Former NASA Scientist & Mentor

Nicholas K.

ACT Science

As a Cornell-trained planetary scientist who has spent over a decade analyzing data from NASA's Cassini, New Horizons, and Mars 2020 missions, I read graphs, tables, and experimental results for a living, the exact skills the ACT Science section tests. I teach students to work through data representation, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoints passages by identifying what a graph or table actually shows before touching the answer choices, then applying elimination strategies to beat the clock. My background in spectroscopy and calibration science lets me explain scientific reasoning, experimental design, and variable control in plain language, not just point to a formula. I tailor practice to each student's specific pacing and comprehension gaps, since most points lost on ACT Science come from time pressure and unfamiliarity with scientific data formats rather than a lack of general knowledge.

Algebra 1

As a planetary scientist who works with equations and quantitative models daily, I ground Algebra 1 concepts, linear equations, slope, systems of equations, and factoring, in concrete, real-world comparisons rather than abstract symbol manipulation. My teaching approach treats mistakes as the fastest path to understanding: I build in low-stakes practice and quick retries so students can test an approach, see where it breaks, and correct it without fear of a bad grade. I break every problem into its smallest steps, whether that's solving a multi step equation, graphing a line, or translating a word problem into an equation, since most Algebra 1 struggles come from a shaky foundation in one specific skill rather than a lack of overall math ability. I also interview each student early on about their goals and gaps, then tailor practice problems and pacing to match how they actually learn.

Algebra 2

As a planetary scientist who builds mathematical models of physical systems for a living, I connect Algebra 2 topics, quadratic and polynomial functions, exponential and logarithmic growth, systems of equations, and matrices, to real examples from the physics and data analysis I do professionally, rather than treating them as isolated symbol manipulation. My teaching approach treats mistakes as the fastest path to understanding: I build in low-stakes practice and quick retries so students can test an approach, see where it breaks, and correct it without it counting against a grade. I break multi step problems, factoring a higher degree polynomial, graphing a rational function, or solving a system with matrices, into their smallest component skills, since most Algebra 2 struggles trace back to one specific gap rather than a lack of overall math ability. I also interview each student early on about their goals and gaps, then tailor practice problems and pacing to match how they actually learn.

Astronomy

I hold a Ph.D. in planetary science from Cornell and have worked directly on NASA's Cassini, New Horizons, Rosetta, and Mars 2020 missions, analyzing spectroscopic and photometric data from the outer solar system, Mars, and comets. I can teach astronomy at any level, from the basics of the night sky and orbital mechanics to graduate topics in planetary geology, atmospheres, and remote sensing, since I've prepared and taught coursework across that full range. I use real-world case studies from my own work, like calibrating spacecraft cameras or measuring the composition of icy moons, to make abstract concepts like light, spectra, and gravity concrete. My teaching approach also builds in low-stakes practice and quick retries, so students can test their understanding, get something wrong, and correct it before it costs them on a graded assignment.

Elementary Science

As a working planetary scientist, I bring real research experience, actual images and data from Mars and the outer solar system, into lessons on basic concepts like states of matter, simple machines, weather, and the scientific method, so kids see science as something people actually do rather than a list of facts to memorize. My teaching approach is built around low-stakes exploration: I let students guess, test an idea, and see it succeed or fail without it counting against them, which keeps young learners curious instead of anxious about being wrong. I ground abstract ideas in everyday comparisons scaled to an elementary level, like comparing a planet's atmosphere to a blanket or a spacecraft camera to an eye, since concrete analogies build intuition before formal vocabulary does. I also start by asking each student what they're curious about, then build lessons around that interest so tutoring feels like exploration rather than an extension of homework.

Physical Science

My work as a planetary spectroscopist is applied physical science: I use principles of light, energy, matter, and chemical composition every day to interpret data from spacecraft cameras and instruments. I teach Physical Science topics, forces and motion, energy transfer, the states and properties of matter, atomic structure, and basic chemical reactions, by connecting them to concrete examples from spacecraft engineering and planetary surfaces, so abstract laws become physical intuition. My teaching approach builds in low-stakes practice and quick retries, letting students test a prediction, see it fail, and correct their reasoning without it costing them on a graded assignment. I break topics into their smallest testable pieces and tailor pacing to each student's specific gaps, since physical science courses often move quickly across many topics and a single missed foundation can compound over the term.

Prealgebra

As a scientist who works with numbers, ratios, and units every day, I connect Pre Algebra topics, fractions, ratios and proportions, integers, order of operations, and an introduction to variables, to concrete situations rather than treating them as rules to memorize. My teaching approach treats mistakes as the fastest path to understanding: I build in low-stakes practice and quick retries so students can test an approach, see where it breaks, and correct it without it counting against a grade. I break each skill into its smallest component, since a shaky grasp of fractions or negative numbers at this stage is what causes most of the struggle students later have in Algebra 1. I also interview each student early on about their goals and gaps, then tailor practice problems and pacing to match how they actually learn.