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Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT to be Awarded to Tatiana Erukhimova

Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT to be Awarded to Tatiana Erukhimova

Tatiana Erukhimova

College Park, MD, November 13, 2024—AAPT has announced that Tatiana Erukhimova will receive the association's Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT, during their 2024 Winter Meeting. Erukhimova is honored for 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.

Regarding her selection to receive this citation, Erukhimova said “I am honored to receive this award. 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.”

A member of AAPT since 2015, Erukhimova has served in various roles on the Committee on Science Education for the Public and chaired this committee in 2020.

She is an Instructional Professor and inaugural holder of Marsha L. and Ralph F. Schilling Endowed Chair in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. Erukhimova exudes the AAPT enthusiasm for the study of physics through her numerous avenues of informal science outreach, including most recently being a TikTok and YouTube physics video maven. Her videos have attracted over 500 million views on departmental social media. She has supported the AAPT mission through her efforts to make physics accessible to all those interested in learning. As a physics education researcher, she has made efforts to quantify the impact of student engagement in physics educational outreach programs and has developed a robust set of course materials and student resources.

Nominators noted “[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.”; “…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.”

About the Award
Established in 1953 and renamed in recognition of AAPT founder Homer L. Dodge in 2012, the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT is presented to members in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the association at the national, sectional, or local level.

About AAPT
AAPT is an international organization for physics educators, physicists, and industrial scientists—with members worldwide. 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. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.