Ambika Sekar
Ambika Sekar is a passionate and experienced Educator who teaches AP Physics at James Logan High School. She has worked relentlessly to advance interest in Physics and, as a result, has contributed to increased student involvement in pursuing the sciences. Ambika possesses the ability to break down complex science concepts into simple and relatable examples. Her students graduate her class with a deep appreciation for STEM in general and physics in particular. Many of them have gone on to pursue STEM courses and degrees in college. Ambika has been instrumental in developing and teaching several High School Physics courses - Conceptual Physics for the freshman that is hands-on and allows students of various socioeconomic backgrounds to learn Physics concepts in an easy and interesting way, Physics for English Language Learners that allows students who are not native English language speakers to understand and appreciate an intense subject, NGSS Physics that aligns with the State of California’s Next Generation Science Standards, Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 1 and Physics 2 to align with the recent changes made by the college board. Ambika has a Master’s degree (MS) in Physics from the University of Southern Illinois, Edwardsville. Her research area was Physical Optics. She also has a second Master’s degree in Physics with a focus on Electronics from the University of Madras. Ambika has won awards for the best graduate teaching assistant for both the years she was in graduate school. She has always been impactfully involved in teaching competitive mathematics, mentoring students to participate in science bowls and math olympiads, and her passion and commitment to teaching inspired her to get her teaching credential from Cal State East Bay, and she became an educator. Prior to her career as an educator, Ambika worked for several years at Silicon Valley companies in roles spanning Software Engineering, Business Analysis, and Product Management over the course of 13+ years. She was an experienced product manager at PayPal, shaping the direction of the product incorporating customer experience, analytics, process improvements, and business requirements. She was a hands-on project manager and data-driven decision-maker with the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources. Ambika was a recognized leader and proven relationship builder working with cross-functional teams, a strong customer advocate with a unique blend of business and technical experiences. Ambika is also a competent speaker who can engage her audiences. This blend of skills has translated into her current career as a teacher, where she is able to engage students’ attention and influence the development of their interest in STEM.
