Physics: Eva Liu
As the academic year of 2025-2026 begins, Robert College welcomes a new addition to its science faculty. Ms. Eva Liu joins the Physics Department to teach Physics I and AP Physics C: Mechanics. Having studied physics, astronomy, and history in her undergraduate program, Ms. Liu is interested in a variety of fields, which influences her interdisciplinary approach to teaching. She grew up in China, but her journey in education has taken her across the world. With six years of teaching experience in the U.S. and Jordan, she brings both a global perspective and enthusiasm for science to her classroom.
When asked about what inspired her to pursue teaching, she reflects on a peer mentoring program she did in college. As a sophomore, she offered extra help for high school juniors and seniors with their studies. Through those sessions, she realised how much joy she found in helping others learn, which eventually led her to start teaching.
Liu had plenty of experience with American-style boarding schools before coming to RC. She is particularly drawn in by the strong sense of community in such schools. Liu recalls that she heard about American-style boarding schools outside the U.S. back in Connecticut. Her colleagues who had experienced working abroad told her that it was a transformative experience. She wanted to understand the education systems and cultures of different countries, so she continued her teaching journey in Jordan. Through a colleague in Jordan, she heard about the American Robert College of Istanbul for the first time. This colleague of hers, a previous physics teacher at RC, encouraged Liu to apply. Since she had visited Turkiye three times before coming to teach, she was ecstatic to live in Istanbul.
Liu describes her teaching style as "eclectic," adding that her teaching style evolves as she learns from other colleagues. She highly values ownership of learning from students and encourages the students to learn as much as they can. As for her style of teaching, she makes the students prepare sticks with their names on them so she can pick a student randomly to answer questions. This year, she set the goal of building a more cooperative learning environment in the classroom. As a reflective teacher, she also writes down how each class went and she might improve the lesson next time. She also recalls that she met the most amazing students in mechanics classes. Even though she has not taught magnetism before, she deeply enjoys the hands-on experiments of E&M labs.
Outside of the classroom, Liu enjoys running. She prefers to run from the Arnavutköy Gate to the Rumeli Hisarı on weekends. She also enjoys visiting the İslam Bilim ve Teknoloji Tarihi Müzesi inside the Gülhane Park. She says that there were various scientific instruments from the Islamic science world, and she would love to give lectures on those instruments. Liu's favorite place to hang out on campus is the library. She likes coming to the library at night and running on the Faralyalı trail. She thinks that RC is such a green and beautiful campus. She likes how the students are generally very serious about studying. She mentions that their notes are mostly very neat and organized.
With her interdisciplinary mindset and enthusiasm for science, Ms. Liu brings fresh energy and perspective to the RC community. We are delighted to welcome her and wish her an inspiring and unforgettable journey at Robert College.
