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Biography

Dr. Trevor Smith holds a B.S. in Physics, a M.S.T. in Physics, and a Ph.D. in Physics, all from the University of Maine. He specializes in physics education research and has been cited by the National Research Council for his development of instructional strategies for undergraduate thermal physics courses as one of the few examples of physics education research at the upper division. Dr. Smith has three major research projects: 1) developing scoring mechanisms for multiple-choice tests that recognize and value productive elements in students’ incorrect answers, 2) measuring students' simultaneous development of mathematical and physical skills in both introductory and advanced physics courses, and 3) promoting diversity among science and mathematics teachers by reducing barriers to obtaining an initial teaching license that disproportionately affect teacher candidates from populations that are typically underrepresented in STEM fields. Dr. Smith holds a joint appointment with the Departments of Physics & Astronomy and STEAM Education, and he is the principal investigator for the project South Jersey STEM Education Scholars: Recruiting and Supporting STEM Teachers from Underrepresented Populations, funded by the National Science Foundation (DUE-1660694).