Andrew Zeidell, raised in the mountains of Mitchell County, North Carolina, became interested in physics while pursuing his A.S. in Electronics Engineering from Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, and later received a B.S. in Applied Physics from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. While at Appalachian State, Andrew led study groups for STEM students taking physics courses and participated in undergraduate research clusters as a mentor. He continues to act as a volunteer alumni mentor to low-income, academically talented students participating in the NSF funded S-STEM initiative at Appalachian State. He later obtained his PhD in Physics at Wake Forest University while studying the physics of organic semiconductors and devices and volunteered as an ambassador to the student honors council. Prior to joining AIP, Andrew completed a postdoc at the National Strategic Research Institute in Washington, D.C., and supported government program managers both as a postdoc and as a contractor. Along the way, Andrew has been a tutor, academic coach, and mentor to students for over 10 years, and continues his outreach activities through volunteering as an educational consultant for Willis Observatory in his hometown, with a mission of improving the accessibility of science to students living in rural areas.
