2008 Outstanding Teacher

Listen to Dr. Higgins' podcast interview on MTSU iTunes!



Jupiter
Dr. Chuck Higgins
Physics & Astronomy

Question: What do you wish you'd been told before you started teaching?

Chuck: I wish I'd taken some psych courses to help students with their out-of-class problems because you always have students come to you with things like... family issues. They are so sweet the way they can open up to you, and I appreciate that, their confidence in me. Sometimes I don't know how to respond, and I wish I'd had more training to advise them. But I've learned over the years how to deal with these things.

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Biography


Dr. Charles Higgins teaches astronomy and physics courses at MTSU, and he also conducts research in radio astronomy,focusing on Jupiter. His most recent article on Jupiter-satellite interactions appeared in the Journal of Geophysical Research. He is a member of the American Geophical Union and the American Astronomical Society.

Dr. Higgins has co-written the astronomy lab manual used at MTSU and is a new contributing author for the well-respected text An Introduction to Physical Science . He is the advisor of MTSU's Astronomy Club and is also involved with a NASA Education program to bring hands-on science into K-12 classrooms. He places a high priority on outreach in astronomy and donates his time to make numerous presentations at star parties, schools, and Astronomy Day events. Dr. Higgins mentors undergraduate students with their research projects and advises pre-medical students for professional school. He is a member of the Faculty Senate and the Honors Faculty.

Dr. Charles Higgins, associate professor of astronomy and physics, joined the faculty of MTSU in 2001, after an NRC post doctoral research associate position at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and a teaching position at Penn State University. He earned his B.S. degree in physics from the University of Alabama, Huntsville, and his M.S. and Ph.D degrees in astronomy from the University of Florida.


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NASA Goddard Space Flight Center