Documenting the local history and experiences of women in physics to guide a diversity in physics discussion in a first-year physics seminar class

The University of Wisconsin River Falls has started a single credit first-year seminar course to increase retention of physics majors. This course focuses on many of the skills required to be a successful physics major that are not typically taught in introductory physics courses. As part of the course, I have adapted the STEP UP careers in physics lesson and women in physics lessons for the undergraduate classroom. Recently I have become interested in how my experience as a woman in physics has shaped how I show up as a professor in my classroom. This has led me to study the local history of women in physics in the places I have studied or worked. In this poster I will share what I have learned about the history and experiences of women in physics in Minnesota and Wisconsin and I will share how I have adapted what I have learned to be included in an expanded diversity in physics lesson based on the STEP UP women in physics lesson in my freshman seminar class. I will also share how this approach could be adapted and included in either high school or introductory physics classes at other institutions.