Dennis Goodtzov

I'm inspired by the unknown. In the words of Carl Sagan: "Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." When students walk into my classroom, they know that they have found their somewhere. As a once passionate astrophysicist, I aim to connect everything I teach in the classroom to the real world, to inspire curiosity about the many marvels that inhabit our world, and the countless wonders that do not. I love teaching physics and maths and I have an innate ability to connect with students, regardless of their natural abilities or skill levels. I am passionate about encouraging critical thinking in a world desperate for it, and I will never take for granted the power that comes with leading a classroom. The ability to influence future generations in a positive way that will benefit humanity is my vocation.

My qualifications in Physics and Maths are confirmed by my BSc and MSc Astrophysics degrees from the University of St Andrews. I spent a combined 5 years working on multiple research projects and taking a multitude of courses across both mathematics and physics.

My qualifications in Teaching are validated by:

1. Approaching 4 years of teaching, including 3 years as a form (homeroom) teacher for a 7th grade class. In this role, I have taught:

• IGCSE Physics, grade 9 and 10
• Cambridge KS3 Sciences, grade 7 and 8
• Cambridge KS3 Mathematics, grade 6 and 7

2. My recently completed PGCE (International) from the University of Nottingham, where I spent a year studying foundational ideas in teaching, cultural diversity in education, and choosing to focus my research project on the utilisation of visual technology in teaching novel ideas about astronomy to middle school students.

My qualifications as a fitness trainer are validated by:

1. 10 years of experience in the gym, during which time I utilised a science based approach to training and working with 6 different professional coaches in this domain. In this past decade, I spent time both bodybuilding and more recently powerlifting, switching my focus to strength and longevity over size and appearance.

2. Successfully running a fitness club for staff and students, with an emphasis on powerlifting and gaining strength.

• Powerlifting
• Bowling
• Skiing
• Astronomy/Astrophotography
• Gardening
• Too many

2023 

Investigating the effectiveness of using Computer Simulations to teach students often misunderstood concepts about gravity, University of Nottingham, Research Dissertation, Involved interviewing students before and after a lesson on gravity which utilised 'Universe Sandbox' to demonstrate the behaviours of gravity in space up close. Supervisor: Dr Alicia Bowman

2020 

The Role of Self-Interacting Dark Matter in Supermassive Black Hole Growth, University of St Andrews, MSc Dissertation, Investigating a self-interacting particle theory of dark matter and its application to black hole formation in the early Universe based on existing theoretical models. Supervisor: Dr Hongsheng Zhao 

The last crumbs in the disk - finding dust around post-T Tauri stars, University of St Andrews, MSc Project, Investigating eclipsing post-T Tauri stars using lightcurve analysis and Monte Carlo simulations. Supervisors: Dr Kenneth Wood & Dr Alexander Scholz

2019

Shells as Galactic Potential Tracers in Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MoND), University of St Andrews, BSc Dissertation, An investigation into shell formation resulting from galactic interactions in a modified gravity system. Supervisor: Dr Hongsheng Zhao, Received Award for best BSc Astrophysics Project 

2018

An investigation into Student Understanding of Cosmology, University of St Andrews, Analysing and assessing misconceptions and misunderstandings relating to cosmology in order to improve formal assessment questions. Supervisor: Dr Charles Baily

• General Relativity
• Monte Carlo Radiation Transfer Techniques
• Observational Astrophysics
• Contemporary Astrophysics
• Lagrangian & Hamiltonian Dynamics
• Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
• Advanced Data Analysis
• The Physics of Stars and Nebulae
• Atomic, Nuclear and Particle Physics
• Communication and Teaching in Science
• Computational Astrophysics
• Extragalactic Astronomy
• Quantum Mechanics
• Vector Calculus
• Linear Algebra
• Electromagnetism