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  • Open Access

How and why physics faculty share their identities with students: Four personas

Alia Hamdan1,*, Ash Bista2, Dina L. Newman3, and Scott Franklin2,†

  • *Contact author: hamdana@unc.edu
  • †Contact author: svfsps@rit.edu
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Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 22, 010145 – Published 26 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/tg9n-wphd

Abstract

We investigate how faculty share aspects of their identities to foster connections with students, finding significant nuances in what, how and when they decide to share. From interviews with 19 faculty, we identify and develop four personas: Brooke, the Trust Builder, prioritizes creating an environment of trust by openly discussing their identity, aiming to foster student openness. Wray adopts a walled-off approach, separating personal and professional life due to past negative experiences or a belief in the importance of that division. Casey, the Cautious Sharer, expresses concerns about potential alienation or backlash and approaches personal sharing with caution. Finally, Nour, the Identity Navigator, shares personal experiences to assist others in navigating their own identities, acknowledging the challenges of the college years. Communication of shared or adjacent identities is a key step toward developing an empathetic understanding that can facilitate taking appropriate supporting actions, and the nuances of how these identities are communicated add insight into how faculty can work within their comfort zones to better support students.

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Outline

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Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 22, 010145– Published 26 May, 2026
  • Received 12 February 2025
  • Accepted 29 April 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

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