Kathy Perkins Director of PhET Interactive Simulations and Director of CU's Science Education Initiative
Dr. Kathy Perkins directs PhET Interactive Simulations at University of Colorado Boulder, and is a faculty member in Physics Education Research. Her work focuses on advancing the design and classroom use of interactive simulations to increase engagement and learning in STEM, and on scaling impact with open educational resources. She has authored over 60 articles on STEM education. Under her leadership, PhET has received international recognition, including being named a 2017 WISE Awards Winner, a 2011 Tech Award Laureate, and winner of the 2014 Reimagine Education Award, and has grown to over 200 million simulation uses/year worldwide.
Matthew Blackman Integrated Design, Development, and Pedagogy Specialist | Physics Teacher & Game Developer
Matthew Blackman is an experienced physics teacher, simulation designer and software developer. He is currently leading the data fluency initiative to design and create extended features within existing science sims. Matt holds Masters degrees in Physics Education and Cognitive Science from Rutgers University, where he also teaches at the Graduate School of Education. In 2019, he was named PhysTEC National Physics Teacher of the Year. The physics games on his personal website Universe & More have received over 10 million plays and dozens of awards over the past decade.
