Marc “Zeke” Kossover to be Honored with 2026 AAPT Award

AAPT has announced that Marc “Zeke” Kossover will receive the association's Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT during their 2026 Summer Meeting. Kossover is recognized with the Homer L. Dodge citation for his contributions to the Northern California/ Nevada Section of AAPT, CSTA (now CASE), and the Exploratorium. He embodies the camaraderie and the belief that AAPT is founded on, that physics teaching is made better through collaboration. He offers ideas, lessons and support to all science teachers he meets freely and openly. He has been a classroom teacher, administrator, mentor teacher, science advisor for television, Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, Stanford Visiting Scholar, and past co-director of the Exploratorium Leadership Program. He represents the best of us with his innovation, collaborative spirit and generosity of time and expertise.

Regarding his selection to receive this citation, Kossover said, “ I'm extremely honored. The AAPT and my local chapter have been instrumental in my success as a classroom physics teacher, a coach and mentor to physics teachers, and designer of physics activities for teachers to use in their classrooms.”

Kossover is a teacher and past Co-Leader of the Leadership Program at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, California. A member of AAPT since 1997, Kossover has been a leader in physics education for 20 years. Through his involvement in AAPT, the Exploratorium’s Teacher Institute, and Einstein Fellowship he has been able to directly and positively impact physics teachers. He continues to offer ideas, lessons and support to all science teachers he meets freely and openly. Kossover embodies the camaraderie and belief that physics teaching is better through the collaboration that AAPT is founded on.

He continues to innovate new demonstrations and hands-on learning Experiences for teachers. His ideas are simple, clear and effective for teaching physics, and he shares them wildly wherever he can. Kossover collaborates with anyone who asks, helping to meet the needs of their students at whatever level. The activities he designs are out of materials easy to procure, often recycling things from other uses and his designs keep in mind the budget constraints of most schools.

As a member of the Northern California/ Nevada Section of AAPT, he has been a fixture for years. At every meeting they have a section called “Share & Tell” in which members can sign up on the spot to share anything they want for five minutes. Participants often bring materials from their classroom to show something new they have built, a unique way that they have done a lab or something new they just found and are excited to try. Kossover always had something so fascinating to share. Often he has a group of members around him at break, asking for more details on whatever he has built. He is excited to share with anyone who asks for more details, offering advice based on their circumstances on how to adopt it.

As a lead facilitator of the Exploratorium Teacher Institute, he presents on behalf of the program at national conferences, including AAPT. Each time he presents, the attendees are fully engaged in hands-on experiences. Kossover brings giant suitcases of equipment to his workshops and tries to leave with them empty. Following the Exploratorium’s belief that people should touch and explore science, and the understanding that teaching requires “stuff”, all of his workshops include giveaways of what you need to teach what he’s showing you.

Kossover has also been a keynote speaker at section meetings twice. He is a stimulating speaker, showing his deep knowledge of the subject and making it fun for the audience. You can tell he was the same way as a teacher, making sure that his students enjoyed their learning without trying to “trick” them into it.

The belief that all students deserve quality physics education, with a capable teacher and hands on learning experiences is fundamental to both AAPT and Kossover. He has devoted his career to quality physics teaching and sharing his knowledge with others.

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.

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