Posted 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025
Nobel Prize winner to give free public lecture on 21st century teaching and learning
Science and engineering have advanced at a breathtaking pace over the past 500 years — from the pocket watch to the telescope to modern vehicles. Yet the way we teach these subjects has remained largely unchanged, often bound by tradition and outdated methods.
Carl Wieman, a 2001 Nobel Laureate in Physics and nationally recognized education innovator, will visit UW–La Crosse this September to challenge the status quo.
During a free public lecture “Teaching & Learning Science and Engineering in the 21st Century,” Wieman will share recent research on how people learn — and how that research can reshape the future of science education.
The event will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, in Skogen Auditorium, Room 1400, Centennial Hall. It is part of the UWL Distinguished Lecture Series in Physics, which has brought Nobel Prize-winning scientists to La Crosse for decades.
During his talk, Wieman will explore the research results, what they tell us about the principles of learning and how to effectively implement them in science courses.
Additional seminar: Helping students think like scientists
Wieman will also lead a physics seminar, “Teaching Students to Think Like Skilled Scientists,” at 3:20 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, also in Skogen Auditorium, Room 1400, Centennial Hall.
During the seminar, Wieman will focus on how to help students develop expertise — the ability to think like skilled scientists and engineers. Research on both the development of expertise and the nature of technical expertise can provide guidance for more effective teaching. Wieman will provide examples of results when these ideas have been implemented in courses, particularly in physics. His talk will also touch on the role AI can and cannot play in such an education.
About Carl Wieman
Carl Wieman is an Emeritus Professor of Physics and Education at Stanford University. He has been widely recognized for experimental research in both atomic physics (Nobel Prize 2001 and other awards) and university science and engineering education (Carnegie University Professor of the Year 2004, Yidan International Prize for Education Research 2020). Wieman directed the Science Education Initiatives at the Universities of Colorado and British Columbia, which produced large scale change in the teaching of science. He also served as associate director for Science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2010 to 2012. He founded PhET, which provides interactive simulations that are used nearly a million times a day to learn science, and he has written a book “Improving how universities teach science.” He is studying problem solving expertise in science and engineering, as well as general ways to improve university student learning in science and engineering, including the use of generative AI.
About the Distinguished Lecture Series in Physics
The UW-La Crosse Distinguished Lecture Series in Physics is co-sponsored by the UW-La Crosse Foundation, the Department of Physics and the College of Science and Health. The series aims to bring internationally-renowned physicists to campus each year to inspire and engage students, faculty and the wider community. Learn more.
If you go
What: Public Lecture – “Teaching & Learning Science and Engineering in the 21st Century”
When: 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11
Where: Skogen Auditorium, Room 1400, Centennial Hall, UW-La Crosse
Admission: Free
What: Physics Seminar – “Teaching Students to Think Like Skilled Scientists”
When: 3:20 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12
Where: Skogen Auditorium, Room 1400, Centennial Hall, UW-La Crosse
Admission: Free