Rate My Professor David Low

Dr. David Low is an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Science at UNSW Canberra, University of New South Wales. He earned his BSc (Hons) in 1989, PhD in Physics from the University of Adelaide in 1996, and Master of Teaching (Secondary) (Professional Practice) from Australian Catholic University in 2019. Low's career at UNSW Canberra began as a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at Kyoto University's Radio Atmospheric Science Center from 1996 to 1998. He then joined UNSW as a Lecturer in the School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences from 1998 to 2017, advancing to his current honorary position in 2017. His teaching focuses on first-year physics, laboratory skills, statics, and addressing gender biases in physics instruction.

Low's research specializations include physics education and atmospheric science. In physics education, he explores gender performance differences on selection tests, misconceptions in Newton's laws, projectile motion, changes of mind indicating competing knowledge structures, and scaffolding laboratory skills. Key publications are 'Differences in gender performance on competitive physics selection tests' (Physical Review Physics Education Research, 2016), 'The role of competing knowledge structures in undermining learning: Newton's second and third laws' (American Journal of Physics, 2017), 'Weight, the normal force and Newton's third law' (Teaching Science, 2017), and ''On second thoughts...': Changes of mind as an indication of competing knowledge structures' (American Journal of Physics, 2015). In atmospheric science, he studies boundary layer dynamics, turbulence, remote sensing with radar, sodar, and RASS, cut-off lows, easterly surges, and diurnal convergence lines. Prominent works include 'Observations of a cut-off low over southern Australia' (Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 1998), 'Diurnally-Forced Convergence Lines in the Australian Tropics' (Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 2013), and 'Summertime easterly surges in southeastern Australia' (Australian Meteorological Magazine, 2005). He has contributed to books such as 'Snapshots - Good Learning and Teaching in Physics' (2005) and chapters on student learning implications for teaching.