Physicist Helps Students Shine

While most kids her age didn’t know what they wanted for dinner, eight-year-old Jeannette Lawler already knew she wanted to be a physicist.

“I grew up in the moonshot era,” Lawler said. “I built my own cardboard box Viking Lander to play in as a rug rat.”

With her passion for science, Lawler went on to get a science teaching certificate and a PhD in nuclear physics. She now works as the Physical Science 100 coordinator and planetarium supervisor at BYU, while also collaborating in research on head-mounted displays—specialized glasses—to be used as teaching tools for deaf students.

As the PS100 coordinator, Lawler has overseen changes to the curriculum that reduced the student failing rate from 15 percent to half that amount.

“That’s about 200 students who ended up retaking the class, “Lawler said. “Now, the number of students that are getting Ds and Es in the class was cut in half, [and] we saw improved student performance . . . on every single test.”

Along with her coordinator position, Lawler is also in charge of running and maintaining the Royden G. Derrick Planetarium in the Eyring Science Center.

“I like to say I get to be the queen of the universe,” Lawler said. “I can turn the stars on and off with the motion of my finger.”

During the time she has worked there, the planetarium has been remodeled and has gained a new optical and digital projection system, and the Department of Physics and Astronomy has added a new course to formally train students on how to use the planetarium, giving them important job skills.

“A good number of the positions available for people . . . with a bachelor’s in astronomy are in informal education and outreach, “ Lawler said. “Having the planetarium and public outreach experience . . . adds a nice employable skill to what the majors are doing.”

The planetarium is not only used as an outreach venue—it is also used as a student learning lab and research lab.

“That’s where we’re doing the research on using head-mounted displays for an accommodation device for deaf kids,” Lawler said. “A planetarium’s . . . lighting is low, which makes it difficult to see an interpreter on the floor, and you want to be looking at the cool media on the ceiling as well.”

The head-mounted display would stream a video of the interpreter onto the computer monitor that the student wears like glasses. These will allow the student to watch the American Sign Language (ASL) no matter where he or she looks.

“Nobody has had a way of taking ASL and slapping it on top of other visual information,” Lawler said. “The head-mounted display gives you the ability to do that.”

Lawler has teamed up with the Department of Computer Science in order to test head-mounted displays and to better determine their functionality and benefits.

“It’s brand new technology,” Lawler said. “Nobody has done the cognitive science studies to find out when it’s a good idea, when it’s a bad idea, and when it’s completely neutral.”

Lawler is excited about the work she gets to do, and she attributes much of her success to the BYU student employees who work with her.

“The reason that things work is because BYU has excellent students,” she said. “It’s a pleasure working with the BYU student population.”

More Information on This Article

Article Source/Further Information

News and Events

Image for Kent Gee Forum: Lessons from Noise, Crackle to Calm
This year’s Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Kent Gee, delivered his forum address on the science of sound and how he and BYU students have contributed to significant research in the acoustics industry.
Image for Campbell and Stokes Receive Crystallographic Association Award
In July 2025, Drs. Branton Campbell and Harold Stokes (BYU Emeritus Professor) will receive the Kenneth N. Trueblood Award from the American Crystallographic Association for exceptional achievement in computational crystallography.
Image for New ESC Weather Station
A group of undergraduate students braved the heat and heights of the ESC roof to install a new weather station. The station is up and running, and will hopefully record data for years to come.
Image for Study analyzes distant Kuiper Belt object with NASA's Hubble data
Using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, a new study suggests that an object previously thought to be a binary system may be a rare triple system of orbiting bodies.
Image for BYU’s Rising Astronomers Take Center Stage at the Winter AAS Conference
In early January 2025, a group of 16 students from Brigham Young University’s Physics & Astronomy Department showcased their research at the prestigious American Astronomical Society (AAS) in National Harbor, Maryland.
Image for Acoustics group studies the roar of SpaceX's Starship
Acoustics faculty and students measure the thunderous noise of the world’s most powerful rocket, exploring its impact on communities and the environment.
Image for Gus Hart Receives the Karl G. Maeser Research and Creative Arts Award
Dr. Gus Hart received the 2024 Karl G. Maeser Research and Creative Arts Award for his work in computational material science and his continued innovation in computational methods.
Image for Astronomers Discover New Course
This winter, ten students in BYU’s new “Advanced Planetary Astrophysics” taught by Darin Ragozzine course gained hands-on experience in planetary science research, mastering interdisciplinary skills to prepare for future careers in astronomy.
Image for New Applied Physics Major with an Emphasis in Data Science
Starting Fall 2025, BYU will offer a new Applied Physics: Data Science major that combines rigorous physics training with data science skills to prepare students for the growing demand in data-driven careers.
Image for The Physics of Life
BYU's new Biological Physics course introduces students to the physics behind biological processes, fostering interdisciplinary skills to tackle complex biological questions.
Image for Dr. Kent Gee Receives Top faculty Award
Dr. Kent Gee has been named the recipient of the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award
Image for New Acoustics Major
The BYU Physics & Astronomy department recently introduced the Applied Physics: Acoustics degree.
Image for Chris Verhaaren Creates Particle Physics Class
After 3 years of being offered as 513R, elementary particle physics is finally an official course and accepted for credit in the physics major!
Image for Drs. Davis and Vanfleet Receive Technology Transfer Award
BYU Physics and Astronomy Professors Dr. Davis and Dr. Vanfleet recently received the 2024 award for outstanding achievement in technology transfer from the BYU Technology Transfer Office.
Image for A Practical Scientist’s Field Guide to Dealing with Science and Religion.
Dr. Michael Ware hopes to help students develop the skills to navigate discussion of science and religion