“Now, more than ever, our world depends on science. Yet in schools, we tend to do a poor job teaching science in a way that truly conveys its basic nature and fundamental importance. While people are happy to use gadgets and medicines that would not exist without science, few understand how completely science has changed our world,” Miller said. “I will talk about how science has changed, what we know about how people learn science, and encourage delegates, as opportunity arises, to share what they know with others.”
Dr. Miller teaches physics at West Virginia University. His interests include physics education, informal science education, and plasma physics. He specializes in the teaching of introductory physics for engineers and for elementary education majors, and he is the director of the WVU Learning Assistants program. He is a former director of the National Youth Science Camp and is currently involved with the education and outreach effort of the American Physical Society’s Division of Plasma Physics. Dr. Miller received his BS in physics at the University of Wyoming, where he also completed a BA in secondary science education. He received his MS in physics from the University of Michigan. Dr. Miller taught in high schools in Oregon, Maryland, and West Virginia before returning to physics to complete his PhD at WVU.