Physics Colloquium: "Integrating Informal Programs Into Physics Education"

The Department of Physics is pleased to welcome Tatiana Erukhimova, instructional professor at Texas A&M, for her talk titled, "Integrating Informal Programs Into Physics Education."

Bio: Tatiana Erukhimova is Texas A&M Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence and the inaugural holder of the M. L. ’69 and R. F. Schilling ’68 Endowed Chair in the Department of Physics & Astronomy. She received her Ph.D. from the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1999 and joined Texas A&M University in 2001. Tatiana develops innovative educational programs by incorporating outreach activities as an integral element of the student learning experience, and she leads an NSF-funded nationwide study on the impact of outreach physics programs on university students. She organizes annual Physics & Engineering Festivals attended by thousands of visitors and is co-author (with Gerald North) of a textbook on Atmospheric Thermodynamics. Tatiana is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2023 APS Nicholson Medal for Outreach and the 2024 AAPT Halliday and Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching. She is a Fellow of APS, AAPT, and AAAS. Her recent videos featuring physics demonstrations have attracted over one billion views on departmental social media. She has appeared on CBS Mornings, ABC News, NPR and The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Abstract: We have developed a diverse range of informal physics programs (also referred to as outreach) that engage the public across all ages and backgrounds, while also offering a unique growth opportunity for hundreds of student volunteers. I will share the results of our study on the impact of five informal physics programs on both undergraduate and graduate students at Texas A&M University, as well as findings from our study of a national sample of undergraduate students facilitating informal physics programs. Our research reveals that involvement in informal physics programs strengthens students’ identities as physicists and fosters their development in a less structured, yet highly valuable, learning environment. The results based on self-reported student data show significant, interrelated themes of students’ resilience, internal perceptions, transformative experiences and disciplinary development.