UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Rishi Krishnamoorthy joins the Penn State College of Education as an assistant professor of education (science education) from Rutgers University where they served as a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Teaching and Learning.
Krishnamoorthy completed their doctorate in science education from New York University in 2021 and holds a master of science in medical biophysics with a certificate in molecular imaging from Western University.
Based in North America and India, their research takes a sociocultural and material approach to investigate meaning-making and learning, both in and out of school settings.
“During my doctoral research, I examined how caste-based and religion-based oppression created learning environments that further discriminated against marginalized middle school youth in rural South India,” Krishnamoorthy said. “Through my post-doctoral research at Rutgers University, I designed middle school biology curricula that explicitly recognizes science teaching and learning as political. Through the unit, we intentionally address how racism, homophobia and classism shape science phenomena and create solutions for resisting and fighting these systems of oppression with seventh-grade youth.
“My interest in social justice, equity and science education stems partly from my own experiences as a queer and transgender person of color who often experienced science education as inaccessible in my youth.”
They are interested in being part of building a future where precolonial and Indigenous ways of knowing are valued in science education research, teaching and learning.
“As a settler in North America, I believe it is my responsibility to critique and challenge the Eurocentric ways of knowing we reproduce through classroom science teaching, toward an approach to education that braids multiple ontologies and knowledge systems in our schools,” Krishnamoorthy said.
Krishnamoorthy believes Penn State has demonstrated its commitment to those goals, which was a major factor in their decision to join the faculty of the College of Education.
“I have always known Penn State as an institution that believed in excellence both regarding scholarship and community building,” they said. “Through the interview process, I was enthralled with the invigorating discussions and the sense that the faculty at every level within the College of Education were committed to social justice and equity. I was especially moved by the ways in which the graduate students spoke of their experiences and the care that they felt from the faculty.
“In addition to learning from the brilliant scholars at the College of Education and beyond, I am excited to collaborate with colleagues across departments to build science curricula that dismantles disciplinary boundaries toward a more holistic approach to education.”
That commitment, Krishnamoorthy said, aligns with the way they like to teach and the learning environment in which they like to put their students.
“I recognize learning as critical shifts in how we engage with and in this world,” they said. “I provide space, structure and opportunities for students to explore phenomena through a variety of experiences and from multiple perspectives. I prioritize learner-centered inquiry-based lessons that challenge power-laden assumptions embedded in meaning-making by drawing the relationship between youth and the material world to the fore.
“I hope students feel excited by the possibilities that open for them while being grounded in a sense of confidence in their ability to make the change we need in the world.”