Ka Chun Yu

Ka Chun Yu is the Curator of Space Science at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. After receiving his PhD in 2000, he joined DMNS in 2001 as part of a team tasked to create planetarium software to visualize the known universe for the Gates Planetarium. He has performed educational research on how digital planetariums can be used for astronomy education, and has uncovered ways in which immersive environments are beneficial for learners. He has created extensive Earth systems educational programs through the Worldviews Network, a group that he co-founded, which uses immersive visuals to connect public audiences with ecological and biodiversity issues. His education and outreach is informed by the science of how people learn in immersive settings, as well as aesthetics and storytelling best practices from flat and immersive cinema. He has worked on space exhibits at DMNS, including its original Space Odyssey as well as the Space Odyssey Reimagined projects. He has had a production role in over 30 live and pre-recorded digital planetarium shows, has given over 400 public talks, and 100 professional presentations. He continues to work extensively to create new educational content and visualizations for the digital dome, and research the most effective ways of using this type of technology for education. In the past he has been involved with observational programs using the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as ground-based optical, infrared, and radio observatories from around the world.