Kathy Quardokus Fisher

Kathy Quardokus Fisher is the program director for curricular transformation in Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence, where she is also an associate teaching professor. Kathy works with instructors and course coordinators on course redesign and implementation of instructional techniques grounded in learning theory and has a primary focus on STEM courses. She enjoys helping faculty integrate education elements into their STEM research proposals and identifying ways to explore their teaching practice through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and/or Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER).

Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that drive large-scale instructional change initiatives and Atmospheric Science Education Research (ASER). She employs primarily qualitative approaches in her work and social network analysis.

Kathy’s academic background is in mathematics, science, and education. Early in her career, she taught high school mathematics and science. Prior to joining Notre Dame, Kathy was at Florida International University as an associate professor in the Department of Earth & Environment with a joint appointment in the STEM Transformation Institute. She taught courses in meteorology and earth science as well as a senior capstone research experience course in geoscience and environmental science.

Holding a B.S. in mathematics and meteorology and an M.Ed. from Valparaiso University, Kathy earned her M.S. in atmospheric science from Purdue University and Ph.D. in science education from Western Michigan University.