Monica Halka

Dr. Monica Halka, an experimental atomic physicist active in research since earning her Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 1993, has long been committed to improvement of physics teaching at the high school and college levels. In addition to her many publications in professional research journals, Dr. Halka writes and presents on physics education, was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate and received education grant funding from the National Science Foundation. She has given invited talks on physics education in Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and the United States and participated in the Oregon Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (1996-2000). Two universities in the western U.S. have adopted the first-year physics laboratory manuals designed, edited, and mostly written by Dr. Halka. She recently retired from her position as University Honors Program Associate Director at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, where she taught courses in optics, energy science, the nuclear age, urban ecology, and others.