COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Editor's Note: The attached video aired in February 2022.
Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova, the Texas A&M Physicist that has gone viral online for her physics displays, has been selected by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) for the 2024 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching.
Erukhimova has been teaching at Texas A&M since 2006, and was involved with the university even prior to that, serving as an assistant research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences from 2002 to 2006.
She has also made appearances on national TV shows and viral social media videos alike, introducing many to the fascinating wonders of the physics world. However, her joy and enthusiasm for introducing those to physics also showed itself through the students she taught in her undergraduate classes.
“Over the years, I have learned how important it is to make every class interactive and memorable," Erukhimova said in an article on the Texas A&M College of Arts & Sciences website. "How many of the students will consider my introductory physics class a highlight of their time here at Texas A&M? How many of them will remember it 20, 30, 40 years later? If there are quite a few, I couldn’t imagine a better reward.”
The award itself was established in 1933, later being renamed in recognition of David Halliday and Robert Resnick for their contributions to undergraduate level physics teaching. In November, Erukhimova was also honored by the AAPT with the 2024 Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service for similar efforts in physics education by introducing the subject in new ways outside of the classroom at the local, regional, and national levels.
Click here to read the full announcement on the Texas A&M College of Arts & Sciences website.
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