Antonia Chimonidou
Teaching Experience
2009 – 2018
- Lecturer, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
- NSC 306J Hands-on Science I (Physics)
- NSC 306K Hands-on Science II (Chemistry/Geology)
- NSC 306M Hands-on Science IV (Astronomy)
- NSC 109 Inquiry-Based Teaching Methods (Seminar for Science and Mathematics Learning Assistants)
2018 – Present
- Assistant Professor of Practice, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
- NSC 306J Hands-on Science I (Physics)
- NSC 306K Hands-on Science II (Chemistry/Geology)
- NSC 306M Hands-on Science IV (Astronomy)
2012 – Present
- Program Coordinator for UTeach Primary, UTeach Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
2019 – Present
- Program Coordinator for the Physical Science Program, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin
2015 – Present
- Adjunct Faculty, The Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Engineering, Austin Community College
- PHYS 1402 General Physics II
- PHYS 1405 Conceptual Physics I
- PHYS 1407 Conceptual Physics II
2013 – 2021
- Instructor, KAUST Foundation Year Program (as part of the joint collaboration between the University of Texas at Austin International Office and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia)
- Semester 1: SAT Physics Preparation Course
- Semester 2: Physics II (Course on Mechanics with a lab component)
2014
- Instructor, SABIC (Saudi Basic Industrial Corporation) Foundation Year Program (as part of the joint collaboration between the University of Texas at Austin International Office SABIC)
- Semester 1: SAT Physics Preparation Course
- Semester 2: Physics II (Course on Mechanics with a lab component)
2014 – 2016
Instructor, The University of Texas Global Initiative for Education and Leadership (as part of the Hubei Visiting Student Program)
- An Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
- An Introduction to Astronomy
2007 – 2008
Instructor, Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth Summer Program
- Nuclear Science
- Principles of Engineering Design
2003 – 2009
Teaching Assistant, University of Texas at Austin
- PHY 303K: Engineering Physics I
- PHY 303L: Engineering Physics II
- PHY 309K: Elementary Physics for Non-tech Students I
- PHY 309L: Elementary Physics for Non-tech Students II
2002 – 2013
Private Tutor
- Introduction to Modern Physics, Plan II
- Undergraduate level physics for pre-medical students
- Advanced Placement Physics and Mathematics
- College level quantum mechanics
- General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Advanced and Ordinary Level, Physics and Mathematics
Professional Publications
Chimonidou, A., Ludwig, R., Marinova, I. (2021). Supporting Pre-Service Primary School Teachers with Hands-on-Science. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, Vol. 21 (6), 148-158
Riegle-Crumb, C., Morton, K., Moore, C., Chimonidou, A., Labrake C., Kopp, S. (2015). Do Inquiring Minds Have Positive Attitudes? The Science Education of Preservice Elementary Teachers. Science Education, Vol. 99 (5), 819-836
Chimonidou, A. (2009). Relaxation in Harmonic Oscillator Systems and Wave Propagation in Negative Index Materials. Ph.D. Dissertation
Chimonidou, A., Sudarshan, E.C. G. (2008). Relaxation Phenomena in a System of Two Harmonic Oscillators. Physical Review A, Vol.77 (3), 032121-1 – 032121-11
Ludwig, R., Chimonidou, A. (2015). Hands-on-Science: Hands-on, Integrated Natural Sciences for Pre-service Elementary Teachers. NARST Annual International Conference, Conference Proceedings
Ludwig, R., Chimonidou, A., Kopp, S. (2014). Hands-on-Science: Using Education Research to Construct Learner-Centered Classes. Astronomical Society of the Pacific Annual Meeting, Conference Proceedings
Current Research Interests
Interested in studying how student learning of science (and its evolution) is influenced by the learning environment. More specifically, I am interested in researching the effectiveness of hands-on, inquiry-based teaching methods as compared to traditional lecture style courses, for pre-service elementary school teachers. For example, how does interactive engagement like hands-on experiments, simulators, group work, or even having learning assistants in class, affect student conceptual understanding, content knowledge, and knowledge retention? How does that compare to traditional teaching methods? Additionally, I’d like to study the role prior knowledge plays in teaching and learning, and how it can be used to guide curriculum development.
Professional Societies
The National Science Teaching Association
The National Association of Research in Science Teaching
The American Physical Association
The American Association of Physics Teachers
The Women in Physics Group, University of Texas at Austin
The Greek and Cypriot Society of the University of Texas at Austin
Grants
PI
Funding Agency/sponsor name: Texas Regional Collaboratives
Title: Investigating Science PCK with Elementary Teachers Involved in an Inquiry-Based Professional Development Program
Alternate Title: 2011-2012 Texas Regional Collaboratives – Center for Inquiry in Math and Science
Total grant: $140,603
Period of grant: 02/27/2014 – 02/26/2015
Awards and Honors
The Hellenic Professional Society of Houston Scholarship, Houston, 2008
The Thekla Protopapas Scholarship, The Pancyprian Association of Texas, Houston, 2007
The AAPT Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, University of Texas at Austin, 2006
The E. Lee Kinsey Prize for the 2001-2202 Outstanding Graduating Senior, Physics Department, University of California, Los Angeles, 2002
Member of the Provost's Honors List, University of California, Los Angeles, 2002
The Academic Excellence in Physics (Advanced Level) 1997-1999 (First Prize) Award, American Academy Larnaca, 1999
The Academic Excellence in Mathematics (Advanced Level Pure/Pure and Mechanics) 1997-1999 (First Prize)} Award, American Academy Larnaca, 1999
The Tjiarris Family Prize for Excellent Conduct and Behavior 1999 Award, (Given by a vote of the Staff), American Academy Larnaca, 1999
Seminars and Lectures
Invited talk: NEET (Negril Education Environment Trust) - UT Teacher Workshop Guest Speaker, July 2021: “Supporting Pre-Service Primary School Teachers with Hands-on-Science”
Invited talk: AAPT Virtual Winter Meeting, January 2021: “Supporting Pre-Service Primary School Teachers with Hands-on-Science”
NARST (National Association of Research in Science Teaching) Annual International Conference, Wyndham Rio Mar, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, April 2013: “Hands-on-Science: Hands-on, Integrated Natural Sciences for Pre-service Elementary Teachers”
Invited talk: “Hot Science - Cool Talks” Professional Development Workshop on Energy Transformations, University of Texas at Austin, February 2012: “Teaching about Energy"
TRC Professional Development Academy Physics Instrumentation Workshop, Hilton Austin Airport, February 2012: “Transformations from kinetic energy to potential energy"
Invited talk: PhysTEC (Physics Teacher Education Coalition), University of Texas at Austin, May 2011: “Hands-on Science - An Inquiry Based Approach to Elementary Education"
Invited talk: “Hot Science - Cool Talks" Professional Development Workshop on Optics, University of Texas at Austin, February 2010: “How Mirrors Work and the Law of Reflection”
APS section meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 2008: “Temperature Exchange in a System of Two Harmonic Oscillators”
Central European Workshop on Quantum Optics, 14th Edition, Palermo, Italy, June 2007: “Relaxation phenomena in a system of two harmonic oscillators"
APS section meeting, Denver, CO, March 2007: “Relaxation in a system of two harmonic oscillators”
“Emerging Themes in Physics" Workshop for Young Scientists, University of Texas at Austin, October 2006
Professional Services
2020: Course Facilitator for the ACC Teaching and Learning Academy (TLA): facilitated Engaging Students for Learning, a 5-week online course offered to ACC faculty looking to enhance their teaching practices. Provided evidence-based teaching resources to faculty participants to educate them on how they can engage their students to become more active learners and deepen their students’ understanding of course material.
2012 - 2014: Coordinator, TRC/UT College of Natural Science Partnership UT Summer Science Institute Workshops: designed and implemented the Physics, Chemistry and Geology, and Astronomy Summer Institute Professional Development Workshops to a group of AISD in-service teachers.
2012 – 2013: Project Director for the UT Austin College of Natural Sciences and the TRC Partnership
2010 – 2014: AISD Capital City Collaborative Professional Development Series Workshops (as part of the TRC/UT partnership): coordinated physics planning with district science teachers and provided teacher and staff support in physics concepts.
Service
Departmental
2012 – Present: UTeach Primary coordinator: coordinates the Hands-on-Science classes and oversees teaching assignments and curriculum revisions. Communicates with lab coordinator to establish appropriate systems for maintenance, setup, and breakdown of laboratory equipment and materials for the Hands-on-Science courses. Performs annual faculty evaluations for the UTeach Primary instructional team. Maintains communication with the College of Education to determine enrollment needs, course scheduling and degree requirements for ALD majors. Communicates with the Registrar’s office to control seat count and registration issues.
2012 – Present: Undergraduate learning assistant mentor for UTeach Primary: meets weekly with UTeach Primary undergraduate learning assistants to help in their development of appropriate teaching methodologies, course content knowledge, and teaching skills. Helps organize and run the bi-annual learning assistant orientation and assists in the supervision of teaching assistants’ adherence to UT Policy.
2019 – Present: Physical Science program coordinator: oversees the Physical Science classes (PS 303 and PS 304) for the Physics Department. Holds weekly meetings with assistant instructors (physics graduate students) and helps with their development of inquiry-based teaching methodologies and teaching skills. Performs teaching observations to help assistant instructors improve their teaching and reports back to department chair. Communicates with physics lab director to purchase new and maintain existing laboratory equipment. Holds interviews and assists with the hiring of new assistant instructors.
2020 – Present: Faculty adviser for the curriculum development of PS 303 (Introduction to Physical Science I: Mechanics & Heat). Oversees the development of a new inquiry-based course packet scheduled to be implemented in all PS 303 sections in Fall 2020.
2019 – Present: Part of the core team who created and implemented the Physics Learning Assistant (LA) Program for the first time in Spring 2020. The main goal of the program is to catalyze and support course transformation in the Department of Physics by hiring and utilizing undergraduate learning assistants in a variety of courses in the department.
2019 – 2020: UTeach France Exchange Program: hosted French teachers and French student teachers in my classes, as part of their 2-week visit to UT to learn more about the American education system.
2013 – Present: UTeach College of Natural Sciences Advisory Committee
2021 – Present: Foundational Physics Committee
College
2020: CNS Online Lab/Hybrid Lab Planning Working Group: helped make decisions on how classes with a laboratory component would be offered in Fall 2020 as a result of the pandemic by communicating the needs of the Hands-on-Science courses to the college.
2018 – 2021:
- CNS Non-Tenure Track Faculty Committee
- CNS NTTF Climate Subcommittee
- CNS NTTF New Member Selection Committee
University
2020 - Present: Steering Committee of the UT Faculty Women’s Organization
2020 - 2021: Faculty advisor to a team of students working on a proposal for the UT President’s Award for Global Learning, a program that encourages UT students to target a world issue and enact a solution in a foreign country. The team’s proposal is to promote STEM education in Jamaica by hosting a 2-week youth science camp and to develop and offer digital science "kits" for long-term use in primary and secondary schools in Jamaica.
2020 - 2021: The 2019-2020 University’s Outstanding Master’s Thesis Selection Committee
2017 – 2019: Natural Science & Technology Committee: helped with the Spring 2018 Natural Science & Technology Core Assessment as part of a campus initiative led by the School of Undergraduate Studies to assess the quality of the undergraduate core curriculum at UT Austin.
2018 – 2019: Helped with the School of Undergraduate Studies’ Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) in their effort to implement a 5-year plan that focuses on the assessment and improvement of undergraduate skills.
2015 – 2019: First-Year Interest Groups (invited speaker): was invited to speak at several ALD Majors’ FIG sessions about the Hands-on-Science program and advise first-year ALD majors on which and when to take the required courses offered through UTeach Primary.
Community
2018 – Present: STEM Scouts: assisted with finding student volunteers from UTeach Primary to help bring hands-on STEM education to youth in the community.
2018 – Present: Camp Lonehollow: assisted with finding student volunteers from UTeach Primary to act as counselors and work with children ages 7-16 by applying curriculum covered in UTeach Primary in a fun, unique, and challenging work environment.
2011- 2016: Outreach coordinator between UTeach Primary and local elementary schools: organized and hosted bi-annual field trips to UT for 2000 5th grade students from local area schools, each semester.
2010-2013: UT/TRC Partnership: designed and delivered hands-on in-service teacher professional development in pedagogical content knowledge to 112 elementary teachers in grades 3-5 in 17 local elementary schools in five rural school districts surrounding Austin.
2009 - 2012: Organized and helped run the Cool Activities prior to the Hot Science – Cool Talks main event presented by the Environmental Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin.
2009 – 2012: Hosted professional development workshops prior to the Hot Science – Cool Talks main event for registered in-service elementary teachers as part of the UT/TRC (Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching) partnership.
2008 – 2016: Served as a science fair judge at several regional science fairs in Austin by evaluating projects and interviewing students.
2006 – 2009: Volunteer mentor for undergraduate students in the Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin.
Published: August 26, 2024