TRIAD Coalition

Geraldine Cochran, PhD

Background

photograph of Geraldine CochranGeraldin Cochran is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.  Cochran is a physics education researcher. She earned her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a cognate in physics and her Ed.S. in science education with a specialization in teacher preparation from Florida International University in Miami, FL and her M.A.T. with a specialization in secondary school physics, her B.S. degree in physics and her B.S. degree in mathematics from Chicago State University in Chicago, IL.

Cochran is a member of the TRIAD coalition within SAS’s Office of STEM Education.  She supports STEM education research, outreach, and diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts. Cochran also serves on the SAS’s Assessment Committee.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Externally Funded Projects (2015 - 2018 only)

 

  • B. Cunningham (PI), G. Cochran (co-PI), C. Singh (co-PI). Diversifying the US Physics
    Community through Applications of Best Practices. National Science Foundation, $110,543. Awarded June 2017.
    • Cochran is a co-PI on the NSF-funded project, Diversifying the US Physics Community through Applications of Best Practices. This project supports the collection and dissemination of strategies for recruiting, retaining, and supporting women in physics internationally. This work included support for a U.S. delegation, for which Cochran served as co-Team lead, to the 6th International Conference on Women in Physics. Dissemination of this work is largely through the Conference Proceedings for which Cochran is an editor. One of the outcomes of the U.S. delegation is the International Gender Bias in Physics forum.
  • M. Plisch (PI), T. Hodapp (co-PI), Julie Posselt (co-PI), G.L. Cochran (co-PI), C. Miller (co-PI). NSF INCLUDES: A National Network for Access and Inclusion in Physics Graduate Education. National Science Foundation, $299, 787. Awarded September 2016.
    • Cochran is a co-PI on the NSF-funded project, NSF INCLUDES: A National Network for Access and Inclusion in Physics Graduate Education. This project is grounded in research on diversity in graduate education, organizational learning, and the resources of networks to catalyze cultural changes.  For this project, Cochran oversees recruitment and research on barriers to ethnic/racial minorities pursuing graduate education in physics and supports research on graduate admissions in physics.
  • C. Miller (PI), G. Cochran (co-PI), K. Woodle (co-PI), T. Hodapp (co-PI). APS Graduate Education Conference; February 2017 in College Park, MD. National Science Foundation, $50,412. Awarded February 2017.
    • Cochran is a co-PI on the NSF-funded project, APS Graduate Education Conference.  This conference was held joint with the APS Bridge Program meeting.  This conference brought together directors of graduate studies, department chairs, bridge program directors and graduate students from 64 different institutions and representatives from the public sector, the private sector, and eight professional societies.  In addition to supporting the organization of the conference by serving as a member of the conference steering committee, Cochran led the writing of the conference report, which will be available on the APS website.
  • R. Wright (PI), T. Nguyen (co-PI), Jane Stout (co-PI), G.L. Cochran (co-PI), E. Zundl (Former co-PI). Computer Science Living-Learning Community for Women at Rutgers. National Science Foundation, $249,999. Awarded June 2015, Amended December 2016.
  • B. Cunningham (PI), B. Whitten (co-PI), A. Cox (co-PI), C. Blaha (co-PI), & I. Ramos (co-PI). G.L. Cochran (External Advisor). National Science Foundation, $742, 648. Awarded 2015.
    • Cochran serves as an external advisor to the NSF-funded Project, Mutual Mentoring to Reduce Isolation in Physics. The project will develop and test a cost-effective model for mentoring for physics educators which could be adapted for other academic scientists and other work environments. eAlliances of mutual mentors will aid in the professional development of participants who are isolated by virtue of gender, race, sexual orientation, and/or type of institution. This project is based on past ADVANCE projects and research on the effects of isolation and good mentoring practices. The project has the potential to enhance retention and job satisfaction of isolated physics faculty.
  • G.L. Cochran (PI) and Emina Stojkovic (co-PI).  Jumpstart Research Program for Biomedical Science Students. American Society for Microbiology, $5,000.  Awarded March 2015.

Publications and Presentations

Peer-reviewed journal articles

  1. Trouille, L.E., Coble, K., Cochran, G. L., Bailey, J.M., Camarillo, C., Nickerson, M. D., & Cominsky, L. R. (2013).  Investigating student ideas about cosmology III: Big Bang theory, expansion, age, and history of the universe.  Astronomy Education Review, 12, 010110.
  2. Coble, K., Nickerson, M.D., Bailey, J.M., Trouille, L.E., Cochran, G. L., Camarillo, C.T., Cominsky, L.R. (2013).  Investigating student ideas on cosmology II:  Composition of the universe. Astronomy Education Review, 12, 010111.
  3. Coble, K. M., Camarillo, C. T., Trouille, C. T., Bailey, J. B., Cochran, G. L, Nickerson, M. D., & Cominsky, L. R. (2013).  Investigating student ideas about cosmology I: Distances and structure.  Astronomy Education Review, 12, 010102.
  4. Bailey, J. M., Coble, K. M., Cochran, G. L., Larrieu, D., Sanchez, R., & Cominsky, L. R. (2012).  A Multi-institutional investigation of students’ preinstructional ideas about cosmology.  Astronomy Education Review, 11, 010302.

Peer-reviewed Conference Proposals or Proceedings

  1. Posselt, J.R., Hernandez, T., Cochran, G.L. (2017).  Metrics First, Diversity Later?  Making the Short List and Getting Admitted to Physics Ph.D. Programs. Paper to be presented at the meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York City, NJ.
  2. Cochran, G., Hodapp, T., & Brown, E. (2017, July 26-27). Identifying barriers to ethnic/racial minority students’ participation in graduate physics. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2017, Cincinnati, OH. Retrieved April 3, 2018, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=14576&DocID=4753
  3. Cochran, G.L., V. Duzor, A.G., Sabella, M.S., and Geiss, B.  (2016). Engaging in self-study to support collaboration between two-year colleges and universities, PERC Proceedings [Sacramento, CA, July 20-21, 2016], edited by D. L. Jones, L. Ding, and A. Traxler, doi:10.1119/perc.2016.pr.014.
  4. Cochran, G. L., & Franklin, S. V. (2014).  The Learning Assistant Program as a Tool for Course Transformation.  Paper accepted for presentation at the meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Chicago, IL.
  5. Cochran, G. L., & Franklin, S. V. (2014).  The Learning Assistant Program as a Tool for Course Transformation.  Paper accepted for presentation at the meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Chicago, IL.
  6. Van Duzor, A.G., & Cochran, G. L. (2014).  Engaging in Self-study to Support Collaboration Between Two-Year Colleges and Universities.  Paper presented at the meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Chicago, IL.
  7. Atwater, M. M., Butler, M. B., Gray, S., Freeman, T.B., Cochran, G. L., Shady, A., Nargund-Joshi, V., Jones, T., Saint-Hilaire, L. A., Bayne, G. (2014).  Impact:  Mini-Symposium as a Powerful Synergy for Young Black Scholars in Science Education.  Paper presented at the meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Pittsburgh, PA.
  8. Cochran, G. L., Wells, L., & Brookes, D.T. (2013).  Physics Learning Assistants’ Views on Expert Teaching:  Toward an Understanding of PCK, American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings, 97-100.
  9. Cochran, G. L., & Brookes, D. T. (2013).  Prospective teachers serving as physics learning assistants’ perspectives on reflective practice.  Paper presented at the South Florida Education Research Conference, Miami, FL.
  10. Cochran, G. L., Brewe, E., Kramer, L. H., Brookes, D. T. (2012).  Assessing the reflective practice of prospective teachers through written reflections.  Paper presented at the meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Indianapolis, IN.
  11. Cochran, G. L., & Sabella, M. S. (2008).  Understanding and encouraging effective collaboration in introductory physics courses.  American Institute of Phsyics, 1064, 95-98.
  12. Sabella, M. S., & Cochran, G. L. (2004).  Evidence of intuitive and formal schema in students’ responses:  Examples from the context of dynamics. American Institute of Physics, 720, 89-92.

Invited Articles (*Proceedings)

  1. Cochran, G. L., & White, G. D. (2018). Continuing conversations on equity in the physics classroom. The Physics Teacher, 56(3). Video abstract available here.
  2. Bjorkquist, R., Bogdan, A., Campbell, N.L., Chessey, M., Cochran, G.L., Cunningham, B., Esquivel, J., Gladstone, L., Gosnell, N.M., Guruswamy, S., Hallinen, K.M., Harris, C., Johnson, A., Johnson, J.L., Jones, C., Jorgenson, R.A., McCullough, L., McNeese, M.D., Presley, T.D., Quist, N., Richardson, A., Seidel, S., Singh, C. (Expected 2018). Women in Physics in the United States:  Reaching toward equity and inclusion.
  3. Cochran, G.L., & White, G.D, (2017). Unique voices in harmony:  Call-and-response to address race and physics teaching.  The Physics Teacher, 55(6), 324.326.
  4. Cochran, G.L., (2017).  Understanding and promoting diversity and inclusion in physics.  SPS Observer, Winter 2017 feature.
  5. *Abramzon, N., Benson, P., Bertschinger, E., Blessing, S., Cochran, G.L., Cox, A., Cunningham, B.A., Galbraith-Frew, J., Johnson, J., Kerby, L., Lalanne, E., O’Donnell, C., Petty, S., Sampath, S., Singh, C., Spencer, C., Sparks Woodle, K., Yenello, S. (2015).  Women in physics in the United States: recruitment and retention. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1697, No. 1, p. 060045). AIP Publishing.
  6. Cochran, G.L., & Barthelemy, R.S. (2014).  Why discuss diversity in a physics magazine:  The importance of different points of view. SPS Observer, Fall 2014 feature.
  7. *Cochran, G. L., Brookes, D. T., Kramer, L. H., & Brewe, E. (2012).  A framework for assessing learning assistants' reflective writing assignments.  American Institute of Physics, 1513, 15-18.  

Papers In Progress for Peer Review/In Review

  1. Zabriskie, C., DeVote, S. Henderson, R., Stewart, J., Miller, P., Stewart, G., Michalu,, L., and Cochran, G.L. (in progress). The effect of race and ethnicity on physics conceptual inventories.
  2. Posselt, J., Hernandez, T., Cochran, G.L., Miller, C., (in-progress).  Metrics first, diversity later?  Making the short list and getting admitted to physics PhD Programs.
  3. Cochran, G.L., Hodapp, T., & Brown, E. (in-progress). An intersectional approach to understanding barriers to participation in graduate school.

Invited Workshops/Presentations (2016 - 2018 only)

  1. Cochran, G.L. (2018, February). An intersectional approach to understanding barriers to success in STEM. Princeton Science and Intersectionality Workshop, at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
  2. Cochran, G.L., Hodapp, T., Brown, E.A. (2017, September). An intersectional approach to identifying barriers to broadening participation in physics graduate education. Lecture Series of the Center for STEM Education & Research at CSU, Chicago, IL.
  3. Cochran, G.L., (2017, August). Why you must follow your passion to pursue STEAM. The Great Challenges/Expectations:  Graduate Ceremonies of the Whitney M. Young, Jr. and Rosa L. Parks Summer Institute, New Brunswick, NJ.
  4. Cochran, G.L., Hodapp, T., Brown, E.A. (2016, July). Identifying barriers to diversity in graduate physics programs – Pre-admissions. 2017 Physics Education Research Conference, Cincinnati, OH.
  5. Cochran, G.L, Hodapp, T., Brown, E.A. (2017, July). Making Graduate Education in Physics More Inclusive. Summer 2017 Meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Cincinnati, OH.
  6. Cochran, G.L. (2017, July).  What do physics education researchers study? 2017 Rutgers University Upward Bound Whitney Symposium, Piscataway, NJ.
  7. Cochran, G.L. (2017, May).  Intersectionality in STEM Education.  4th Annual Women in STEM Lecture at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
  8. Cochran, G.L. (2017, April).  Upward and onward is my motto.  Invited Career talk at University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO.
  9. Cochran, G.L. (2017, April).  Making graduate education in physics more inclusive.  Invited Talk at the CU Café Seminar Series at University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO.
  10. Cochran, G.L. (2017, March).  Understanding intersectionality in STEM.  Invited Breakout Session at the Inaugural Dr. Jewel Plummer Cobb  S.T.E.A.M. Women’s Empowerment Conference at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
  11. Cochran, G.L., Miller, C., Bedford, B. (2017, February).  Best practices in retention. Invited Workshop at the Graduate Education in Physics Conference.  College Park, MD.
  12. Cochran, G.L. & Sing, C. (2017, January).  Being an ally, Invited Workshop at the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
  13. Cochran G.L. & Turpen C. (2016, July).  Physics teaching and education research guided by anti-deficit approaches.  Invited Talk at the Summer Meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Sacramento, CA.
  14. Cochran, G.L. (2016, March).  Supporting underrepresented students in physics:  What research tells us, Invited Talk at the University of Kansas Physics Department Colloquium, Lawrence, KS.
  15. Cochran, G.L. (2016, March).  Collaborating with K-12 Communities on University Sponsored Programs, Invited Talk at the 2016 PhysTEC Conference, Baltimore, MD.

Published abstracts

  1. Camarillo, C., Coble, K., Hayes, V., Nickerson, M., Cochran, G., Bailey, J., McLin, K., & Cominsky, L. (2011).  Investigating student understanding of the universe:  Perceptions of astronomical sizes and distances. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 43.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011AAS...21833305C

  1. Coble, K. A., Cochran, G. L., Hayes, V., Nickerson, M., Camarillo, C. T., Bailey, J. M., McLin, K. M., & Cominsky, L. R. (2011).  Investigating student understanding of the universe: Age and expansion. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 43.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011AAS...21833303C

  1. Hayes, V., Coble, K., Nickerson, M. Cochran, G. L., Camarillo, C. T., Bailey, J. M., McLin, K. M., & Cominsky, L. R. (2011).  Investigating student understanding of the universe: Structure, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 43.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011AAS...21833304H

  1. Nickerson, M., Coble, K., Cochran, G. L., Hayes, V. L., Camarillo, C. T., Bailey, J. M., McLin, K. M. & Cominsky, L. R. (2011).  Investigating student understanding of the universe: Dark matter, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 43.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011AAS...21833302N

  1. Coble, K., Cochran, G., Hayes, V., Larrieu, D., Sanchez, R., McLin, K., & Cominsky, L. (2010).  Using the big ideas in cosmology to teach college students, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 41, 828.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010AAS...21641605C

  1. Coble, K. A., Cochran, G. L., Larrieu, D., Bailey, J., Sanchez, R., Cominsky, L., & McLin, K. (2010). Probing student understanding of cosmology.  Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 41, 508.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010AAS...21546614C

 

Courses Taught

Rutgers University

  • Extended Analytical Physics 1 (01:750:116) - Spring 2018
  • Knowledge and Power:  Issues in Women’s Leadership (01:988:130) - Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018
  • Peer Instruction Education (01:090:322) - Fall 2017
  • Extended Analytical Physics 1 (01:750:115) - Fall 2017
  • Calculus 1 Recitations (01:640:135) - Spring 2017
  • Pre-calculus Recitations (01:640:111) - Fall 2016

External to Rutgers University

Graduate Courses

  • Student Teaching for Physics, Mathematics, and Biology - Nazareth College
  • Secondary Science Teaching Methods: Physics Section - Nazareth College

Undergraduate Courses

  • College Algebra - Rochester Institute of Technology
  • STEM Education Research and Practice - Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Science and Math: Educational Theory and Practice - Florida International University
  • College Physics 1 Lab - North Carolina State University
  • Physics for Engineers and Scientists 1 Lab - North Carolina State University
  • Kinematics and Dynamics for Inservice Teachers (Summer Math Institute) - University of Washington

Professional Experience and Service

National Committee Chair

  • Advisory Committee to the APS National Mentoring Community (2018)
  • Committee on Women in Physics for the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) (2016)
  • Committee on Women in Physics for the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) (2014 - 2015)
  • Committee on Diversity (formerly Minorities) in Physics for AAPT (2013 - 2014)

National Committee Member

  • Committee on Minorities for the American Physical Society (APS) (2018)
  • Committee on International Education for AAPT (2017-2020)
  • Executive Committee for the Forum on Education of APS (2015-2018)
  • Committee on Physics Education Research for NSBP (2015)
  • AAPT Representative of the Liaison Committee on Underrepresented Minorities in Physics for the American INstitute of Physics (2014-2016)
  • Committee on Women in Physics for AAPT (2014-2017)
  • Committee on Diversity in Physics for AAPT (2011-2014)

Reviewer

  • Physical Review - Physics Education Research (formerly Special Topics) (2013-present)
  • Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings (2013-present)
  • Canadian Journal of Physics (2017)
  • National Association for Research in Science Teaching Conference Papers (2013-2014)
  • Effectives Practices in Physics Teacher Education (2013)
  • South Florida Education Research Conference Proceedings (2013)
  • American Journal of Physics (2013-2015)

Editor

Professional Affiliations/Memberships

  • American Association of Physics Teachers
  • American Chemical Society
  • American Educational Research Association
  • American Physical Society
  • National Society of Black Physicists
  • National Association of Research in Science Teaching
  • National Society of Hispanic Physicists
  • Physics Teacher Education Coalition
  • Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honor Society

Community Service

Board Member