A.J. Yates is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University. They research plasmonics, fluorescence, and doped semiconductors in Peter Nordlander's group. They graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from the University of Oklahoma, where they studied quantum few-body systems in Doerte Blume's group. Their interest in physics education began when experiencing the struggle of learning physics for the first time. Since then, they have looked for ways to better connect physics material to students inside and outside the classroom.