Welcome Students!
In this section, find specialized resources for students in Middle School, High School, and College Level sections.
In our Middle School section, you can:
- Get advice on coursework which will help prepare you to pursue careers in Physics fields.
- Find suggested readings to find out more about the lives of famous Physicists.
- Discover resources to help you to explore Physics, at home and in the classroom.
In our High School section, you can:
- Get advice on coursework and activities which will help prepare you to pursue careers in Physics fields.
- Learn about fun ways to explore science while connecting with other students.
- Find information about Federal Student Aid and Physics programs, scholarships, and clubs.
In our College section, you can:
- Get advice on how to tailor your undergraduate Physics program to prepare you for specific fields.
- Find information about how to build skills and make connections through student organizations and job shadowing.
- Discover resources for helping you decide on a graduate school, or finding and landing that perfect job if you are interested in entering the workforce upon graduation.
Keivan Stassun - Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Keivan was born on July 9, 1972, in Los Angeles, California. "I get my strange genetic admixture from my Mexican mother and Iranian father, " he said. Keivan lived in Venice until he was seven, at which point he moved to Encino in the San Fernando Valley ("The Valley"), which is the place he considers to be his "hometown."
Keivan experienced some difficult times growing up, as his father left home when he was very young. "My mother set about gaining residency status and earning a high school equivalency. She worked cleaning homes...and we subsisted on food stamps and welfare. I attribute much of my drive in academics to my earliest memories of my mother studying late into the night for her equivalency and, later, for her citizenship."
It was as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin that Keivan's ideas about the importance of combining scholarly practices in research, teaching, and outreach began to crystallize. While carrying out his thesis research, Keivan became active in math/science education for minorities in the local schools, and developed an astronomy outreach program to provide teachers with resources related to teaching physics and astronomy. His role as a teacher and mentor remains an essential theme through his work at Vanderbilt, as he is is involved in several programs and publications at Vanderbilt aimed at underrepresented groups in physics and astronomy--such as the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge program, and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy (CSMA).
In addition to his family of students, Keivan enjoys spending time with his two sons, Emilio and Jaime, and his wife Justine, whom he married in 1994.
