Dr. Todd Young
Host of Science Around UsDr. Todd Young hails from Minnesota and received his undergraduate degree in Physics & English from the University of Minnesota – Morris, his Master’s degree in Physics from Purdue University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in Astrophysics. He has worked at Wayne State College since receiving his doctorate in 1998 and is currently a full professor of physics and astronomy. He teaches a variety of courses at Wayne State College, including university physics, astronomy, general education science, and astrophysics.
In 2008, he became the director of the Fred G. Dale Planetarium, which has been a passion since that appointment. The planetarium is currently one of the most technologically advanced and educationally versatile in the state, and was recent noted by the Omaha World Herald as one of the top 50 places to visit in Nebraska. He has provided over a thousand of planetarium shows and astronomy lessons to tens of thousands of people over the years. In 2010, he brought the Nebraska Science Bowl competitions to Wayne State College to help make sure that opportunities like the science bowl continue in order attract young people to science and mathematics; and as Todd is both a fan of trivia contests and a "certified" science nerd, it was a perfect fit. He is currently the coordinator of the Rural Health Opportunities Program which guides students from rural Nebraska to a career as a health provider, like doctor, dentist, pharmacist, and nurse, in order to return to serve rural Nebraska. This program has been a collaborative effort with the University of Nebraska Medical Center since 1990. He also continues to be active with the Nebraska Junior Academy of Science - Northeast Regional competition, including being the lead coordinator of the event for a few years.
In 2008 he received the George Rebensdorf Teaching Excellence Award for the Nebraska State College System. In the supporting materials for his nomination, it was noted that Dr. Young "constantly stresses the importance of physics as a tool for learning about the world around us" and continuously explores and investigates methods to better educate his students. He also receives great reviews from his students regarding the rigor of his classes and his commitment to their success.
His scholarship and research interests include astronomy education, contributing content to numerous astronomy textbooks, RR Lyrae variable stars and the instability strip, and interactive astronomy lessons in the planetarium. He also loves to bring physics and astronomy to the community with annual star parties and other similar events. In his spare time he enjoys crosswords puzzles, watching movies, reading good science fiction, playing board games with his family, and, of course, observing the night sky. He lives in Concord, Nebraska with his wife of 15 years Jamie, sons Carlyle and Dean, and daughter Josalynn.
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