Todd Ruskell

As a Teaching Professor of Physics at the Colorado School of Mines, Todd G. Ruskell focuses on teaching at the introductory level, and continually develops more effective ways to help students learn. One method used in large enrollment introductory courses is Studio Physics. This collaborative, hands-on environment helps students develop better intuition about, and conceptual models of, physical phenomena through an active learning approach. Dr. Ruskell brings his experience in improving students’ conceptual understanding to the text, as well as a strong liberal arts perspective. Dr. Ruskell’s love of physics began with a B.A. in physics from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. He went on to receive an M.S. and Ph.D. in optical sciences from the University of Arizona. He has received awards for teaching excellence, including Colorado School of Mines’ Alumni Teaching Award. Dr. Ruskell currently serves on the physics panel and advisory board for the NANSLO (North American Network of Science Labs Online) project.