Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Eleanor W Close

  • Professor at Physics, College of Science & Engineering

Service Activities

Ongoing

  • Reviewer / Referee, National Science Foundation. 2025 - Present.
  • Member, Academic Services Committee. January 2022 - Present.
  • Member, Research for EDucator Equity & Excellence (REDEE) Center Advisory Board. December 2020 - Present.
  • Member, Personnel Committee for Physics. September 2018 - Present.
  • Advisor, Society for Women in Physics student club, Texas State University. December 2014 - Present.
  • Organizer: International Conference & Research Symposium, Regional Workshops, e-Series Workshops, International Learning Assistant Alliance. 2013 - Present.
  • Director, Physics Learning Assistant Program, Texas State University. 2012 - Present.
  • Peer reviewer, Peer reviewer for scholarly journals. 2011 - Present.

2025

  • Co-PI & programmatic co-lead, Faculty-Student STEM Communities for Improving STEM Instruction Project. October 2019 - September 2025.

2024

  • Mentor, Instructional Mentor for Erika Marentes. August 2023 - May 2024.
  • Organizer, 2024 STEM Teaching Summer Institute. May 15, 2024 - May 21, 2024.

2023

  • Mentor, Instructional Mentor for Egla Madrid. August 2022 - June 2023.
  • Organizer, 2023 STEM Teaching Summer Institute. May 18, 2023 - May 24, 2023.

2022

  • Peer reviewer, Peer reviewer for PLOS ONE. January 2022 - December 2022.
  • Organizer, (Re)visiting First-Generation Students’ Experiences in STEM. November 10, 2022.
  • Organizer, (Re)constructing Inclusive Classrooms by Learning from Student Organizations. October 20, 2022.
  • Organizer, (Re)discovering Student Strengths Through Metacognition. October 6, 2022.
  • Organizer, 2022 STEM Teaching Summer Institute. May 18, 2022 - May 27, 2022.
  • Organizer, Ouch, Words Can Really Hurt! Taking the Power from Stereotypes & Microaggressions. April 21, 2022.
  • Organizer, Identity and its Influence on Learning. March 24, 2022.
  • Organizer, STEM Communities "Department Instructional Assessment" meetings: Chemistry team (CHEM 1341). November 5, 2021 - February 22, 2022.
  • Organizer, Engaged Pedagogy for Culturally Responsive Teaching. February 17, 2022.

2021

  • Senior Advisor, Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC). 2019 - 2021.
  • Organizer, Ouch, Words Can Really Hurt! Taking the Power from Stereotypes & Microaggressions. November 18, 2021.
  • Organizer, Identity and its Influence on Learning. October 21, 2021.
  • Organizer, STEM Communities Project: Build Your Teaching Dream Team. September 24, 2020 - September 24, 2021.
  • Organizer, Traditional, Progressive, & Culturally Responsive Teaching. September 16, 2021.
  • Organizer, 2021 STEM Teaching Summer Institute. May 19, 2021 - May 28, 2021.
  • Organizer, STEM Communities "Department Instructional Assessment" meetings: Math team (MATH 2472). December 4, 2020 - May 4, 2021.
  • Organizer, Community Support Session: Celebrating the End of Spring Semester and Planning What’s Next. April 29, 2021.
  • Organizer, Transforming Our Teaching Using Classroom Observations. April 15, 2021.
  • Organizer, Using Case Studies in STEM Teaching. April 8, 2021.
  • Organizer, STEM Communities "Department Instructional Assessment" meetings: Biology team (BIO 1330 & 1331). November 13, 2020 - March 30, 2021.
  • Organizer, Using a Classroom Observation Protocol. March 25, 2021.
  • Organizer, Chart your Course Redesign Journey. March 12, 2021.
  • Organizer, Understanding First-Generation LatinX Student Experiences. March 11, 2021.
  • Organizer, Introduction to Peer Classroom Observation Strategies. March 4, 2021.
  • Organizer, STEM Communities "Department Instructional Assessment" meetings: Biochemistry team (CHEM 3375). November 13, 2020 - February 12, 2021.
  • Organizer, Confronting Racism in Our STEM Fields. February 11, 2021.
  • Organizer, Community Support Session: How Do We Support One Another This Spring Semester? January 28, 2021.
  • Organizer, Coffee Hour: Sharing Strategies for Engaging Students Online. January 13, 2021.

2020

  • Member, Executive Committee, APS Forum on Education. 2018 - December 2020.
  • Mentor for minoritized undergraduate physics majors, American Physical Society National Mentoring Community. October 2017 - December 2020.
  • Member, Leadership Council, International Learning Assistant Alliance. October 2017 - December 2020.
  • Organizer, Workshop series: Improving Our Teaching and Normalizing Feedback. October 29, 2020 - November 23, 2020.
  • Organizer, Community Support Session. October 8, 2020.
  • Organizer, Workshop: Leveraging Learners' Strengths in Our Instruction. September 14, 2020 - September 21, 2020.
  • Organizer, Workshop: First Day Hacks: Strategies to Get to Know Our Students Better. August 11, 2020 - August 31, 2020.
  • Organizer, Community Support Session: Beating the Back to School Blues. August 18, 2020.
  • Organizer, Workshop: Supporting Black Students in STEM During an Era of Police Violence and Social Uprising. June 10, 2020.
  • Mentor, Research mentor for Alice Olmstead. August 2018 - May 2020.
  • Organizer, Summer 2020 STEM Teaching Workshop. May 18, 2020 - May 22, 2020.
  • Organizer, STEM Community Support Sessions. April 8, 2020 - April 16, 2020.
  • Organizer, Science outreach activities. January 2018 - March 2020.
  • Organizer, STEM Communities Journal Club: The Science Identity of College Students: Exploring the Intersection of Gender, Race, and Ethnicity. March 5, 2020.
  • Organizer, STEM Communities Journal Club: Effective Use of Peer Instruction in Large Classes. February 28, 2020.
  • Organizer, Texas State STEM Rising Stars Project (Co-PI). January 2015 - January 2020.

2019

  • Organizer, STEM Communities Project: Community Input Sessions. October 30, 2019.
  • Member, Faculty awards committee. November 2018 - September 2019.
  • H-LSAMP Mentor, Houston-Louis Stokes STEM Pathways and Research Alliance (H-LSAMP) Scholars Program. June 2017 - May 2019.
  • Course coordinator, PHYS 1430, Texas State University. August 2015 - May 2019.

2018

  • Assistant Coordinator, General Education Assessment, Texas State University. August 2015 - May 2018.

2016

  • Planning and Advisory Group, Pilgrim University. 2012 - 2016.
  • Member, Physics Scholarship Committee, Texas State University. February 2014 - December 2016.
  • Member, Physics Undergraduate Majors Program Committee, Texas State University. September 2014 - September 2016.
  • Mentor, Instructional Mentor for Amanda Gregory. August 2015 - August 2016.
  • General Education Council, Texas State University. September 2015 - June 2016.
  • Search Committee, STEM Education position, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Texas State University. September 2015 - April 2016.

2015

  • Volunteer, Elementary Inquiry-Based Science Collaboration. 2011 - 2015.

2014

  • Member, Search committee, physics lecturer, Texas State University. 2014.
  • Introductory Physics Curriculum Committee, Texas State University. September 2011 - September 2014.
  • Panelist for Admitted Student Event, Texas State University. February 2014.

2013

  • STEM Education committee (informal). 2012 - 2013.
  • Elementary Physics Committee, Texas State University. September 2012 - June 2013.

2012

  • Learning Assistant Pilot Program, Texas State University. 2012.

2011

  • Integrated Studies Major Advising Committee, Seattle Pacific University. 2009 - 2011.
  • Pre-Professional Health Sciences Interview Committee, Seattle Pacific University. 2008 - 2011.
  • AAPT Committee on Women in Physics. 2008 - 2011.
  • Science Fair Judge. December 2011.

2010

  • New Student Advising, Seattle Pacific University. 2010.
  • Peer Reviewer, Teacher U. 2010.

2009

  • Elementary Teaching Major Working Group, Seattle Pacific University. 2007 - 2009.

2008

  • SPU Search committee, School of Education Special Education faculty position, Seattle Pacific University. 2008.
  • SPU Physics Major Re-Design, Seattle Pacific University. 2008.
  • Standard Setting Committee, Washington Educator Skills Test for Secondary Science Endorsement. October 2008.

2007

  • Committee to Revise the Washington State Physics Endorsement Competencies. 2007.
  • Content Advisory Committee, Washington Educator Skills Test for Secondary Science Endorsement. November 2007.