Noah Finkelstein honored as CU Distinguished Professor
Noah Finkelstein has been named a Distinguished Professor, CU’s highest honor for faculty across the four-campus system.
At the University of Colorado Board of Regents meeting on Feb. 6, Finkelstein was recognized for the distinction along with five other faculty.
“I am so honored and grateful to be included among these remarkable folks who are transforming lives, disciplines, and building a better tomorrow through scholarship and action,” said Finkelstein during the regents meeting.
The award recognizes tenured faculty members who demonstrate exemplary performance in research or creative work; a record of excellence in promoting learning and student attainment of knowledge and skills; and outstanding service to the profession, the university and its affiliates. Since its inception in 1977, the honor has been awarded to 160 faculty system wide.
Finkelstein is the fourth professor from the Department of Physics to earn the rank, joining Andreas Becker, Margaret Murnane, and Carl Wieman.
"Noah's selection as a Distinguished Professor recognizes his excellence in teaching, his important research on improving physics education, and his dedicated service at CU and beyond,” says Tobin Munsat, chair and professor of physics. “Our department now celebrates four Distinguished Professors, which speaks to the quality and excellence of our faculty.”
Advancing physics education research and beyond
When Finkelstein joined the 鶹Ƶ faculty in 2003, physics education research was still emerging as a field. As 鶹Ƶ’s first full-time faculty member focused on physics education research, Finkelstein co-founded CU’s physics education research group alongside Professors Carl Wieman and Steven Pollock.
For more than two decades, Finkelstein has helped shape and advance the field by incorporating scholarly traditions from physics, educational psychology, and education. His research blends theory, experiments, and studies of student learning with curricular approaches to build more effective and inclusive environments. He leads research in how students learn, how courses are taught, and how these transformations can be scaled across institutions.
“His visionary work has transformed not just how we teach physics, but how we understand and improve STEM education worldwide,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz at the regents meeting.
At CU, Finkelstein helped develop the Learning Assistant program, which has now been implemented at over 120 colleges and universities worldwide.
A national leader in the field, Finkelstein’s scholarly impact includes more than 180 reviewed publications, 79 journal publications, 19 chapters, 88 conference proceedings, two books, and more than 15,000 citations.
Throughout his career, Finkelstein has received a multitude of teaching awards including the Boulder Faculty Assembly Excellence in Teaching Award, the Gold Pin Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Sigma Pi Sigma Outstanding Physics Professor of the Year. In 2012, the University of Colorado named Finkelstein a Presidential Teaching Scholar, and he was the inaugural Timmerhaus Teaching Ambassador, an honor designed to promote the value of education outside the university system.
Extending his impact beyond physics, Finkelstein contributes to national policy and educational reform by advising the Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. He also serves on the National Academies Board on Science Education and is a trustee of the Higher Learning Commission.
University of Colorado Anschutz Chancellor Don Elliman, who has served on the board of Higher Learning Commission for the last 12 years alongside Finkelstein, highlighted his influence during the regents meeting. Elliman said Finkelstein’s input “has had a far-reaching effect, beyond the traditional teaching environment in the halls of the University of Colorado.”
Collectively, Finkelstein’s research, teaching and national leadership reflect a career guided by impact on students, institutions, STEM education and policy. His recognition as a Distinguished Professor emphasizes both his lasting contributions to the University of Colorado and his continued positive influence on education.
“I’m so grateful to work in an institution that not only allows for but fosters the vision of a better tomorrow,” Finkelstein added.