An interview with Paul Doherty, Senior Staff Scientist and Co-Director of the Teacher Institute at the Exploratorium.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself - your education, interests, past work experiences?
My name is Paul Doherty. I am Senior Staff Scientist and Co-Director of the Teacher Institute at the Exploratorium. I received my PhD in Solid State Physics from MIT in 1974, and was a tenured physics professor for twelve years. My publications include papers on laser light scattering from biological solutions, relativistic appearance of stars, laser-induced fluorescence, and the use of computers in undergraduate physics education.
On a personal level, for musical entertainment, I play the whirly--a corrugated plastic tube, and using it, won several competitions, including an award as "Best Science Demonstrator" at the World Congress of Museums in Helsinki. I am also a world-class rock climber. In December of 2000, I was part of a 4-man team that made the first ascent of the 20,100-foot high Sierra Nevada de Lagunas Bravas on the Chile-Argentina border.
How did you become professionally involved in the museum industry and with your institution in particular?
In 1986 I came to the Exploratorium where I teach high-school science teachers how to make science for their students relevant and engaging. I am the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the Exploratorium.
What does your work involve?
I have created, presented or appeared on dozens of television programs and documentaries demonstrating science, including such popular high visibility programs as Late Night with David Letterman. I am one of the creators of the long running Iron Science Teacher Competition, where a live audience cheer on the competitors in this zany, science cook-off, where teachers compete before a live audience for the revered title, "Iron Science Teacher." In a fast-paced atmosphere where showmanship and creativity reign, science teachers are given ten minutes and a secret ingredient to concoct a science activity that can be used in the classroom. Iron Science Teacher began at the Exploratorium in 1997, and has inspired similar programs around the world. In 1998 I created a website which now has over 300 pages documenting science activities I have created. In 2006 I created a virtual science museum named "The 'Splo" in the virtual world of Second Life. In 2008 this was chosen as one of the top 10 education sites in virtual worlds.
What is a typical day at work like?
I spend my days hanging upside down emptying sulfur hexafluoride from my lungs (after demonstrating the speed of sound), flying around propelled by a fire extinguisher for lessons on friction, all in the name of engaging teachers and the public in the teaching of science.
What are the biggest challenges you face in your position?
In 2001/2002 I was part of a team of artists and writers from the Exploratorium that spent two months webcasting live from Antarctica.
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