Major: Biosystems Engineering

Future plans: I would like to locate a cause for idiopathic (unknown cause) scoliosis. Currently I am working on developing a new non-surgical technique for treating scoliosis.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: If you study hard in the beginning, it will make everything much easier towards the end. Additionally, pay attention to coding problems. On the test, it helps when you have an idea of what you are looking at. The in-class problems will be very helpful for thinking about coding in a physics setting.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? I highly recommend the help room. The help room helped me understand some essential physics concepts. If you are willing to put in the work, the help room can make a good grade very achievable. Grades aside, it is super cool to understand what you are doing! When I did not have a clue, the help room put everything into perspective.

Fun fact about me A fun fact… Once I played on a randomly assembled basketball team—composed of sixth graders. I was the last kid to show up to the first practice. When the other kids saw me, they all started screaming, “What’s your name?”. When I said Joshua, they all started screaming. Shortly after, I learned that every person on my new team was named Joshua.

Help room hours Mondays 6-7PM

Email dixonj15@msu.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Future plans: Work as a mechanical engineer…somewhere.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Contribute your knowledge to the best of your ability and lean on other students to help you improve in areas that you struggle with. This is a group setting in order to have a collaborative environment, rather than a competitive one. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn your strengths and weaknesses and improve on them.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Look over the notes in detail for sections that you struggle with and come to help room with any confusion on pre-class, post-class, in class, exams, notes, or ANYTHING else.

Fun fact about me: I went to Spain and studied abroad this summer!

Help room hours Mondays 2-3pm

Email glaspie4@msu.edu

Major: I am currently a sophomore studying toward an undergraduate physics degree, and I plan on continuing onwards to graduate school where I plan to study nuclear physics

Future plans: I hope to either work at a university researching with a particle accelerator or to work with a team researching nuclear fusion as a viable power source.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork! Find your strengths, and play to them. But most importantly listen to your teammates strengths and let them showcase their strengths too. This course is an adventure for a party, not for a solo physicist.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Come to the help room! Other than that, don’t ever be afraid to ask for help, use your resources, or even ask for help finding any resources. Your Professor, TA, and other ULAS are all great resources. We all want you to succeed.

Fun fact about me: I toured MSU with my class back when I was in fifth grade. We toured the cyclotron (now the FRIB) and after that tour, I knew that I wanted to work with nuclear physics.

Email foste328@msu.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering with a biomedical focus

Future plans: Design prosthetics in Latin America!

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Actively participate in class! It's so much easier to study later and ensure you understand the topic when you actively try to problem solve in a low-risk environment.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Attend a help room! Once you run through a problem step-by-step, you understand the concept behind it and what approaches to use in the future.

Fun fact about me I have four tattoos.

Email aultman3@msu.edu

Major: Applied Engineering Sciences

Future plans: Work as a Technical Sales Engineer

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Come into this class with an open mind! Never be afraid to share your thoughts because no idea is a wrong idea!

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Isolate the concepts you are having trouble with and break down practice problems to help yourself build a better understanding. Come to class/help room with any questions! We are all here to help you!

Fun fact about me I love to ski and waterski!

Help room hours Fridays 2-3PM

Email mill3601@msu.edu

Major:Math and Secondary Education

Future plans: I plan on becoming a high school math teacher.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Get to know your group members and don't be afraid to ask questions to ULAs or Professors. They are there to help you succeed and enjoy the learning process. Teamwork is key! Engaging with group members and learning from one another will promote improvement and a greater understanding of the course content.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in the class? : I would recommend coming to the help room. It is a great place to better understand the learning concepts and set you on the right path to success! One on one assistance with a ULA or Professor can help clarify so much in even just one session!

Fun fact about me: I love to run, hike, and be outside!

Help room hours Mondays noon-1PM

Email eichber9@msu.edu

Major: Electrical Engineering

Future plans: Get my bachelor's and find work in Grand Rapids

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: You should actually write out a plan ahead of time, it actually makes it easier to solve and organize the problem.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Ask for the TA or a classmate to explain. No matter what you do, do not let yourself fall behind the group.

Fun fact about me I am a huge music fan: besides listening to music, I also play bass and guitar, and I have a vinyl collection!

Email skipper4@msu.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Spanish.

Future plans: Work towards optimizing renewable energy.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: With an open mind. You might find that there is more than one way to approach a problem, so group discussions and adaptability can help you find even better ways of taking on the course material.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Visit the help room! We’re there to help you, and even if you don't have any questions it's a very productive study space.

Fun fact about me I play alto saxophone in the Spartan Marching Band!

Email stackbro@msu.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Future plans: Work in the automotive industry

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Make sure you have open communication within your groups and try to include everyone in your group in conversations.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: The help room is a great tool for homework and reaching out to your group for help is very beneficial.

Fun fact about me I am on the MSU equestrian team.

Help room hours Wednesdays 3:00pm-4:00pm

Email john7976@msu.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Future plans: Work in the automotive industry.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes in class. You have your group and LAs to help you out, and it’s easier to learn from your mistakes.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Talk to your group about topics you are struggling with and come to the help room.

Fun fact about me: I won a Go-Kart championship when I was 9 years old.

Email eastonco@msu.edu

Major: Computer Science Engineering

Future plans: Become an entrepreneur and build my own tech company

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Being active in class is the easiest way to become familiar with the topics and test your understanding of the concepts.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Help room is your best choice. Talk to your ULA, and I am sure most of your problems will be solved.

Fun fact about me: I used to ride motorcycles back home, and currently I box at IM West.

Help room hours Mondays 5-6 PM

Email ferna375@msu.edu

Major: Computer Science

Future plans: I want to make AI and computer algorithms more equitable and less biased against marginalized groups.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Do the readings and actively participate in class. If you can do the harder in-class problems with your group in class, you can study from those and then replicate similar concepts on the exams.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: I think nothing is more helpful than the help room! Whether it is help on homework or questions on an in-class problem, the help room gives you a chance to sit down with classmates and LAs who can give you a step-by-step explanation and way forward with both that specific problem and the concept as a whole.

Fun fact about me: During the summer I work as a camp counselor at a camp that runs outdoor trips. This past summer I helped lead a bunch of 14 year olds a sea kayaking trip at Lake Superior Provincial Park and then led a 115-mile backpacking trip around Isle Royale!

Help room hours Mondays 1-2PM

Email broder50@msu.edu

Major: Computer Science

Future plans: Pursuing a career in computer science centered around either machine learning or data engineering.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Make sure you set aside time to learn the concepts. The reading material and homework problems outside of class can appear daunting but it becomes significantly easier if you dedicate time every day of the week to learning the material and attempting problems.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: You will hear this a lot, but seriously, come to help room!! If you are struggling in class that is the best way to get clarification on concepts and receive help on the homework.

Fun fact about me I’ve spent time in the Romanian countryside and have milked a cow.

Help room hours Mondays 3-4PM

Email andronic@msu.edu

Major: Computer Engineering

Future plans: I aspire to become a game-dev engineer, bringing my passion for gaming and technology to life!

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Plan and visualize problems to solve them faster. Get to know your group, actively participate, listen, and contribute to discussions. Engaging with teammates helps you understand concepts better. And remember, teamwork makes the dream work!“

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Make sure to stay on top of your homework, as it's crucial for understanding difficult concepts. Engage your group members for help, and more so take advantage of office hours and help rooms. Do not fall behind, use all these resources to your advantage to stay on track.

Fun fact about me: I'm a master at dominating EA Sports FC but put me on an actual soccer field, and I'm likelier to trip over the ball!

Help room hours Mondays 6-7PM

Email adjaklos@msu.edu

Section: 5

Major: Chemical Engineering with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering

Future plans: I am not sure as of right now. I have a big interest in the pharmaceutical industry, batteries, and environmental sustainability, so I am just exploring what I like right now!

Advice on how to approach EMP-Cubed: Be confident! Meet people in your groups, ask questions, and if you have an idea share it! Many times, people know the right answer and are too afraid to share it.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? If you are struggling there are many resources for help including Help Room, Piazza, and CORE tutoring. I recommend YouTube videos, they can help me visualize things that are hard to in class!

Fun fact about me: I have a dog and cat. My dog's name is Nala, and my cat's name is Cat. They are both with me at MSU. I love being outside including running, hiking, and camping.

Help room hours: Piazza Discussion Board Manager - Thursdays & Fridays

Email: tapleyas@msu.edu

Major: Chemical Engineering

Future plans: Work on optimizing the manufacturing of medications to decrease costs for patients.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Use all of the resources available to you! Mock exams, help room, and Piazza are all great ways to further your understanding and prepare for projects and exams

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Reach out to your groupmates or other people you know in the class, talk to your LA, and go to help room.

Fun fact about me I love anything that has to do with being outside (running, rock climbing, skiing, hiking), and I've been to 23 US National Parks!

Help room hours Mondays 5-6PM

Email majorsn1@msu.edu

Major: Astrophysics

Future plans: I plan to go to grad school to get a PhD in astrophysics, and then see where the road leads.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Make sure to study before class and go to the help rooms if you're ever struggling. Also, make sure to communicate with your group; you're all there to help each other through the problems!

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: If you're struggling, never feel bad about reaching out to your group leader. There are help rooms throughout the whole week that are a huge asset, and if you can't make it to them there is also the piazza forum for any questions!

Fun fact about me I have a blind dog named Neo, and he can still run after and catch balls (he's always been a huge ball dog), if you see me feel free to ask for a picture of him!

Help room hours Fridays 3:00-4:00PM

Email haweswil@msu.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Future plans: I plan to pursue Medical School after getting my engineering degree to become specialized in engineering medical devices and prosthetics that assist and enhance the human body. One day I hope to direct my own start up where I can be involved in all areas of the project.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: I would recommend students getting started in P-Cubed to get to know your partners in your group to become comfortable with communicating and working as a team with new people. I would also recommend that you do all of the homework that is assigned to take advantage of all of your learning opportunities in this class.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: I would recommend that students who are struggling in this class should be actively participating in all in class activities and asking all the questions that are necessary for your personal understanding. I reccomend taking advantage of having learning assistants who are there to help you and to review course materials that teach the specific content the student is struggling with. One of the ways I would personally learn a subject I am struggling with is to seek out a helpful YouTube video that can break down a concept in a different way that may be more understandable for me.

Fun fact about me I like to make music in my free time.

Help room hours Mondays 1-2PM

Email stewa883@msu.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Future plans: I plan on working in the automotive industry

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Take really good notes before class because then you’ll have a better understanding of the content for the in-class problem. I would also say take your time with the homework because the concept questions can be really helpful. Lastly, don’t be afraid to share your ideas and communicate with each other.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: If you are struggling I would recommend going to help room because that helped me when I took this class.

Fun fact about me I studied abroad in Rome this summer 

Help room hours Mondays 2-3PM

Email lazacarl@msu.edu

course_planning

Major:

Future plans:

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed:

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?:

Fun fact about me

Help room hours Mondays 4-5PM

Email purcel75@msu.edu

Sections: 4

Research Area: High Energy Physics

Description of Research: One of the many goals in high-energy physics is to look at the subatomic world and describe what matter is made of. The ATLAS group, where I would like to do research, is involved in one of the detectors of the LHC at CERN, where protons or ions are brought into collision. By tracking the different particles after these collisions, you study the elementary particles and even hope to find new physics.

What excites you about physics: What excites me most about physics is that you learn new concepts every day. The more you think you know, the more you realize that this is not true. And it also helps you to better understand the world around you.

What do you recommend if you're struggling in class?: Try to keep up with your homework and don't wait too long if you realize you're struggling. The first step I would recommend is to ask your group members for help. Furthermore, don't hesitate to use all the other resources such as LAs, TAs, Office Horus, Helproom and the various forums to ask questions.

Fun fact about me I'm really bad at orientation, I once even managed to get lost with one of my friends on a school trip because we took a different route to the others. So, if you see me, never ask me for directions. My best support in this regard is Google Maps. What's more is that I play the piano and enjoy taking horse riding lessons.

Email: imthurnc@msu.edu

Research Area: Physics Education Research

Description of research in that area: My research focuses on culturally relevant physics education. One of my projects is designing and implementing culture-based assessments that engage students in using their cultural resources to learn physics concepts.

What excites you about physics: Through my experiences in physics classes, I have far exceeded what I ever thought that I would be capable of. Whether it’s approaching a challenging problem by breaking it into manageable steps or modeling a complex system as a sum of individual parts, physics has made what seems impossible, possible and allows you to do some pretty cool things.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Come to class prepared with the lecture notes and be open to attempting something that you’ve never done before.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? When in doubt, reach out to the people around you. Growth is challenging and it’s not much fun to struggle alone.

Fun fact about me: I’m a college dropout turned Ph.D. student

Help room hours: Piazza Discussion Manager

Email: wooleya2@msu.edu

Section: 5

Degrees: B.S. in Physics; M.S. in Physics; Ph.D. in Physics

Research/Interest Area: My research area is Physics Education Research.

Description of research in that area: I’m most interested in developing the next generation of physics assessments, particularly with an eye to equity and inclusion. My work employs psychometric theory through large datasets and theoretically-grounded measurement models with an aim to ensure inclusive assessment practices within physics education. Broadly, the research questions that I explore are the following: (1) What is the impact of physics assessments, that may or may not be inclusive, on student success? (2) How can we modify our assessments to improve diversity and inclusion within the physics classroom? (3) How can we ensure that we are assessing our students in an equitable manner so that they can become successful career scientists?

What excites you about physics: I love the challenge of understanding how everything—from the smallest particles to the largest galaxies—fits together. Asking hard questions and designing creative ways to investigate those questions is what makes physics fun.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Come into it with an open mind to exploring new things but don’t rush the learning process. It’s important to focus on the process rather than the product and your instructors and group mates are there to collaborate with you.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class?: Ask, ask, ask. You have access to many resources to help you including me and your instructors, your classmates, and discussion boards.

Fun fact about me:: I have THE cutest French Bulldog at home – you can ask me to see pictures.

Help room hours: Mondays 4-5 pm in the help room, or by appointment (email me)

Email: hende473@msu.edu

Section: 3 & 4

Degrees: BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics; MS in Physics Education

Research/Interest Area: Teaching Physics

What excites you about physics: That physics helps me to understand the universe and the world around me. I love learning new things about how physics applies to other areas of interest, particularly from the students in my classes about their areas of interest.

Advice on how to approach P-Cubed: Read the lecture notes and watch the linked videos to prepare you to complete the pre-class homework. Instead of trying to rush through an in-class problem, your focus should be on the process you follow as you work through them. How you work through and connect the concepts is more important than your group finishing the problem. After the first class meeting of each week, get started on the post-class homework – don’t wait until the last minute. While there is an individual-only component to the class (our exams), most of it is group-focused in the case of our in-class problems and projects; or homework where you can collaborate with your fellow students and course staff on your personalized assignments. Use the lecture notes and pre-class homework to prepare you for our in-class problems; the in-class problems help to prepare you for group projects, the post-class homework, and the individual exams; the post-course homework helps to solidify your understanding of the week’s work and better prepare you for the individual exams.

What do you recommend doing if you are struggling in class? Talk to me or schedule an appointment to talk to me. You also ha LAs in the class who have taken the course in the recent past and have been in your position. They can offer good, constructive advice on how to approach and overcome particular struggles. Take advantage of all of the resources available to you. In addition to the course notes and videos, you have the help room, D2L discussion boards, your group mates, and your fellow students from other groups available to you. If you find yourself grappling with a concept, don’t delay seeking help through these resources. Questions you bring to the help room or the Piazza discussion can go beyond the current homework. Use these forums to ask about any concepts from the class, the in-class problems, the lecture notes, or any previous homework assignments you wish to review.

Fun fact about me: I like to bike, cook and taking my dog Reo on long walks (or does he walk me?). Each of the past couple of summers, I rode my mountain bike for 100 miles in a day and hope to do this again this August.

Help room hours: Wednesdays 2:00pm-3:00pm; Piazza Discussion Forum Manager:

Email: hallstei@msu.edu