Decoherence (n.)
The process by which a quantum system must relax to one respecting the laws of classical mechanics as a result of interaction with its environment.
The process by which physics culture must relax to one embracing the full diversity of humanity as a result of interaction with the radical epistemologies it has tried to silence.
Searching for joy and beauty amid the contradictions of physics culture.
My name is Josie Meyer and I am a Ph.D. student in the Physics Education Research (PER) Group at the University of Colorado, Boulder. I study the teaching and learning of quantum information science (QIS) and seek to do my part to foster a more equitable and effective future for physics education.
My research
I study the teaching and learning of quantum information science (QIS) with an emphasis on the emerging field of interdisciplinary introduction to QIS courses. I am particularly interested in student reasoning about quantum states in QIS contexts, curriculum and assessment development as tools to promulgate inclusive and effective teaching practices, and opportunities to incorporate ethical and social issues into QIS education.
My writing
Decolonizing physics means more than layering ethics education and diversity and inclusion initiatives on top of scientific institutions rooted in white supremacy and settler hegemony. I don’t pretend to know what physics should become or how we get there. But what I can say is that it all begins with destabilization — to speak the truth about physics culture, frankly yet lovingly. This is a space to see physics as it is — and dream about what it could be.
Service and outreach
I am always looking for new opportunities to be involved in creating a more equitable, inclusive, and just environment within physics education and physics as a whole. Please feel free to reach out using the form below if you would be interested in hiring or working alongside me as a speaker, writer, consultant, or if you would like me to promote or be involved in an event or project you are undertaking!