Dr Flarend, a former nuclear engineer, earned a Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction from The Pennsylvania State University and has been a high school physics teacher for more than 20 years. Her research interests include how learners develop their understanding of our solar system, teachers' views on including climate science in core science courses, and how teachers learn new content and pedagogy. Dr. Flarend has over a decade of experience providing teacher professional development in physics including classical, nuclear and quantum physics.