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Sarah "Sam" McKagan Names as 2013 Recipient of Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT.Sarah “Sam” McKagan Named as Recipient of the 2013 Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Park, MD, September 26, 2012—Sarah “Sam” McKagan will receive the association’s Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT during the 2013 Winter Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.

McKagan is the creator and author of the PER User’s Guide, a web resource to help physics educators learn about the results of PER and apply them in the classroom. This resource has been invaluable in building a bridge between the communities of research and practice in physics education.  Not only has she done the work of developing and maintaining the Per User’s Guide since 2008, she has also taken the lead in seeking funding support for these efforts, serving as the PI on a grant through the NSF NSDL program to develop a pilot site.  Most recently she is the PI on a proposal to the NSF WIDER program to develop PER resources for Physics Department Chairs.

McKagan has also been a key participant in the University of Colorado PhET Project (Physics Education Technology), possibly the most widespread resource for physics education simulations.  She has consulted with Seattle Pacific University to conduct research on embodied cognition, create and analyze videotapes of teacher development workshops, and worked with Augsburg College to assist with development and assessment of modern physics laboratories.

She plays a significant role in the Energy Project, a complex PER effort on the learning and teaching of energy at Seattle Pacific University. Additionally, she co-created and co-organizes an annual regional PER meeting in the Pacific Northwest.

McKagan has synthesized the work of the PER community and made it relevant to the AAPT community at large. A member of the Committee on Research in Physics Education and of the Physics Education Research (PER) Topical Group, she is passionate about translating the multiple research-based approaches into tools that practitioners can actually use. Her commitment and her contributions to the organization  promote the very mission of AAPT.

About the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT
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.
For more information: Contact Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications, mgardner@aapt.org, (301) 209-3306, (301) 209-0845 (Fax), www.aapt.org.