Science without School

The shortest distance from one point to another is a straight line, but that is usually not the most interesting way to get there. Noah Feinstein, like many of his fellow students in the School of Education, did not follow a straight line from college directly to graduate school. Instead, armed with a background in biology, his route to Stanford took him through experiences conducting social science field studies in AIDS prevention, performing research at San Francisco’s Exploratorium, and teaching children at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

Feinstein’s dissertation project at Stanford also involves individuals who don’t take a direct route to education. He is trying to understand how people learn about science without the structure of a traditional school. As a framework for this investigation, he is planning to study parents coping with the challenges of raising children with autism. His work will focus on understanding how these non-scientists educate themselves about a complex neurobiological condition in order to make choices for their child’s well-being. Feinstein hopes that insight from this research can help others learn about those areas of science important to them, from health issues to global warming.

Feinstein credits the flexible funding from his Fellowship for enabling him to undertake an unusual line of research in the School of Education. The funding also allowed him to follow another uncommon route while at Stanford – he has completed coursework for a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences while pursuing his Ph.D. in Education.

Feinstein is not certain where his path will lead next, but he would like to put his research into practice in order to improve public understanding of science. He feels his goals are analogous to those of OTL, striving to help society benefit from scientific research.

Noah Feinstein, 2002
Office of Technology Licensing Fellow
School of Education