Meet the Force

Dan Dahlberg

Dan Dahlberg is Professor of Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota and has been a member of The Physics Force since 1986. He received the Outstanding Instructor Award in 1990 and the 1992 George Taylor IT Alumni Society Award for Teaching. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society andthe American Association for the Advancement of Science. His present area of research is in magnetism.

Visit Dan's web site on Magnetic Microscopy.

Jay Dornfeld

Jay is a physics teacher at Armstrong High School in Plymouth. He received a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics in 1996 from the University of Minnesota and a Masters in Education from the University of St. Thomas in 2003. He is also a member of FermiLab's QuarkNet Particle Physics Program.

Jack Netland

Jack Netland is a physics teacher at Maple Grove Senior High. One of three finalists for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Education for the State of Minnesota in 1994 and 1995. He was a Minnesota Chamber Foundation Award Winner in 1987 and was President of the Minnesota Science Teachers Association 1992. He was a regular performer on Newton's Apple Television show, 1984 to 1997. He is a member of the Physics Force Commando Unit.

Frederick Orsted

Frederick Orsed is a physics teacher at Maple Grove Senior High. He received a BS in Physics in 1996 and a M.Ed. in 1999 both from the University of Minnesota

Aaron Pinski

Aaron Pinski has a BA in physics from the University of Minnesota and a M.Ed. from the U of M school of education. He is in his third year as a science teacher at John F. Kennedy H.S. in Bloomington, MN.

Hank Ryan

Hank Ryan has been a member of The Physics Force since its first performance in 1985. He is a teacher at Mounds View High School and along with fellow Physics Force member, Jon Barber, received the Meggars Award through the American Institute of Physics to develop Physics Laboratory activities. He is a member of the Physics Force Commando Unit.

Jon Anderson

Jon Anderson Senior high science teacher at Centennial High School in Circle Pines and was named Centennial Education Association's 1997-98 Teacher of the Year, a Minnesota Teacher of Excellence and an Honor Roll Teacher. He was one of nine finalists for Minnesota Teacher of the Year.

Nancy Bresnahan

Nancy Bresnahan is a science teacher at Hopkins High School, Hopkins, Minnesota. She recently won an award from the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation. She was cited for her work with at-risk students in a school district alternative program, whom she leads on a BWCA expedition every summer.

Cindy Cattell

Cindy Cattel is an Associate Professor of Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, and a rocket scientist.

Visit her page on Space Physics

Claire Hypolite

Claire Hypolite teaches at Edison High School in Minneapolis. She received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.

Louise Weldon

Louise Weldon is a Physics Teacher at Tartan High School, Oakdale, Minnesota.

Jon Barber

Jon Barber has been member of The Original Physics Force since its first performance in 1985. He is also a member of Physics Force Commando Unit (go anywhere group available for smaller shows). Jon has taught Physics at the secondary and college level, is an American Association of Physics Teachers Apparatus Competion winner and along with fellow Physics Force member, Hank Ryan, received the Meggars Award through the American Institute of Physics to develop Physics Laboratory activities.

Jim Kakalios

Jim Kakalios is an Associate Professor of Physics at the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota. He has appeared in numerous national publications and broadcasting programs in connection with the seminar he teaches on Science in Comic Books.

Visit his web site, Sand Land, Granular Research and Materials Lab.

Read the Star-Tribune op-ed piece that Jim wrote on the Physics of Spider-Man.

Read an article about Kakalios' popular freshman seminar, Science of Comics.