TRIAD Coalition

Charles Ruggieri, PhD

Background

Charles (“Chaz”) Ruggieri is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Office of STEM Education and the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He conducted postdoctoral research in physics education research at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, earned his Ph.D. in experimental surface and interface physics from Rutgers, and his B.S. degree in physics from The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ.

Chaz currently serves as a member of the TRIAD Coalition within SAS’s Office of STEM Education. He collaborates with faculty members in the Department of Physics and Astronomy to transform courses and evaluate transformations.  He facilitates interdisciplinary faculty workshops to engage faculty in educational practices backed by education research literature.

Chaz is a physics educator who aims to help students regain their inherent drive for observation and discovery, as well as improve their understanding and use of mathematics within the context of physics and motivate students to grow as independent learners.

Email Chaz

External Fundinig

1. Emenike, M.E. (PI), Blackwell, S. (co-PI), Brown, P. (co-PI), Ptak, C. (co-PI), Ruggieri, C. (co-PI). Coordinating a Teaching Excellence Network to Engage STEM Faculty in Teaching Reform. NSF DUE Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) #2013315, 10/1/2020-9/30/2025, $1,957,793. (project website)

Internal Funding

1. 2018 Open and Affordable Textbook Award, Rutgers University Libraries
2. 2019-2020 Rutgers Research Council Grant, Rutgers Research Council, 2019

Publications

1. Ruggieri, C., Students’ Use and Perception of Textbooks and Online Resources in Introductory Physics. Published, 14 October 2020, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.
   Rangan, S., Kim, P., Ruggieri, C., Whitelam, S., Bartynski, R., Growth of a Highly Ordered Kinetically Trapped Molecular Monolayer. Published - 12 December 2019, Physical Review B.
2. Martinez, J.I., Flores, F., Ortega, J., Rangan, S., Ruggieri, C., Bartynski, R.A., Unveiling universal trends for the energy level alignment in organic/oxide interfaces. Published – Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 24412-24420.
3. Rangan, S., Ruggieri, C., Bartynski, R.A., Martinez, J.I., Flores, F., Ortega, J., Adsorption Geometry and Energy Level Alignment at the PTCDA/ TiO2(110) Interface. Published – J. Phys. Chem. B, Publication Date (Web) June 20, 2017.
4. Rangan, S., Ruggieri, C., Bartynski, R.A., Martinez, J.I., Flores, F., Ortega, J., Densely-packed ZnTPPs Monolayer on the Rutile TiO2(110)-(1x1) Surface: Adsorption Behavior and Energy Level Alignment. Published – J. Phys. Chem. C, 2016, 120 (8), 4430-4437.
5. Ruggieri, C., Rangan, S., Bartynski, R.A., Galoppini, E., Zinc(II) Tetraphenylporphyrin on Ag(100) and Ag(111): Multilayer Desorption and Dehydrogenation.  Published – J. Phys. Chem. C, 2016, 120 (14), 7575-7585.
6. Martinez, J.I., Flores, F., Ortega, J., Rangan, S., Ruggieri, C., Bartynski, R.A., Chemical Interaction, Space-Charge Layer and Molecule Charging Energy for a TiO2/TCNQ Interface. Published – J. Phys. Chem. C, 2015, 119 (38), 22086-22091.
7. Ruggieri, C., Rangan, S., Bartynski, R.A., Galoppini, E., Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin Adsorption on Au(111): an Interplay between Molecular Self-Assembly and Surface Stress. Published – J. Phys. Chem. C, 2015, 119 (11), 6101-6110.

Rutgers Workshops

Faculty Workshops

Learning Styles (link)
Learning Objectives (link)
Developing Self-Directed and Persistent Learners (link)
Developing Education Leaders among TAs in Physics (DELTA-P) - a series of workshops to prepare first-time physics graduate teaching assistants for their teaching roles in our department.

Professional Experiences & Service

• American Association of Physics Teachers member (2013-present)
• American Vacuum Society member (2010-present)
• American Physical Society member (2009-present)
• Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society member - TCNJ Chapter (2009-present)

Courses Taught (Lecturer/Recitation Leader)

• Analytical Physics Ia - Fall 2020
• General Physics 203 - AY 2018-2019, AY 2019-2020
• General Physics 204 - Spring 2019, AY 2019-2020
• Peer Instruction Education (01:090:322) - Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2021
• Extended Analytical Physics IA, IB - AY 2016-17, AY 2017-18

Awards and Honors

• Featured Article in Physics, “YouTube: Physics Friend Not Foe”. Physics is a free online magazine from the American Physical Society, which reports on papers from the Physical Review journals, focusing on results that will change the course of research, inspire a new way of thinking, or spark curiosity.
• Open and Affordable Textbook Award - Rutgers University Libraries (2018)
• Peter Lindenfeld Graduate Fellowship -- “to the graduate student who embodies and exemplifies the teacher-scholar model of learning pioneered by Professor Lindenfeld” (2015-2016)
• 75th Physical Electronics Conference 1st Place Poster Presentation (2015)
• American Physical Society March Meeting 2014 Image Gallery Contribution (2014)
• American Association of Physics Teachers Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (2013)
• Richard J. Plano Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (2010-2011, 2011-2012)
• Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society Inductee - TCNJ Chapter (2009)

Selected Conference Presentations

1. Physics Education Research Conference 2019 - Contributed Poster “Students’ Perception and Use of Online Resources in Introductory Physics”
2. American Association of Physics Teachers Summer 2019 Meeting - Contributed Talk “Students’ Perception and Use of Online Resources in Introductory Physics”
3. Physics Education Research Conference 2018 - Contributed Poster “Assessable Learning Objectives: Collaborative Development, Implementation, and Evaluation”
4. American Association of Physics Teachers Summer 2018 Meeting - Contributed Poster “Assessable Learning Objectives: Collaborative Development, Implementation, and Evaluation”
5. 2017 Annual Meeting of the APS Mid-Atlantic Section – Contributed Talk “Facilitating and Assessing the Development of Scientific Abilities and Habits of Mind: Introductory E&M and Modern Physics Course Transformation around ISLE Labs and Measurable Learning Objectives”
6. National College Learning Center Association National Conference 2017 – Contributor “Investigating Changes in Academic Peer Leaders’ Skills, Practices, Attitudes, and Content Knowledge”
7. Physics Education Research Conference 2017 – Invited Poster “A large-enrollment course transformation centered on ISLE labs: learning objectives help develop a shared vision with non-PER faculty”
8. American Association of Physics Teachers 2017 Summer Meeting – Contributed Poster “Catalyzing Sustained Transformations in a Large Enrollment Introductory Electromagnetism Course”
9. 76th Physical Electronics Conference, University of Arkansas – Contributed Talk “Zinc(II) Tetraphenylporphyrin on Ag(100) and Ag(111): Molecular Ordering and Dehydrogenation”
10. American Vacuum Society, AVS 62nd International Symposium and Exhibition, San Jose, California – Contributed Talk “TCNQ and ZnTPP on TiO2(110): Organic-Oxide Interaction and Electronic Energy Level Alignment.”
11. American Vacuum Society, AVS 61st International Symposium and Exhibition, Baltimore, Maryland – Contributed Talk “Adsorption Behavior of Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin Molecules on a Au(111) Surface.”
12. American Physical Society, APS March Meeting 2014 Conference, Denver, Colorado – Contributed Talk “Adsorption Geometry of ZnTPP Molecules on Au(111): Self-Assembly and Surface Interaction.”
13. American Physical Society, APS March Meeting 2013 Conference, Baltimore, Maryland – Contributed Talk “Energy Alignment at Organic/Oxide and Organic/Metal Interfaces: The Effects of Molecular Overlayer Thickness on the HOMO/LUMO Gap and Interfacial Dipole.”