{"id":555,"date":"2017-07-25T09:15:02","date_gmt":"2017-07-25T16:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=555"},"modified":"2024-08-08T15:26:42","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T22:26:42","slug":"kathy-hadley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/kathy-hadley\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the scenes with Kathy Hadley, astronomy and physics instructor"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h2>\n
\"Kathy

Kathy Hadley’s career as an educator and researcher in astrophysics can be traced to\u00a0a book about the universe she got for Christmas as a\u00a0child.<\/p><\/div>\n

A professor of astronomy and physics is focused heavily on the happenings of\u00a0our solar system and beyond, but Kathy Hadley is just as interested in what’s happening on our planet. Namely, she has a long-held passion for teaching\u00a0students no matter where they are, geographically and scholastically. Her work as an instructor in\u00a0Oregon State’s Department of Physics\u00a0is one element of proof. Kathy is the driving force behind a series of\u00a0physics courses offered online through Oregon State Ecampus<\/a>, delivering\u00a0important and innovative\u00a0learning opportunities to\u00a0a global\u00a0audience. Kathy’s primary\u00a0research interest is in computational modeling of protoplanetary and protostellar star\/disk systems. She holds a\u00a0B.S. in Physics from Central Washington University and earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Oregon.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

By Tyler Hansen<\/a><\/em>
\n<\/em><\/a>July 25, 2017<\/em><\/p>\n

Tell us about your role as an Ecampus instructor.<\/h3>\n

\u201cI teach a sequence of astronomy classes. Topics include the solar system, stars and star formation, galaxies and cosmology.\u201d<\/p>\n

How old were you when you became interested in astronomy, and what sparked that interest?<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe first time I remember being interested in astronomy was when I was about 8. My mom gave me a book for Christmas called \u2018The Universe.\u2019 It was a challenging read at the time, but I loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you like most about teaching astronomy and astrophysics online?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI have topical group discussions, where students choose a topic of interest and research it for a couple of weeks with three to five like-minded people. Topics range from the cultural significance of constellations to general relativity and everywhere in-between. Some of the students choose very fascinating avenues to explore. I end up learning quite a bit from them and engaging in stimulating conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Aug. 21, there will be a total solar eclipse<\/a>. What excites you most about this rare event?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI think that a solar eclipse induces a feeling of wonder and oneness with the universe. It reminds us that we are on a planet and that there are bigger things than Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you could realistically visit any planet or star system in our galaxy, where would you go and why?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know yet. We are just beginning to find exoplanets, and have not identified any as harboring life yet. I\u2019d probably be most interested in other forms of life. Beyond that, I\u2019d like to see the supermassive black hole at our galaxy center.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you see as the primary benefits of online learning?<\/h3>\n

\u201cFlexibility is one of the primary benefits. Folks can take a college class, fitting it into their busy lives, no matter where they live.\u201d<\/p>\n

How have you evolved as an educator since you began teaching classes online with Ecampus?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI have become much more personally aware of my students than I was when I taught online at other institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 20 words or fewer, what\u2019s your best advice for Ecampus students?<\/h3>\n

\u201cMake time for your study. Don\u2019t let the class get ahead of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are your non-astronomical hobbies?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI enjoy walking in the forest.\u201d<\/p>\n

How will you celebrate the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21?<\/h3>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be on campus with many others, watching the sky.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 3<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>A professor of astronomy and physics is focused heavily on the happenings of our solar system and beyond, but Kathy Hadley is just as interested in what’s happening on our planet. Namely, she has a long-held passion for teaching students no matter where they are, geographically and scholastically. Her work as an instructor in Oregon State’s Department of Physics is one element of proof.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/kathy-hadley.jpg?fit=638%2C425&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-8X","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1558,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/radiation-health-physics-rebecca-jaronski\/","url_meta":{"origin":555,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: ‘One of the best decisions I ever made’","author":"Rebecca Jaronski","date":"October 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"My personal experience as an Ecampus student has made me a real believer in online education. 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