2025 Melba Newell Phillips Medal Recipient is Karen Jo Matsler

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) proudly announces that Karen Jo Matsler, UTeach Master Teacher at the University of Texas at Arlington, will be awarded the 2025 Melba Newell Phillips Medal. This honor recognizes her extensive contributions to physics education and her tireless efforts to support educators nationwide. The award will be presented during the AAPT Winter Meeting in 2025.

Matsler’s distinguished career spanning several decades, is marked by her leadership, advocacy, and dedication to advancing physics education. From her early days as a Physics Teaching Resource Agent (PTRA) in 2000 to becoming the national director of the PTRA Program from 2012 to 2023, Matsler has been at the forefront of physics teacher professional development. She has served a three-year elected term on the AAPT Board of Directors, been appointed to several Committees and Advisory Boards, and organized countless workshops, presentations, and sessions at AAPT national meetings. Her contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the American Physical Society’s Excellence in Physics Education Award, the Homer Dodge Distinguished Service Citation in 2008, and as an AAPT Fellow in 2014.

Leadership in the PTRA Program: Matsler became a regional director for the PTRA Program in 2001 and co-principal investigator for the Rural Initiative in 2003. She was instrumental in expanding the PTRA’s reach, overseeing PTRA workshops at 35 sites each summer across the U.S., serving thousands of teachers, many of whom lacked formal physics training. Her work helped create a more inclusive and effective professional development model for physics educators.

Statewide Advocacy: Matsler's advocacy for teaching Physics First and her efforts to influence the Texas Educational Board to require physics for all high school students showcased her commitment to improving science education. Although the mandate was later repealed, her persistent work highlighted the importance of early physics education. Matsler was elected to serve on the Science Teacher Association of Texas (STAT) board and was responsible for organizing the state conference (CAST) sessions into content strands to highlight work of TS AAPT and better support physics crossover teachers. She served on the STAT Legislative committee and was elected as President for both Texas Science Education Leadership Association (TSELA) and TS AAPT. The Texas Education Agency utilized her expertise on multiple occasions including appointment to the Physics Task Force, Advisory Committee on State Assessments, Education Certification Standards Committees and many others. Matsler was recognized for her significant contributions and leadership in the development of quality education in Texas in 2017 when she received the STAT Skoog Cup Award and in 2014, Matsler received the highest award the TS AAPT has for a pre-college faculty member, the Katherine Mays Award for Outstanding Contributions in High School Physics Education in Texas – Lifetime Achievement.

In recent years, Matsler has been a trailblazer in Quantum Education Initiatives focusing on developing resources so educators can integrate quantum information science to K-12 education curriculum. In 2015, she submitted and received an AIP Meggers project award for offering PD on “Solving the Mysteries of Physics Technology” with an emphasis on incorporating quantum ideas into high school physics courses. After collaboration with the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Institute for Quantum Computing, she started the Quantum for All project. The project received funding from the National Science Foundation (#2048691, #2009351) to help ensure that students across the country have access to modern physics concepts in their curriculum, just as they did in Canada and other countries. Matsler led efforts to ensure quantum concepts were in the recently adopted Texas High School Standards (TEKS), has been actively involved in the National Q-12 Education Partnership (Q2Work) by serving as an group lead/editor to develop QIS K-12 Framework (https://q12education.org/learning-materials-framework/physics) and served on the NSTC Subcommittee on QIS to develop QIS core Concepts (2020).

Matsler’s influence in education has included providing professional development for physics teachers, organizing hundreds of workshops, sharing research, and providing support for teachers at local, state, national, and international meetings including AAPT, NSTA, TS AAPT, and many others. As principal investigator for the Texas Regional Collaborative (TRC) from 2006 to 2008, Matsler directed professional development programs for teachers, benefiting hundreds of educators and their students by enhancing physics teaching methods and content knowledge. She has shared her insights and research at over 50 conferences as an invited or plenary speaker making significant contributions to physics education.

Regarding her selection for this honor, Matsler noted “AAPT provided a means for me to learn physics (I was a crossover teacher) as well as how to teach it in an appropriate manner. I have tried to pay that forward to other teachers. Although I have lost track of how many times I have presented, mentored, or facilitated workshops, I have not lost sight of the fact that my contributions are a direct result of members from AAPT investing in me so I could help others.”

About the Award
The Melba Newell Phillips Medal honors the legacy of Melba Phillips, a physicist, educator, and advocate for science education. The medal is awarded infrequently and only to individuals whose careers reflect Phillips’ commitment to advancing physics education and her leadership in the field. The list of previous award recipients can be found at http://www.aapt.org/Programs/awards/phillips.cfm

About AAPT
Founded in 1930, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) is an international organization dedicated to advancing the teaching and understanding of physics. Through its programs, publications, and awards, AAPT supports educators, students, and scientists to improve physics education at all levels. For more information, visit www.aapt.org.

Contact

More News

News Home