Brad Moser discovered he loved to teach while he was in South Africa serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"I just really enjoyed preparing lessons for people," Moser said.

Moser graduated from Brigham Young University in December, spent the rest of the school year in Provo waiting for his wife to graduate and will head to Missouri in the fall to take a job teaching high school physics.

Finding physics teachers at the high school level is no easy task, but in 2006, 16 students graduated from BYU with degrees in physics and teaching certificates. It's the largest group by far of potential physics teachers graduating from any college in the country.

One reason BYU's numbers may be high are that many of the physics teaching students have served missions, and, like Moser, have learned to love teaching.

Another reason is Duane Merrell. Merrell is an assistant teaching professor in the physics and astronomy department who works with the teaching students.

Dana Griffen, the associate dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Science, said Merrell is dynamic, and that his teaching keeps students in the program.

"I think he does a lot of retain them and move them forward," Griffen said.

Robert Clark, a professor of physics and astronomy, mentions Merrell as well.

"We have a dynamite program that Duane Merrell runs that the students find very attractive," Clark said.

It also could be that BYU provides an environment where students who choose to teach are supported. Clark said BYU tries hard to remind students that teaching is an option with a physics degree. They are reminded when they enter the program and in physics classes afterward.

Clark said some students come in wanting to be teachers. Others decide later, but students can decide as late as their junior year and not lose any time.

Merrell said the junior year is when most students decide they want to teach.

Griffen said training teachers is important because most students must be exposed to science in high school to have an interest in the subject in college.

"To stay in competition with other countries we have got to have a generation of students and teachers who are science and math literate," Merrell said.

Moser agrees that students need a base in high school to find a love of science in college, and he plans to keep his classrooms dynamic.

"We don't just do Powerpoints and lectures," Moser said.

Brittani Lusk can be reached at 344-2549 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it