Boise State Physics Professor Gives Presentation Oct. 7 On His Experiences Teaching Tibetan Scholar Monks In India

A Boise State University physics professor who traveled to India over winter break 2005 to teach exiled Tibetan monks about the nature of light and images will present a free multi-media lecture about his experiences at 12:40 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, in Room 201 of the Multipurpose Building.

Dewey Dykstra taught the three-week workshop at a school near Dehra Dun, India, as part of the Science for Monks Project established in 1998 by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. The program is an effort to introduce scientific knowledge and methods to Tibetan monks, develop a scientific vocabulary in Tibetan and introduce Western scientists to Buddhist philosophy.

“It was an incredible experience. I was thrilled I had the opportunity to do this,” Dykstra said about the trip. Dykstra has been invited to lead another workshop over the upcoming winter break as part of the Science for Monks program.

The monks in Dykstra’s class ranged in age from 28 to their mid-40s. Most spoke no English and had little, if any, understanding of Western science. Dykstra and a colleague from Black Hills State University communicated with the help of interpreters who were science and math teachers from Tibetan Children’s Village schools in India.

Dykstra employed the inquiry-based methods he developed during 23 years of teaching physics at Boise Stte to engage his pupils. His presentation on Oct, 7 will include photos, video, sound clips and demonstrations. More information on the Science For Monks project, including pictures of Dykstra’s workshop, is at www.scienceformonks.org.