Lee, Hyunju

Before Hyunju came to UMASS, she worked at the Science Culture Research Center at DongaScience in Korea. There, she worked to bridge between scientists and secondary students by developing and managing a Science Ambassador project supported by the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology. She developed Internet content for space science education and hands-on scientific exhibit items for a science museum.

She majored in physics at Ewha Womans University, and in astronomy at Seoul National University. Her master thesis was Optical Variability of X-ray Selected BL Lac Objects, and she considers herself very fortunate to have discovered a new variable star while doing the study.

Hyunju has been fascinated by the beauty of the night sky since she was a little girl, and astronomy became her life. Now, she has a husband who is studying astronomy, and a lovely son born in January 2007.

Hyunju worked with SRRI's TLT project, which explored science teachers' use of classroom response systems. Her specific research focus is on teachers' concerns and barriers in implementing CRS and the evolution in their patterns of implementing TEFA over time. She is also interested in studying students' misconceptions in astronomy, and gender issues in science education.

Hyunju has translated several children's science books into Korean, including twelve books of the Magic School Bus series, Find the Constellations (2001), The Bumblebee Queen (2004), and The Stars: A New Way to See Them (in press as of Feb 2008).

• Hyunju's publications