Department of Physics and Astronomy

Education

• B.S. Physics — Stetson University, DeLand, FL
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering — University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Websites

• Know Watts Cooking
• SPICE (Sustainable, Physics-Inspired Culinary Education) Lab

About

Carla Ramsdell is a registered professional mechanical engineer and teaches in Appalachian State University's Department of Physics and Astronomy as a Practitioner-in-Residence. Her research, outreach, and coursework are focused on the food / energy / water / climate change / equity nexus. Prior to her career in higher education, she worked as a thermodynamic design and test engineer in the energy industry and energy-efficient building design sector for 17 years. This experience helps her to view food as a critical energy resource which must be more sustainably and equitably managed. Beyond her App State work, she serves on the advisory board for The Common Ground International Food Studies Research Group and maintains a website, blog, and YouTube channel (www.knowwattscooking.com) to help disseminate information about the physics of a future sustainable food system.

Current Research and Other Articles

• Thermodynamic Analysis of Skillet Materials Using Infrared Thermography
• Culinary FEVER (Food Emissions Visualization Education Resource)
• Implementing Interdisciplinary Sustainability Education with the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus
• Watauga Democrat: Cooking Evangelist Carla Ramsdell
• Yale Climate Connections: Food Physicist Offers Earth Day Cooking Tips
• The News & Observer OpEd: Gas stoves: We’ve got hybrid cars. Why not a plug-in hybrid kitchen?
• App State College of Arts and Sciences Zoomer Invited Speaker: "Cooking with the Sun"

Active Outreach Projects

• The Resilient Kitchen Video Series — Science-backed Strategies to Prepare for Natural Disasters
• Community FEaST Coordinator
• Cooking with Purpose Coordinator
• All We Can Save Project — Climate Wayfinding Workshop Trained Facilitator