Michael L Allen

Scholarly Associate Professor in the Astronomy group

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Professional interests

• STEM pedagogy related to backwards design, peer instruction, and assessment-driven learning
• robotic telescopes and student education

Teaching

• core coursework in the Physics & Astronomy major
• history & philosophy of science in the Honors College
• first-year level breadth requirements for non-majors
• senior-level science capstone

Service

• academic advising in Physics & Astronomy, and in General Studies: General Physical Sciences
• public outreach via the WSU planetarium and observatory, and with the Palouse Astronomical Society
• curriculum development & assessment committees at the departmental and college level

Education & Experience

• Faculty, Washington State University, 2002-present
• Staff scientist, David Dunlap Observatory, 1999-2002
• PhD Astronomy, University of Toronto, 1999
• MS Astronomy, University of Toronto, 1993
• BS Physics, McMaster University, 1992

Selected presentations

• PER1: How people learn
• PER2: Formulating learning goals and outcomes
• PER3: All about concept inventories
• PER5: First year seminars. What are they good for?

• Sagitta and Vulpecula (Palouse Divide Lodge Star Party 2019)
  • Sagitta chart at constellation-guide.com
• Catching the Serpent by the tail (Palouse Divide Lodge Star Party 2018)
  • Serpens chart at constellation-guide.com
• Scootin’ through Scutum (Palouse Divide Lodge Star Party 2017)
  • Scutum chart at constellation-guide.com
• Star clusters (and other neat stuff) in Ophiuchus (Palouse Divide Lodge Star Party 2016)
  • Ophiuchus chart at constellation-guide.com
• M82: 200 years of study (Table Mountain Star Party 2015)
• Speaking with ETI: we’re all ears (WSU Honors College Distinguished Lecture 2013-04-22)

Selected publications

Fickle, J., and Michael L. Allen, “BViz photometry of the RR Lyrae star RU Ceti”. Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (2022), 50(1), 55. https://app.aavso.org/jaavso/article/3793/

Biermann, P.L.; Kronberg, P.P.; Allen, M.L.; Meli, A.; Seo, E.-S. “The Origin of the Most Energetic Galactic Cosmic Rays: Supernova Explosions into Massive Star Plasma Winds”. Galaxies (2019), 7, 48. doi: 10.3390/galaxies7020048

Allen, Michael L., “The Moon – What’s it made of? Where did it come from?” National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, (2019): https://www.nsta.org/ncss-case-study/moon

Joyner, H., and Michael L. Allen, “Humans in space: developing a sustainable food supply on Mars,” National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, (2015): https://www.nsta.org/ncss-case-study/farming-space

Allen, Michael L., and Diane O. Kelly-Riley, “Promoting undergraduate critical thinking in astro 101 lab exercises,” Astronomy Education Review (2005), 4(2), 10. doi: 10.3847/AER2005017