Benjamin Pollard
he/him/his
Most people call me Ben.
I am an Assistant Teaching Professor in Physics at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
My research focuses on teaching and learning in physics laboratory courses, and on alternative grading practices. I am also involved in community building and organization to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in STEM, including as a core organizer in The Access Network.
Before WPI, I was a postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Heather Lewandowski and the Physics Education Research group at the University of Colorado Boulder. I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder in the field of nano-optics. Before that, I earned my bachelor's degree from Pomona College in physics and computer science.
You can contact me at bpollard@wpi.edu.
Interested in a 5-minute overview of ungrading in physics? Check out this "lightning talk" I gave in Spring 2023.