Brian Kruse
Brian Kruse
Director, Teacher Learning Center and Formal Education Programs
A veteran classroom teacher, I have taught middle school earth science and physical science, and high school physics, earth science, physical science and integrated science. For three years I served as a coordinator for the NASA Explorer Schools project at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. I hold a B.S. in Geology from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, and a M.S. in Aviation and Space Science from Oklahoma State University, as well as a California Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential in Physics, Geosciences, and Biological Sciences. I am particularly interested in how people learn, and creating opportunities for teachers to identify their own misconceptions. The professional development I design and deliver serves to help teachers incorporate more inquiry-based learning in their classrooms.
In my role at the ASP I bring a diverse background as a science educator, geologist, astronomer, birder, photographer, and poet. In addition to managing ASP programs such as Project ASTRO, and the Summer Astronomy Institute, I edit the online newsletter for teachers The Universe in the Classroom, and write the Education Matters column for Mercury magazine, a quarterly publication of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
Currently, I am serving on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers. From 2015-18 I served as the Region F Director for NSELA, the National Science Education Leadership Association. When not working I am often found hiking, birding, or looking through my telescopes at the night sky. You can read my periodic musings and see some of my photography on my blog: musingsontheplanet.com
