Embedded Files
Welcome! I am a science education consultant, evaluator, developer and instructor based in Vancouver, Canada.
Welcome! I am a science education consultant, evaluator, developer and instructor based in Vancouver, Canada.
Email me: lestrubbe@gmail.com.
I use the pronouns she / her.
About me
About me
I am a science education consultant, researcher, program evaluator, instructor, curriculum designer and instructor professional developer. I am passionate about supporting educators’ collaboration, agency, and joy in teaching. I support university educators in North America, Africa, and beyond in developing skills for effective and equitable teaching through workshops, communities of practice, and curriculum development. I also support STEM education projects as an External Evaluator. I love working in international and multi-cultural contexts. My background is in theoretical astrophysics and physics education research.
International Astronomy Education Prize
International Astronomy Education Prize
I'm delighted to share that I have won the International Astronomical Union 2024 Prize for Astronomy Education for my work on the Pan-African School for Emerging Astronomers (PASEA), along with my colleague Bonaventure Okere.
Watch my Prize Talk at the IAU General Assembly in Cape Town in August 2024.
I am thrilled to share that I am leading an AIP Venture Grant through the American Astronomical Society, with my colleague Dr. Tom Rice, to create professional development for African scientists about teaching undergraduate astronomy.
Our first workshop will be March 22-23, 2025, in South Africa. Learn more.
Consulting services
Consulting services
Professional Development
Professional Development
Helping you teach university STEM even more effectively and inclusively
Helping you teach university STEM even more effectively and inclusively
Teaching workshops on evidence-based teaching
Communities of Practice about teaching
One-on-one instructional consulting
Curriculum design
Training for teaching assistants
Program evaluation and assessments of learning
Facilitation for departments advancing equity
External Evaluation
External Evaluation
Helping your STEM education projects
to be their best
Helping your STEM education projects
to be their best
Designing project goals and aligning strategies
Learning about participant experiences -- surveys, focus groups, and more
Offering feedback and actionable recommendations
Taking a lens of equity and inclusion
Writing impact reports for funding agencies and supporting grant applications
A la carte survey analysis (e.g., climate surveys)
... and more!
Interested in working together? I'd love to hear from you!
Email me: lestrubbe@gmail.com
My background
My background
My B.S. is in Astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology (2003) and my Ph.D. is in Astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley (2011). I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics in Toronto (2012-15), studying how massive black holes in the centers of galaxies eat stars. In 2015 I transitioned my career to science education, becoming a Science Teaching & Learning Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia (2015-2018), affiliated with the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative. In 2018-2020, I conducted research on faculty professional development, related to the physics education resource PhysPort. I also have worked as an Educational Consultant for the University of Central Asia (2018-2019).
I am now an independent educational consultant, working (currently or recently) with organizations such as the American Physical Society and American Association of Physics Teachers. I am Co-Director for the Pan-African School for Emerging Astronomers, a program I co-founded in 2013.
My work
My work
There is a wealth of education research on how students learn that can help us to teach science more effectively and inclusively. I help instructors connect with research-based teaching ideas, reflect on their teaching, and support each other through communities of teaching. I also create resources for educators.
Racism, sexism, ableism and other forms of discrimination and structural inequity continue to limit who has the opportunity to thrive in science. I work to advance equitable and inclusive participation in science – through teaching in underserved communities, supporting educators to teach in evidence-based inclusive ways, and supporting colleagues who are working for equity at all levels in their astronomy and physics departments.
I provide external program evaluation for grant-funded science education programs. I collaborate with you as "critical friend" to help your program accomplish its goals, emphasizing an equity lens throughout.
I design curricula for university physics and astronomy lab and lecture-based courses, incorporating innovative and evidence-based principles of teaching and learning.
I study how professors teach science (especially physics and astronomy), and how we can best support them in developing teaching skills. I also study how university students learn science.
University Teaching
University Teaching
I have taught physics, astronomy, and teaching skills to undergraduate and graduate students, in person and online.
Google Sites
Report abuse