2025 National Board of Directors Election Candidate for At Large Early Career Representative

Meghan DiBaccoMeghan DiBacco

AP Physics 1 & 2 Teacher, Jordan High School - Katy ISD
Address: 27500 Fulshear Bend Dr, Fulshear, TX 77441
Email: meghandibacco@gmail.com meghanedibacco@katyisd.org

Education

  • 18 Hours in Physics Graduate Level Courses May 2025 East Texas A&M University (Formally Texas A&M Commerce)
  • M.S. Geophysics December 2020 University of Houston
  • B.S. Geophysics Minors: Geology, Mathematics, teachHOUSTON May 2016 University of Houston

Professional Experience

Katy ISD, Teacher August 2018 - Present
Jordan High School August 2025 - Present

  • AP Physics 1 & 2 Teacher
  • AP Physics 1 Team Lead
  • AP Physics 1 District Course Co-lead

Cinco Ranch High School August 2018 - July 2025

  • AP Physics 1 & Academic Physics
  • AP Physics 1 Team Lead
  • CRyptonite FRC Robotics Team 624 Faculty Sponsor August 2019 - July 2025
  • Assistant Tennis Coach August 2018 - May 2024
  • Campus Grant Liaison

Honors and Recognitions

  • Katy ISD Education Foundation Grant Recipient: Spring 2024, Spring 2025 (Highest Scoring Grant in Katy ISD for the 2024 - 2025 grant cycle)
  • UTeach STEM Educators Association Outstanding Alumni Award: Spring 2025
  • Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers Travel Grant Awardee: Spring 2024
  • Cinco Ranch High School PTSA Lifetime Membership Award: Fall 2023
  • teachHOUSTON Teacher Panel Participant: Spring 2023 and Spring 2024
  • Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers Excellence in PreCollege Teaching Award: Spring 2022
  • Katy ISD Educator in Excellence: Spring 2021 and Spring 2024
  • SEG/ExxonMobil Student Education Program (SEP): Fall 2018

Memberships

  • American Association of Physics Teachers
  • Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers
  • UTeach STEM Educators Association (USEA)
  • National Science Teachers Association
  • Science Teachers Association of Texas

AAPT Activities

  • AAPT Early Career Task Force – Task Force Member 2024 - Present
  • AAPT Committee on Physics in High School – Committee Member & Vice Chair: 2023 - Present
  • Texas Section of AAPT – High School Representative: Fall 2024 - Present
  • AAPT Physics Teacher Resource Agents (PTRA) - Member and Presenter: 2022 - Present
  • AAPT PhysicsBowl Advisory Committee – Committee Member: 2021 - Present
  • STEP UP Physics Together Ambassador: February 2019 - February 2021

Other Professional Activities

  • UTeach STEM Educators Association Conference Planning Committee - Committee Member: 2024 - Present
  • UTeach STEM Educators Association PD and Induction Working Group - Alumni Professional Development Co-Chair: 2024 - Present
  • Presented for Arbor Scientific over physics equipment: CAST 2024
  • Physics Presenter at CAST 2018 - Present and AAPT 2024 - Present
  • Quantum for All, Instructional Lead Support Team May 2021 - Present

Candidate Statement

I am honored to be nominated for the Early Career Member at Large position with AAPT. As a passionate physics educator, I am deeply committed to promoting high-quality teaching, supporting teacher development at all levels, and fostering inclusive professional communities. Early in my own teaching career, I recognized the importance of finding a community of supportive educators to help bring research-backed, student-centered instruction to my classroom and I found that in AAPT.

My first involvement with AAPT was through the STEP UP Physics Together project, where I served as an ambassador. This experience illuminated the critical importance of fostering a sense of belonging for all students and highlighted the role we play as educators and researchers in shaping students’ perceptions of whether they can see themselves in physics. Through this work, I was able to share these lessons with colleagues in my school district and the Texas Section area, opening doors I didn’t think would be accessible to me so early in my career. It laid the foundation for my involvement in physics specific professional development and showed me that even as an early career educator, I had valuable insights to contribute.

The AAPT community has been instrumental in shaping the beginning of my career. The members I’ve connected with have become mentors, collaborators, and advocates especially in moments when imposter syndrome was present. After being involved in the STEP UP program, I was invited to join an AAPT committee, which introduced me to new ways of engaging with the organization and its mission. Since then, I’ve served on several committees, including Physics Bowl and the Committee on Physics in High School, where I currently serve as Vice Chair. I also contributed to the Early Career Task Force, where I had the opportunity to learn about and advocate for the unique challenges faced by new educators across academic contexts.

The support and opportunities I’ve found through AAPT have been truly transformative. I believe more early-career professionals deserve access to this kind of community one that empowers, uplifts, and connects educators at every stage. Being an early-career professional comes with a unique blend of enthusiasm, challenges, and potential. I hope to represent those voices, advocate for their needs, and help AAPT support the ever changing world of physics education. It would be a privilege to give back to the organization that has profoundly shaped the beginning of my journey.