Bruce Palmquist

Dr. Bruce Palmquist, professor of physics and science education at CWU, is named top professor in Washington State. He was named on November 17 as the 2005 Washington State Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Bruce is actively involved in making science accessible to children, and is highly regarded for his commitment to improving public understanding of basic scientific principles.    

Dr. Palmquist developed a new CWU program at the Green River Community College in Auburn known as "Project TEACH", which links K-12, community college, and CWU undergraduate programs to create a seamless path for students into the teaching profession. 

Dr. Palmquist is well known for his "Bubble Planetarium" presentations which teach viewers about astronomy.  He has participated in a variety of pre-service, in-service, and community college mentoring programs, and is active in national efforts to improve teacher preparation in science education. 

Dr. Palmquist hopes to pass the importance of public service on to his science education students.  He likes answering students' questions and helping to make sense of the issues they are facing.  He believes in following Central's motto, "By teaching, we learn."  He says that each quarter he learns more about his subject as well as how to help his students better learn the subject matter.