Purdue Northwest Educates Area Teachers on Particle Physics through QuarkNet Workshop

Purdue-Northwest-colorA QuarkNet workshop was held at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) over the summer months as part of a national outreach to educate teachers in particle physics programs.

The workshop, led by Neeti Parashar, PNW professor of physics, acquainted local area teachers and students from nine area high schools to gain insights into particle physics and identified ways to enhance overall physics education.

"The participants learn about CERN and Fermilab colliders by interacting with scientists from all over the world,” said Chris Holford, dean of the PNW College of Engineering and Sciences. “Our goal is to make these global discoveries accessible to the students and teachers of northwest Indiana, and inspire the next generation of great scientists.”

QuarkNet, a national research-based professional development program for teachers, is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy. PNW is one of three established QuarkNet Centers within the state of Indiana out of a total of nearly 45 in the United States.

"The Purdue Northwest QuarkNet center is the epicenter for the northwest Indiana region's students and teachers to not only get a glimpse of and learn high energy physics, but also see firsthand how scientists conduct their work. This serves as an excellent recruitment gateway for the PNW physics program," said Purna Das, head of the Department of Chemistry and Physics.

Northwest Indiana high school instructors and students who wish to participate in the program may contact Neeti Parashar at parashar@pnw.edu.

Purdue University Northwest Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a student-centered university that values academic excellence, supports growth and celebrates diversity. Located in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago, PNW fosters a vibrant academic community through high quality and engaging undergraduate and graduate education. For more information about PNW, visit www.pnw.edu.