Dwain Desbien Recognized with AAPT’s 2026 Melba Newell Phillips Medal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Park, Maryland, September 25, 2025—The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) proudly announces that Dwain Desbien, will be awarded the Melba Newell Phillips Medal. The award will be presented during the AAPT 2026 Winter Meeting.
This honor recognizes “his pioneering work in Modeling pedagogy, his transformative impact on the professional development of physics educators nationwide, his decades of creative leadership and dedicated service to AAPT, and his work advancing physics education and inspiring generations of teachers and students.”
Desbien, Physics Professor at Estrella Mountain Community College, earned his B.A. in Physics from Grinnell College, his M.S. in Physics at the University of Kansas, and his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (Science Education) at Arizona State University.
Regarding his receipt of this award Desbien said, “I am shocked and humbled at being awarded the Melba Phillips Award. This is such a high honor within AAPT and one that I never really thought I might even be considered for. I would like to thank those that nominated me for thinking I deserved this honor. I strive to continue to provide the kind of service to AAPT those individuals saw in me. I look at the list of previous winners and am proud and excited to be included in that distinguished list of awardees.”
Desbien has worked for AAPT’s benefit for more than two decades. He served on the AAPT Board of Directors (2006 – 2009) as At Large Two-year College Representative. He has provided significant intellectual leadership in National Science Foundation (NSF) programs in two-year college and high school professional development, and providing personal leadership and intellectual property contributions in creating pedagogical reforms called the “Modeling” process.
Desbien has represented AAPT at several NSF Advanced Technology Education (NSF ATE) annual leadership meetings and has been active in the Arizona Section of AAPT.
Some of his collaborative contributions in project leadership centered in AAPT include: OPTYCS (current), decades of TYC Workshops across the nation, TYC New Faculty programs, PICK-UP summer workshops, and many Modeling summer sessions.
He has undertaken leadership roles on AAPT committees, has published in The Physics Teacher (TPT) and has served as a coeditor for a monthly TPT column, “TYC Tidbits” since 2024. The two-year college membership in AAPT has been a major collaborative community, and Desbien has been one of the most respected voices in that community over twenty years of service.
AAPT has previously recognized his work with the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT (2011); AAPT Fellow (2014); and the Paul W. Zitzewitz Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education (2015).
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.
For press inquiries, please contact: Dave Wolfe, Director of Communications, Email: dwolfe@aapt.org, Phone: (301) 209-3306
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