Physics education postdoc awarded prestigious fellowship for AI research

David Perl-Nussbaum

David Perl-Nussbaum, a postdoctoral research fellow in physics education research, has been awarded a prestigious fellowship by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) to conduct research on artificial intelligence-generated computational models in physics education at CU Boulder.

Perl-Nussbaum studies how higher ed institutions can adapt to AI responsibly. His research spans multiple angles from how faculty adapt their instructional methods, to students navigating AI-based learning tools, to the broader institutional efforts to develop policy and infrastructure around AI use.

To Perl-Nussbaum, receiving the fellowship represents recognition of his contributions to physics education research at a critical time when AI is reshaping teaching and learning. He works alongside Noah Finkelstein, a distinguished professor of physics in the physics education research group.

“The Physics Education Research group has led impactful and, most importantly, sustainable educational reforms (e.g. the Science Education Initiative),” says Perl-Nussbaum. “I am eager to collaborate with Professor Noah Finkelstein in this endeavor, sharing the belief that educational change should be informed by research and driven by genuine commitment to student learning.”

Perl-Nussbaum completed his PhD in physics education in 2025 at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, where he was awarded the Elchanan E. Bondi Prize for Outstanding PhD Students. Weizmann’s Department of Science Teaching granted him a one-year fellowship to conduct research at CU Boulder, and the new ISF fellowship extends that work for an additional year.

“This extended timeline is crucial for developing impactful research projects and establishing long-lasting collaborations that will continue beyond my time at CU,” says Perl-Nussbaum.

Emphasizing the holistic nature of this research, Finkelstein says, “David is working on the future of education. Not only is he designing next-generation tools and practices to support learners, but he’s also developing and studying practices to support faculty in the use of these tools.”

Finkelstein adds, “this is a remarkably prestigious fellowship, and we are grateful David has joined one of the leading research groups in physics education, here in Boulder.”