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Michael Novak holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He began his career in research and development focusing on autonomous vehicle controls and designed a virtual prototyping system at Caterpillar, as well as at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at UIUC. In the mid-1990s, Novak transitioned into teaching, becoming a middle school mathematics and science teacher in Urbana-Champaign schools, where he also served as a professional learning facilitator for K-16 teachers in computational science. In 2002, he continued teaching and collaborated with colleagues on NSF-funded projects, including developing assessment tools for the Project-Based Inquiry Science (IQWST) program and Project 2061. Since 2013, he has held an adjunct faculty position at Northwestern University, focusing on new approaches to science education and helping develop instructional units that align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Novak has contributed to several projects aimed at improving science education, including leading development efforts for the Generation Science Storylines project.
Standard PhD requirements for TGS departments including Chemistry, Physics, and Sociology.