Teachers are some of the most important members of our society. They nurture students and can serve as an inspiration, setting them up for success as citizens of our world.”
Dawson’s Story
Teaching Discipline
Physics and Mathematics
Why Physics
“Physics is a course that I was extremely nervous about when I went to college. I could have had a better background in physics going into college, and I had heard how difficult physics was from my peers. Yet, after seeing the community and support within the department at my university, I knew it was something I wanted to teach.”
Professional Experience
During his undergraduate studies, Dawson spent three years as a resident advisor and a teaching assistant. He also has extensive research experience; in the summer of 2020, Dawson worked as a research intern at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he developed computer scripts to analyze data, measured the brightness of stars, and developed tests for tidal disruption events. He worked for California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo from 2020–2021 as a STAR Teacher-Research Fellow in the Cosmic Evolution Project, which used Net Logo to investigate the universe’s evolutionary history. He also worked as a research intern for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory during the summer of 2021, developing and evaluating physics experiments using microelectromechanical sensor sets in phones. He has spent the last four years working as an education research assistant for the Colorado School of Mines, where he evaluates students’ experiences with introductory courses and seeks to improve the accessibility and equity of education within the school. He also works with the Get the Facts Out Project, a partnership between four national societies that aim to repair the teaching profession’s reputation. Dawson taught algebra, engineering, and AP Physics during the 2022–2023 school year.
Dawson will begin his second year of teaching algebra and physics at Jefferson Academy Secondary School in Broomfield, Colorado, during the 2023–2024 school year.
Hobbies
In his free time, Dawson enjoys coaching multiple sports teams. He is currently the head coach of his school’s softball and girls’ golf teams and the assistant coach of the basketball program. He also loves attending sports activities and supports all Denver professional sports teams. Dawson enjoys spending time with friends and occasionally volunteers to serve meals to the local homeless population.
Academic Background
- Colorado School of Mines (Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics)