Associate professor Tony Crider, chair of the Department of Physics at Elon University with a Ph.D. in space physics and astronomy from Rice University, is available Jan. 28, 2011, to speak with reporters by phone for anyone seeking a university professor to comment on NASA’s Challenger disaster 25 years today.
Crider will not be available for camera interviews.
Crider’s interest in science visualization led him to create virtual planetariums, telescopes, and lunar landscapes within the 3D online world of Second Life. He is assessing the effectiveness of both Second Life and short “Reacting to the Past” role-playing games in science courses. Crider is also using robotic telescopes and computer modeling to study near-Earth asteroids.
For help scheduling a phone interview, contact Eric Townsend, director of the Elon University News Bureau, at (336) 278-7413.