benefit from an approach that uses art and literature to propel an understanding of physics. Professor Eisenkraft will discuss how working with an artist and drawing from literature has led to a unique approach to engaging students in physics. About the Speaker Arthur Eisenkraft, PhD, is one of America’s leading science educators. For 25 years, he taught high school physics and was a 6-12 science coordinator. He is past president of the National Science Teacher Association and is currently chair of the Science Academic Advisory Committee of the College Board. He is project director of the NSF-supported Active Physics curriculum project that is introducing physics instruction for the first time to all students and leading a similar effort with Active Chemistry. He is chair and co-creator of the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards, involving 15,000 students annually. His current research projects include investigating the efficacy of a second generation model of distance learning for professional development; a study of professional development choices that teachers make when facing a large scale curriculum change and assessing the technological literacy of K-12 students. He has received numerous awards recognizing his teaching and related work including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, the American Association of Physics Teachers Millikan Medal, the Disney Corporation’s Science Teacher of the Year, and the NSTA Robert Carleton Award. He is a fellow of the AAAS, holds a patent for a laser vision testing system and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Rennssalaer Polytechnic Institute.