Dr. Dawson Nodurft from the Department of Physics and Astronomy is one of 10 Texas A&M University faculty to receive the 2024-2025 Provost Academic Professional Track (APT) Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, announced by the Texas A&M Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE).
The award was created in 2019 by the CTE to encourage, recognize and reward faculty recipients for exceptional teaching practices that create meaningful learning experiences for students. It is intended to illustrate both the impact of an effective teaching approach and the value of student-centered learning. Recipients, who will be recognized in a ceremony this spring, will retain the title in perpetuity and receive a $5,000 stipend to support teaching efforts and professional development.
“I see this award as a recognition from my students that my class had an impact on them,” Nodurft said. “I would not have received it without their support and without support from my colleagues. I am very touched and honored to receive it.”
Nodurft, whose research focuses on physics education and teaching methods to improve students’ outcomes, came to Texas A&M as a graduate student in 2011 after happening upon the annual Physics and Engineering Festival, which he calls “an eye-opening experience.”
“I was shocked and inspired to see so many members of the faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students and staff so excited to share their love of physics with the general public,” he said. “It reminded me in part of how I decided to be a physics major in college: An amazing teacher with an exciting demonstration experiment made the wonders of the natural world tangible for me and for all who attended. I knew I had to be a part of a place that could make the subject I loved so accessible and magical for so many.”
As a graduate student, Nordurft became a mentor in the Discover, Explore, and Enjoy Physics and Engineering (DEEP) Program, created and run by Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova. He said that his experience with DEEP solidified his passion for becoming a teacher. After receiving his Ph.D. in 2019, he was presented with the opportunity to teach summer physics courses, which he gladly accepted.
“After an amazing experience teaching during the summer and fall 2019 semesters, I applied for an open instructional faculty position in the department,” Nodurft said. “I began the spring of 2020 as a faculty member and since then have been grateful for the opportunity to work with wonderful students.”
Nodurft describes his teaching style as energetic, passionate and hands-on. He has promoted the department through science experiment videos on YouTube, with one recently going viral.
“My goal in teaching is to create an environment where every learner feels like they are important, seen,” he said. “I want to inspire others to appreciate the wonder and beauty of physics in the natural world, as well as to be high achievers. This instructional style starts with creating an atmosphere in classroom lectures that are fun, engaging and approachable. My primary aim is to make the students enjoy coming to class and feel that they are seen as a person.”
Dr. Grigory V. Rogachev, head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, believes this teaching style has reached students in a unique way.
“Dr. Dawson Nodurft exemplifies the highest standards of a teacher and mentor,” he said in his nomination of Nodurft. “His dedication and passion for physics, along with his ability to inspire a love of learning in his students are truly remarkable.”
Nodurft’s passion for teaching is matched by his passion for the study of physics. Knowledge of physics, he said, has not only led to the progress of civilization but can also make ordinary experiences of life extraordinary.
“The wind we feel on our face, the smell of fresh rain, the taste of a warm chocolate chip cookie, the sound of your favorite band, and the beautiful view from the top of a mountain are all experiences we perceive due to just a single fundamental force of nature: the electromagnetic force,” he said. “Without physics, we are not able to dig deeper into the mysteries of the universe.”
Nodurft is among 17 current College of Arts and Sciences faculty honored thus far as APT Faculty Teaching Excellence Award recipients, joining Dr. Catharina Laporte (Anthropology); Dr. Don Conlee (Atmospheric Sciences); Dr. Asha Rao and Dr. Andrew Tag ( Biology); Dr. Daniel Collins, Dr. Holly Gaede, Dr. Joanna Goodey-Pellois, Dr. Soon Mi Lim and Dr. James Pennington (Chemistry); Dr. Claire Carly-Miles and Dr. Terri Pantuso (English); Dr. Salah Ayari (Global Languages and Cultures); Dr. Oksana Shatalov (Mathematics); Dr. Christina Wiederwohl (Oceanography); Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova (Physics and Astronomy) and Dr. Judith Linneman (Sociology).
Learn more about faculty excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences.