DouglasÌýDuncan
My past research interests include abundances in the oldest stars, stellar rotation, and the evolution of stars like the sun. My recent research focuses on university science teaching. I wrote the first book on how to effectively use interactive student feedback devices ("clickers"). I led the first study of in-class phone use and its effects on student grades. Research shows that there are much more effective ways to teach science than just lecturing. I oversee TA training designed to help our students become excellent teachers and give them the knowledge and ability to compete for any job which includes teaching. My Ph. D. students include Francesca Primas (ESO), Luisa Rebull (Caltech), and Colin Wallace (UNC). I served 4 years as National Education Coordinator for the American Astronomical Society, 10 years doing science commentary on National Public Radio, and 18 years as Director of Fiske Planetarium.