Abstract: Diversity, equity, and inclusion are of major importance in teaching general physics in an Ecampus setting. The student population is spread around the world, so a strong emphasis on teaching the language of physics, coupled with a curriculum learning approach, is extremely successful in this venue.

Linear and nonlinear hydrodynamic modeling of protostellar systems methodology is based on fundamental conservation laws applied to fluids in an astrophysical system. Novel treatment of star-disk systems embedding a computationally resolved star supports gravitational coupling between oscillatory modes in the star and in the disk. We show that this coupling can change the evolutionary behavior of the system.

Linear modeling of magnetohydrodynamic shocks entails solving the system as a complex eigenvalue problem. The equilibrium shock front is perturbed, creating a corrugation instability. Upstream and downstream plasma flows are connected through conservation equations across the shock, providing a method for calculating the frequency and wavelengths of the resulting waves.

Bio: Dr. Kathryn Hadley has been a faculty member of the Physics Department of Oregon State University since 2016. She received her doctorate in physics from the University of Oregon for her work in theoretical astrophysics, with emphasis on hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic computational modeling. While a graduate student at UO, Dr. Hadley mentored thirteen undergraduate students in research internships modeling hydrodynamic protostellar systems, plasma shocks and strange quark stars. Dr. Hadley taught physics for two years at Whitman College and conducted research there with four students. In her time at OSU, she has mentored thirteen undergraduate students in the physics department on thesis projects involving hydrodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics and general relativity.

Dr. Hadley taught general physics and astronomy at Lane Community College for eight years. At OSU, Dr. Hadley has taught General Physics courses in Studio, traditional and Ecampus formats, notably developing the curriculum for the PH 21x sequence in Ecampus and the PH 205-6-7 Ecampus astronomy sequence.