Berea.eduarrow_forward
Academicsarrow_forward
Physicsarrow_forward
Faculty & Staffarrow_forward
Tracy Hodge
Dr. Tracy Hodge
Professor of Physics and W. Leslie Worth Chair in Science|Physics
Berea College logo
Office Location
MAC 438
Office Hours
  • Currently on sabbatical.
Bio

Dr. Tracy Hodge graduated from Rice University with a BA in Physics in 1989 and earned a PhD in Physics with a concentration in infrared astrophysics from the University of Wyoming in 1996. She was a faculty member at Salem State College in Massachusetts for seven years before returning to her home state of Kentucky to join the faculty of Berea College in 2006. Dr. Hodge's research interests include infrared studies of the dust environments around stars, ground-based observations of transient objects, and developing inclusive teaching practices in the STEM disciplines. Her current research focuses on observations of variable stars and exoplanet transits using the 20" telescope at Berea College's Windswept Observatory, and researching Native American Sky Stories for public outreach programs in collaboration with the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center.

Dr. Hodge regularly teaches History of Cosmology (PHY 110), Introduction to Astronomy (PHY 111), Introductory Physics with Calculus (PHY 221/222) and Modern Physics (PHY 320). She also shares teaching responsibility for upper level courses such as Electromagnetic Theory (PHY 460), Classical Mechanics (PHY 481), and Quantum Mechanics (PHY 482) with her physics colleagues. Her classes emphasize conceptual understanding, quantitative reasoning, and student-centered learning.

In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Hodge is the Director of the Berea College Planetarium and is co-coordinator of the Inclusive STEM Teaching Project on campus. She has served as Chair of Division I (2019-2023), Department Chair in Physics (2013-2019), and on several campus-wide committees. She is an active member of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and has served as an At-Large Representative on the Board of the Kentucky Academy of Science.

Degrees
  • Ph.D., University of Wyoming, 1996
  • B.A., Rice University, 1989
Publications & Works
  • Mataka, L., Saderholm, J. and Hodge, T. (2023) “Developing undergraduate learning assistants’ skills in guided science learning.” Science Education International. Science Education International. Vol. 34, No 2.

    Mataka, L., Saderholm, J. and Hodge, T. (2022) “College STEM Faculty Teaching Practices: The Influence of Professional Development.” Journal for Research in Science & Mathematics Education. Vol. 26, No. 4.

    Hodge, T. and Gorton, B. (2021) “An Online Service-Learning Project for Introductory Astronomy.” In ASP2020: Embracing the Future: Astronomy Teaching and Public Engagement. ASP Conference Series, Vol. 531. Edited by J. Barnes, G. Schultz & J. Jensen. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, p. 198-200.

    Mataka, L., Saderholm, J. and Hodge, T. (2019) “Faculty Epistemological Beliefs and The Influence of Professional Development.” International Journal of Science Education. Vol. 30, No. 4.

    Hodge, T. and Saderholm, J. (2012) “A New Approach to Active Learning in the Planetarium.” In Connecting People to Science: A National Conference on Science Education and Public Outreach. ASP Conference Series, Vol. 457. Edited by J.B. Jensen, J.G. Manning, M.G. Gibbs, and D. Daou. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, p. 269-272.

    Hodge, T., Kraemer, K., Price, S.F. and Walker, H.J. (2004) “Classification of Spectra from the ISO PHT-S Database,” Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 151, 299.

    Rudy, R.J., Woodward, C.E., Hodge, T.M., et al. (1997) “The peculiar colors of the halo light in the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC5907,” Nature, 387, 159.