Models of Time and Space from Astrophysics and World Cultures

Bryan Penprase is the Vice President for Sponsored Research and External Academic Relations at Soka University of America, where he conducts astrophysics research, teaches courses in astronomy, and develops new educational collaborations with universities and colleges. He formerly served as Dean of Faculty, where he managed the design and implementation of a new Concentration in Life Sciences and developed new courses in astronomy.  Bryan has been developing new approaches to teaching and learning, with an emphasis on intercultural understanding, in the USA, Singapore and India. He previously was a Professor of Science and founding Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, and served as an American Council on Education (ACE) fellow in 2012-13. Bryan served for 20 years as a professor of Physics and Astronomy at Pomona College, where he was department chair and observatory director. He received both a BS in Physics and an MS in Applied Physics from Stanford University in 1985, and a PhD from the University of Chicago in Astronomy and Astrophysics in 1992.  Bryan’s research includes nearly all aspects of observational astrophysics. He is the author of two books, “STEM Education for the 21st Century” and “The Power of Stars”, both published by Springer. Bryan has authored or coauthored over 58 peer-reviewed research articles in astrophysics, and his most recent research programs include collaboration with Caltech to develop the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and a Global Relay of Observatories known as GROWTH. His work on cultural approaches to astronomy and science has included leading archaeoastronomy expeditions and short courses in New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, India, Borneo, and across China.