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Dr. Mike Zawaski enjoys connecting learners to the wonders of the natural world. He fills many roles in science and science education. He is a new Visiting Faculty in the Geoscience Department but has taught college science courses since 2000.
Mike’s research focuses on early life on Earth, ancient sedimentary rocks up through modern sand dunes, and the astronomy of the Inca culture in Peru. He recently finished a position as a scientist with the Mars2020 Mission’s Perseverance Rover working on the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) analyzing the composition of Mars’ rocks and looking for signs of ancient life.
Mike is part of the outreach program for NASA’s PUNCH* mission where he helps design and teach lessons related to their Ancient and Modern Sun-Watching theme (*Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere). Mike’s biggest contribution to education has been the co-development of the Kinesthetic Astronomy™ teaching modality. He also runs a non-profit, The Observant Naturalist, that offers professional development for teachers and informal educators.
In outdoor education, Mike has two decades of experience teaching in wilderness settings and is author of the book, Snow Travel: Skills for climbing, hiking, and moving over snow. Mike also teaches wilderness medicine courses for NOLS Wilderness Medicine.
In his free time, Mike likes to climb mountains and when possible, ski back down them.
Kinesthetic Astronomy™ :
NASA’s PUNCH mission Outreach program:
"Astrobiological Potential of Rocks Acquired by the Perseverance Rover at a Sedimentary Fan Front in Jezero Crater, Mars," AGU Advances, 2024
"Sulfur cycling at natural hydrocarbon and sulfur seeps in Santa Paula Creek, CA," Geobiology, 2022
“Reappraisal of purported ca. 3.7 Ga stromatolites from the Isua Supracrustal Belt (West Greenland) from detailed chemical and structural analysis,” Earth and Planetary Sciences, 2020
"Geologic Map of the Orchard City Quadrangle, Delta County, Colorado," Colorado Geologic Survey, 2013
An Archaeoastronomical Survey of Major Inca Sites in Peru," Archaeoastronomy, 2008鈥��
Teaching Assistant (TA) Award for Excellence in Teaching: Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences Department, CU Boulder, 2020-2021