Gregory A. DiLisi

Department of Education
John Carroll University
20700 North Park Blvd.
University Heights, Ohio 44118
Phone:  (216) 397 - 4361
E-mail: gdilisi@jcu.edu

Education:  

Teaching Experience:

• 2007 – Present:  Associate Professor of Science Education, John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio

• 2001 – 2006:  Assistant Professor of Science Education, John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio

• 1998 – 2001:  Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics and Education, John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio  

• 1992 – 1997:  Instructor of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio and John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio

Previous Teaching Duties:

Assistant Professor of Education, John Carroll University

• Years:  2001 - 2006

• Undergraduate Classes Taught:  Instructional Technology (ED 186 & ED 386), Interdisciplinary Science for Early Childhood Education (AR 171/171L & ED 461), Middle Childhood Science Methods (ED 335), Physics by Experiment and Laboratory (PH 107 & 107L), and Introductory Physics I & II (PH 125/125L and PH 126/126L)

• Enrollments:  Class sizes have ranged from 10 to 60 students

• Education Department Committees:  Alumni Relations, Freshmen Orientation, Meet Your Major, Internal Relations, and Student Education Association (SEA) co-moderator

• Course Development:  Jesuits on the Moon (ED 480/580)

• NCATE Folios:  Responsible for the Middle Childhood and Adolescent/Young Adult licensure programs in mathematics, life science, and physics/chemistry to be submitted to NCATE and the State Department of Education in 2003/2004

• Webmaster:  Maintaining the Education Department’s website and currently updating all of the program pages.  The page can be viewed at the following address:  http://www.jcu.edu/educatio/index.htm

• Computer Hardware:

  • Familiar with both MAC and PC systems --- I currently use MACs, PCs, and Solo 2030 Laptops

  • Familiar with both of John Carroll University’s “classrooms of the future” --- one is housed in the Education Department while the other is housed in the Science Building.  These classrooms contain:  student computer workstations, instructor master-control computers, scanners, TV/VCR, cameras, and distance education facilities.

  • Familiar with the Education Department’s production lab which allows for the video-taping of student presentations, PowerPoint projection systems, digitizing VHS tapes, and pressing of CDs.

• Software Packages:  Software packages used in instructional technology classes include: Authorware, Microsoft FrontPage, Microsoft Image Composer, Microsoft Office 2000 (i.e. Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.), Netscape, PASCO Science Workshop, PowerBasic, and TrueBasic

Previous Teaching Experience:

Assistant Visiting Professor of Physics & Education, John Carroll University

• Years:  1998 - 1999

• Fellowships:

  • Selected as one of 30 NASA “Stardust” Fellows; the thirty fellows were selected from a pool of three hundred.  “Stardust” is an Outreach Opportunity sponsored by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to implement a nation-wide teacher training initiative with supporting educational materials.  This effort is targeted at grades 5-8 and focuses on teaching students about small celestial bodies such as asteroids and comets.  The NASA fellows were taken to the Kennedy Space Center to watch the launch of the “Stardust” probe aboard a Delta II rocket.

  • Selected as one of 28 NASA “Cassini” Fellows; the twenty–eight fellows were selected from a pool of close to two hundred.  Like “Stardust”, the “Cassini” fellowship is sponsored by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to create teacher– training materials concerning the Cassini–Huygens mission --- a NASA probe launched to study Saturn and its moon, Titan.

• Undergraduate Classes Taught: Instructional Technology in the Classroom (ED 186 & ED 386), Special Methods for Secondary Teachers (ED 462), Science Methods (ED 461), Independent Study in Education and Physics (ED 480 & PH 580), Introductory Physics Laboratories (PH 125 & PH 126), and Junior Physics Laboratory on Numerical Methods ( PH 396)

• University Supervision: Acted as university supervisor for five student-teachers at the following sites:  Cleveland Heights High School, Warrensville High School, Mayfield High School, Mayfield Middle School, and Roxboro Middle School.

• Enrollments:  Class sizes have ranged from 10 to 60 students

• Education Department Committees:  Meet Your Major, Professional Development, and Strategic Planning

• University Committees:  Center for Science, Mathematics, Education, and Teacher Training

• Webmaster:  Redesigned the Education Department’s website and currently updating all of the program pages.  The page can be viewed at the following address:  http://www.jcu.edu/educatio/index.htm

• Others:  

  • Assisted with the rejoinders for the adolescent/young adult licensure programs in secondary mathematics, life science, and physics/chemistry to be submitted to NCATE and the State Department of Education by January, 1999; assisting with the Middle Childhood rejoiners pertaining to the science field.

  • Developed the syllabus for science/science teaching lab in the Early Childhood licensure program for implementation in the Fall'99 or Spring'00 (AR 171 & AR 171L).

  • Served as the liaison to science and math departments in the K-12 mathematics/science education initiative and attending the planning committee meetings to establish center mission goals and data gathering.

Physics Lecturer, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

• Years:  1992 - 1995

• Undergraduate Classes Taught:  Engineering Physics I & II (PH 120 & PH 219), General Physics I & II (PH 125 & PH 126), Modern Physics (PH 221), Physics Laboratories I & II (PH 121, PH 220, PH 222)

• Enrollments:  Class sizes have ranged from 60 to 300 students

• Awards:  1995 Recipient of the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in Mathematics and Natural Sciences                                                          

• Others:  General Physics Minorities Workshops, 1992 - 1995

Publications:
    
Please click here to see an updated publications list.
     

Grants:

Please click here to see an updated research summary.

General Conferences Attended:

• 2008 American Association of Physics Teachers, Edmonton, Canada - presenter

• 2008 National Association of Science Teachers, Boston, Massachusetts - attendee

• 2008 American Association of Physics Teachers, Baltimore, Maryland - presenter

• 2007 American Association of Physics Teachers, Seattle, Washington - presenter

• 2006 American Association of Physics Teachers, Syracuse, New York - presenter

• 2006 American Association of Physics Teachers, Anchorage, Alaska - presenter

• 2005 American Association of Physics Teachers, Albuquerque, New Mexico - presenter

• 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers, Miami, Florida - presenter

• 2003 American Association of Physics Teachers, Austin, Texas - presenter

• 1999 “Stardust” Outreach Initiative for Grades 5 – 8, Cocoa Beach, Florida - fellowship award winner

• 1999 “Cassini” Outreach Initiative for Grade 5 – 8, Pasadena, California - fellowship award winner

• 1996 Radio Astronomy, Green Bank, West Virginia - attendee

• 1995 Medical Aspects of Space Flight, Cleveland, Ohio - attendee 

• 1993 American Physical Society Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana - presenter  

• 1992 Optics of Liquid Crystals, Cocoa Beach, Florida - poster presenter 

• 1991 Gordon Conference on Liquid Crystals, Wolfboro, New Hampshire - poster presenter  

• 1990 Thirteenth International Conference on Liquid Crystals, Vancouver, British Columbia - presenter 

• 1989 Gordon Conference on Liquid Crystals, Wolfboro, New Hampshire - poster presenter  

Technical Experience:

• Webmaster - John Carroll University  

  • Designed and maintained the John Carroll University Department of Education webpage.  This page can be viewed at the following address:  http://www.jcu.edu/educatio/index.htm 

  • Used Microsoft FrontPage, Microsoft Image Composer, and Animation software to update the images and movie-clips appearing on the Department of Education webpage.  

• Computerized Data Acquisition - John Carroll University Laboratory Coordinator  

  • Implemented the PASCO Scientific Workshop software package into the undergraduate physics laboratories at John Carroll University.  The package allows students to accurately obtain various plots using Smart Pulleys, Photogates, Motion Sensors, etc.  

  • Utilized the ASYST data acquisition package to control the Case Western Reserve University’s 8.2 Tesla Superconducting Magnet.  The package allowed for the direct measurement of various instrument interfaces with magnetic field ramping.  

• Hardware Design and Construction - Case Western Reserve University Complex Fluids Laboratory  

  • Designed, constructed and perfected an original apparatus to conduct light-scattering experiments on liquid crystalline samples.  The apparatus utilized laser light collimated, focused and polarized into a 5-milliKelvin temperature-controlled specimen holder.  The laser light was then scattered into a photomultiplier tube whose output was analyzed by a Brookhaven autocorrelator.  This apparatus performed all of the light-scattering experiments at the CWRU Complex Fluids Laboratory.  

  • Designed, constructed, and perfected a high-temperature refractometer used to determine the refractive indices of liquid crystalline samples in different phases.  Most refractometers have a limited temperature range.  Because of the wide range of temperatures needed in liquid crystal research, a refractometer was needed to perform measurements over a 100 Celsius temperature range.  The design utilized a refracting laser beam measured by a series of moving photocells.  

  • Designed and constructed a magnetic susceptometer for liquid crystalline samples.  Unfortunately, the susceptometer was never perfected.  The susceptometer suspended temperature-controlled liquid crystalline samples in a magnetic field gradient.  The sample’s response to the magnetic field gradient was measured with a quartz torsion rod.  

  • Perfected three sample preparation techniques for liquid crystal research. The first technique requires the deposition of a surfactant or polymer-coating on sample holders to permit particular alignments of liquid crystal samples.  The second technique allows for the masking of Indium-Tin-Oxide leads onto sample holders to permit capacitance measurements and voltage applications.  Finally, the third technique allows for the deposition of thin layers of Gold onto sample holders also to permit capacitance measurements.  

• Machinery - Case Western Reserve University Complex Fluids Laboratory  

  • Operated the 8.2 Tesla Superconducting Magnet of the Complex Fluids Laboratory.  The magnet is the largest magnet in the Midwest with both longitudinal and transverse optical access ports.  Superconductivity was maintained with a routine of liquid Nitrogen pumping and evacuation followed by liquid Helium pumping.  In addition to standard diagnostics, various calibrations were conducted.  

  • Operated the Andeen-Hagerling original Capacitance Bridge in the Case Western Reserve University Dielectrics Laboratory.  The bridge was capable of picofarad accuracy with a frequency range of 10 Hz to 100 MegaHertz.  The bridge was used primarily to determine specimen size and spacing but also in determining the frequency dependence of the nematic electroclinic effect.  

• Programming - Case Western Reserve University Complex Fluids Laboratory  

  • Wrote, debugged, and implemented over twenty computer programs to analyze liquid crystalline light scattering data.  Raw data from autocorrelation functions were fed into the computer programs and various viscoelastic parameters were extracted from the data.  

• Technical Writing - Case Western Reserve University Complex Fluids Laboratory  

  • Contributed to over nine publications and was the principle author of three publications.  All nine publications were on the technical and applied aspects of liquid crystal research.  In addition, an original compilation of physics lectures has been submitted to publishers.  A list of publications is provided.  

  • Worked with a number of theoreticians on several models used to explain experimental results.

References and Letters of Recommendation:

• Professional:

  • Nick Baumgartner, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, John Carroll University, (216) 397 – 1886

  • Rev. Thomas E. Chambers, President, Our Lady of Holy Cross College, (504) 394 - 7744

  • Miles Coburn, Biology Department Chair, John Carroll University, (216) 397 - 4253

  • Arnold Dahm, Professor of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, (216) 368 – 3586

  • Thomas Eck, Professor of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, (216) 368 – 4000

  • Steven Eppell, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, (216) 368 - 4067

  • William Gordon, former Physics Department Chair, Case Western Reserve University, (216) 368 - 4000  

  • Marilyn Jones, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Notre Dame College, (216) 381 - 1680 (ext. 310)

  • Richard Rarick, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Notre Dame College, (216) 381 - 1680 (ext. 322)

  • Kathleen Manning, Education Department Chair, John Carroll University, (216) 397 - 3080

  • Gretchen Santo, Science Division Chair, Beaumont High School, (216) 321 - 2954

  • Donald Schuele, Professor of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, (216) 368 - 4000

  • Lisa Smith, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Edinboro University, (216) 350 ­- 3857

  • Joseph Trivisonno, Physics Department Chair, John Carroll University, (216) 397 - 4301

  • J. Joseph Whelan, Education Department, John Carroll University, (216) 397 - 4693

• Graduate:  

  • Alexander Jamieson, Professor of Macromol. Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, (216) 368 – 4167

  • Kenneth Kowalski, Professor of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, (216) 368 – 4011

  • Charles Rosenblatt, Professor of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, (216) 368 – 4125

  • Philip Taylor, Professor of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, (216) 368 – 4044

• Undergraduate:  

  • George Livesay, Professor of Mathematics, Cornell University, (607) 255 – 2000

  • Mark Nelkin, former Engineering Physics Department Chair, Cornell University, (607) 255 – 2000

  • Carl Sagan, deceased, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences, Cornell University, (607) 255 – 4971

• Students:  

  • A number of unsolicited student letters of recommendation are also available upon request.