2026 Barbara Wolff-Reichert Travel Grant Awarded to Samantha Gordon
Samantha Gordon Received 2026 Barbara Wolff-Reichert Travel Grant
College Park, MD, February 4, 2026—The 2026 recipient of the Barbara Wolff-Reichert Travel Grant is Samantha Gordon. The award was presented by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) at the AAPT 2026 Winter Meeting in Las Vegas, NV.
Gordon is a New York State Master Teacher and Director of the Nassau County section of the Science Teachers Association of NYS. In accepting this grant she shared that receiving the K-12 Travel Grant meant she could finally attend her first AAPT conference—something that simply wasn't financially feasible before. “As an experienced physics teacher, I've long wanted to connect with the broader physics education community, learn from other educators' innovative practices, and bring fresh ideas back to my classroom. This grant removes the financial barrier and allows me to invest in my professional growth in a way that will directly benefit my students. I'm grateful for this opportunity and excited to engage with colleagues who share my passion for physics education.
I became a physics teacher because I was captivated by the way physics reveals the workings of our every day lives. What keeps me in the classroom is the way that I can use physics to help students become problem solvers, critical thinkers, and learn to approach challenges with curiosity and resilience.”
About the Award
The Barbara Wolff-Reichert Travel Grant endowment was created by Jonathan F. Reichert to honor Barbara Wolff-Reichert and to encourage new high school physics teachers to attend and participate in national meetings of the American Association of Physics Teachers. It is motivated by Barbara’s own transformation by her experience at AAPT national meetings which led to many creative and effective changes in her own teaching career.
About AAPT
AAPT is the premier professional society established to advance the greater good through physics education. With the support of members worldwide, AAPT is an action-oriented organization designed to develop, improve, and promote best practices for physics education as part of the global need for qualified Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics teachers who will inspire tomorrow's leaders and decision makers. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.
Contact
David Wolfe
Director of Communications
- dwolfe@aapt.org
- (301) 209-3322
- (301) 209-0845 (Fax)
- https://www.aapt.org
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