Dawn Kopacz
Associate Professor of Practice Earth and Atmospheric Sciences University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Contact
- Address
-
BESY 220C
Lincoln, NE 68588-0340 - Phone
-
402-472-2638 On-campus 2-2638
-
dawn.kopacz@unl.edu
Meteorology-Climatology Undergraduate Advisor
I am an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, where I have served on the faculty since Fall 2017. I play a leading role in the advancement of Atmospheric Science Education Research (ASER), driving national efforts to strengthen how atmospheric science is taught, learned, and communicated. My work focuses on building research-informed models for improving education and communication in atmospheric science, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and shaping the future of the field through evidence-based practices and stakeholder engagement.
Through NSF-funded workshops and national surveys, I have helped grow the ASER community and launch collaborative projects that explore instructional practices, common misconceptions in the discipline, and student and faculty experiences within atmospheric science programs. My work is grounded in the belief that effective teaching and learning should reflect the diverse needs and strengths of all learners.
I love working with undergraduate and graduate students. I have the privilege of mentoring them as they navigate their academic and professional journeys. Helping them grow into confident, capable professionals is deeply rewarding and fuels my motivation to continually improve as an educator, mentor, and researcher.
Education
Ph.D., 2015, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Expertise Areas
Atmospheric Science Education Research (ASER), Qualitative and Quantitative Educational Research, Science literacy & communication, Instructional Design & Evaluation, Student-Centered Pedagogy
Selected Publications
Handlos, Z.J., C. Davenport, and D. Kopacz, 2023: Case Studies Lead Active Learning: State of Interactive Learning Use in the Atmospheric Sciences Reveals Strategies and Future Directions, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 104:3, pp.165 – 168, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0239.A.
McNeal, P., W. Flynn, C. Kirkpatrick, D. Kopacz, D. LaDue, and L. C. Maudlin, 2022: How undergraduate students learn atmospheric science: Characterizing the current body of research. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 103:2, E389-E401, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0023.1.
Kopacz, D., and Z. J. Handlos, 2021: Less is More: Course Redesign and the Development of an Atmospheric Science Process Skills Assessment. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: 15:2, Article 12, https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2021.150212.
Kopacz, D., Flynn, W. J., Maudlin, L. C., Handlos, Z. J., Gill, S., and A. Hirsch, 2021: Involvement in and Perception of Atmospheric Science Education Research, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 104:2, 1-39, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0230.1.
Kopacz, D., 2021: Research on Teaching and Learning, American Meteorological Society (AMS) [webpage]. https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/education-careers/education-program/research-on-teaching-and-learning/.