معرفی
Katherine Perkins is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, serving as Director of PhET Interactive Simulations since 2008 and Faculty Mentor for physics students (last names M-N). She is a core member of the Physics Education Research (PER) group, which bridges the Department of Physics and School of Education to advance evidence-based STEM education reforms.
Her research centers on Physics Education and STEM Education Research, emphasizing the design and implementation of interactive simulations to enhance engagement, learning equity, and institutional change. Key investigations include sustainable course reform, students' epistemological beliefs about science, and global scaling strategies for educational technology, with a focus on making STEM accessible across diverse learning environments.
Analysis of her publication trajectory reveals consistent innovation in simulation-based pedagogy, evolving from foundational studies on virtual labs (2005) to large-scale implementation frameworks (2020). Her work demonstrates interdisciplinary integration of cognitive science, educational psychology, and technology design to address systemic inequities in STEM education.
Perkins mentors undergraduate physics students and leads PhET—a Nobel-laureate-founded initiative delivering 1.8 billion+ simulations in 131 languages—supported by institutional grants and donor networks. Previously, she directed CU’s Science Education Initiative (2010-2016), driving university-wide reforms in science pedagogy through faculty development and curriculum redesign.
