Tien Huynh-Dinh, Science Educator at LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory)
Tien Huynh-Dinh
La Grande Boissière, 1975
Science Educator at LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory)
USA
Learn more about me :
After many years of working as a cytogeneticist (examining chromosomes), middle and high school science teacher (inspired, of course, by all my Math and Science teachers at Ecolint), I began working as a scientific educator at LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) in Louisiana in 2009. Prior to COVID-19, teachers brought their students to LIGO for field trips involving tours, inquiry-based science lessons and exploring the exhibit hall with over 50 hands-on exhibits where students explored LIGO science involving light and colour, magnetism, waves, perception and gravity. Recently, we have been limited to virtual tours and activity lessons.
Among the many wonderful memories of Ecolint, the one that stands out above all is how welcoming the diverse student population and staff were to me when I arrived late in the 1971 fall trimester.
Ecolint paved the way for me to have the most wonderful and rewarding experiences, and develop meaningful relationships with life-long friends. Looking back, I was very fortunate to have attended Ecolint.
If I could have a do-over, I would have remained in Year 8 to finish the academic year instead of moving up to Year 9 to be at the correct age/grade level. In essence, by catching up to my grade level, I missed out on the very important last two trimesters of Year 8 and the first trimester of Year 9... But I did make new friends that I perhaps would not have had the chance to meet!