Katherine Aidala

Katherine Aidala is the chair of Physics and the chair of Engineering at Mount Holyoke College. She specializes in Condensed matter physics and nanoscience. She enjoys teaching at all levels of the curriculum, working to engage every student to promote fundamental understanding of the material and appreciation for the relevant applications. She has spent time developing three courses in particular.

Electronics provides hands-on experience designing and building circuits in the lab. By the end of the semester, students can design a circuit to take an audio signal (like from an iPod) and send it across space, then detect it and play it in speakers. Her Gender in Science course attempts to answer the question, “Why aren’t there more women in science?” They read primarily from social science literature and pay careful attention to how the answer changes for different disciplines within the sciences.

She also teaches a speaking intensive first-year seminar called “Science in the Media”. This is essentially a current events course that looks at what present-day scientists are actually doing, with weekly guest speakers and frequent presentations by the students. Across the semester, students learn how science actually progresses, the interdisciplinary nature of science and its relevance to many aspects of life, and what scientists are spending their time thinking about today.

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