Texas A&M University physicist Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova has been selected to receive the 2024 Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).
Established in 1953 and renamed in 2012 in recognition of AAPT founder Homer L. Dodge, the award is presented to members in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the association at the national, sectional or local level.
Erukhimova, an instructional professor and outreach coordinator in the Department of Physics and Astronomy since 2006 and the inaugural holder of the Marsha L. ’69 and Ralph F. Schilling ’68 Chair for Physics Outreach, is being honored by AAPT for her commitment to providing physics education in innovative and unique ways inside and outside the classroom and for bringing physics education to the public at the local, regional and national level. She will be recognized at the organization's 2024 Winter Meeting, set for Jan. 6-9 in New Orleans.
“I am honored to receive this award," Erukhimova said. "I view it as a recognition of our teaching and outreach programs and our team effort. One can often hear that physics is a difficult and scary subject, but the success of our programs shows that learning physics can be enjoyable and exciting for everyone.”
Erukhimova has been a member of AAPT since 2015 and served in various roles on the Committee on Science Education for the Public, including as chair in 2020. Officials with the organization describe her as a "TikTok and YouTube physics video maven," noting that she exudes the AAPT enthusiasm for the study of physics through her numerous avenues of informal science outreach and lauding her support of the AAPT mission through her efforts to make physics accessible to all those interested in learning. In addition, Erukhimova has made efforts as a physics education researcher to quantify the impact of student engagement in physics educational outreach programs while also developing a robust set of course materials and student resources.
Erukhimova's nominators agree, stating that “[she] has shown incredible enthusiasm and dedication to educating Texas A&M undergraduate students and providing them opportunities to grow outside of the classroom. These efforts also have had immeasurable benefits for graduate students, those in the surrounding community of Texas A&M, and beyond.” Another added, “…The culture of Dr. Erukhimova’s classrooms is one of engaged, communal learning supported by innovative and research-backed pedagogy. Students are not placed in an adversarial relationship against the instructor. Rather, Dr. Erukhimova forms a community of mutual support where all students are expected to help each other learn."
As a 2017 Texas A&M Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence and a 2021-2024 Eppright Professor in Undergraduate Teaching Excellence, Erukhimova has excelled for nearly two decades in teaching large introductory physics classes, combining high expectations with devoted support to transform the relationship her students have with physics. In addition, she is renowned for involving undergraduate and graduate students in physics education research.
Within the past two years, Erukhimova also has endeared a global audience to her charismatic brand of science education through viral physics demonstration videos that have drawn a massive following to Texas A&M Physics and Astronomy's social media accounts. Each new video averages more than a million views, along with untold numbers of likes, shares and comments from people who are drawn to her energetic teaching style and infectious enthusiasm for all things science. She previously was recognized last month for her efforts with the 2023 American Physical Society (APS) Dwight Nicholson Medal for Outreach.
Erukhimova’s passion for inspiring learning through science also has motivated the creation of several innovative programs at Texas A&M that integrate education with science outreach and community service, including the DEEP (Discover, Explore and Enjoy Physics and Engineering) Program for Texas A&M graduate and undergraduate physics and engineering students, the annual Physics and Engineering Festival that attracts thousands of visitors from across the country to campus each spring and also reaches an international audience via livestream, and the popular Physics Show she's hosted from more than 30,000 people since 2007.
Erukhimova earned her Ph.D. from the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1999 and served four years as an assistant research scientist in the Texas A&M Department of Atmospheric Sciences (2002-2006) prior to joining the Texas A&M Physics and Astronomy faculty. She is a co-author along with Texas A&M Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Sciences Dr. Gerald R. North of the textbook Atmospheric Thermodynamics, published by Cambridge University Press (2009).
A 2019 APS Fellow, Erukhimova's many career honors to date include the Provost Academic Professional Track Faculty Teaching Excellence Award (2021), a Fish Camp namesake (2019), Texas A&M Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards for Teaching (2012) as well as Extension and Outreach (2019), the Sigma Xi Outstanding Science Communicator Award (2014) and the John E. Trott Jr. Award in Student Recruiting (2013). She also served as chair of the American Association of Physics Teachers Committee on Science Education for the Public in 2020.
Founded in 1930 and headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Md., the American Association for Physics Teachers is an international organization for physics educators, physicists and industrial scientists. Dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching, AAPT provides awards, publications and programs that encourage teaching practical application of physics principles, support continuing professional development and reward excellence in physics education.