I am an Assistant Professor in Science Education at the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. I work with future teachers, trying to help them become effective in teaching science. I am also actively engaged in science outreach activities in Greater Vancouver. I work with the Scientists and Innovators in the Schools as well as with other organizations. My other professional interest is engagement in Women in Science organizations.  I am also actively engaged with BC Association of Physics Teachers and in 2011 will become BCAPT President. I am also a member of the Executive Board of the American Association of Physics Teachers. In addition I am an adjunct professor at the Department of Physics at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. To reach me at UBC please click here.

I study how teachers of science can use technology to help students learn science more effectively. I am especially interested in interactive technologies such as electronic response systems, computer simulations, data collection sensors, etc. In addition I study how (the process) university faculty adopt new technologies and what can be done to help them in this process.

A few words about me…

On May 28, 2010 we became Canadian citizens. This was a very special event for our family. We have been in Canada for more than 6 years now and we love it here.

I was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine (former USSR) in 1970. Kharkiv is a large city with a population of about 1,500,000. It is a home to many colleges and universities. I have always been interested in science and mathematics. My mother is a math teacher and my father is an engineer. My grandparents were engineers and doctors. I always wanted to be like my Mom. Like her, I graduated from the Kharkiv State University with M.S. in theoretical physics. At the age of 21 my husband, my younger sister and I emigrated to Israel where I pursued my interest in physics teaching. I graduated from Bar-Ilan University earning a Teaching Certification. In 1993 I started working as a middle school mathematics and then high school mathematics and physics teacher. I also worked at the Weizmann Institute of Science where I helped develop workshops for in-service physics teachers. Many of these workshops were focused on the use of technology in teaching (computers, various sensors, computer simulations).

At the Weizmann Institute I realized that I wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in physics education. I enjoyed teaching in Israel, although it was not easy for me, as I had to learn Hebrew and get used to Israeli youth. This was a very important experience for me. The most interesting teaching experience though was my work at the Engineering High School for gifted students at the University of Tel-Aviv. I also coordinated enrichment programs for gifted children at the Weizmann Institute of Science. After my husband graduated with the Ph.D. (in physics) from the Weizmann Institute we decided to continue our education. In 1998 I started a Ph.D. program at the University of Texas in Austin, which I completed successfully in 2001. I investigated the effect of project-based instruction in introductory physics courses for future elementary school teachers on their interest in science. I was very lucky to have Prof. Marilla D. Svinicki as my graduate adviser. Her passion for teaching and for research on teaching and learning coupled with her dedication to her students made a huge difference in my life. She will be forever a role model for me. In 2001 I became involved in the American Association of Physics Teachers and this changed my life forever…

From 2001-2004, I was a post-doc fellow at Rutger University in NJ, where I participated in the projects of the Physics Education Research Group and taught undergraduate physics. I was very fortunate to help establish a physics program at the Douglass College – the Women’s college at the Rutgers University. There we introduced studio-based physics teaching, where the students were tutorial sessions and labs were intertwined and the students could use technology (such as Logger Pro, computer simulations, etc.) to test their ideas. This was a great experience for me. In 2004, my family moved to Vancouver, where I continued doing what I love: teaching physics! I worked at the Department of Physics and Astronomy and at the Skylight – Centre for Science Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Science (till 2007). In May of 2007 I became an Assistant Professor in Physics at Ryerson University, in Toronto, ON. During July 2007 – December 2009 I was involved in a few very interesting technology-related projects, such as the Hewlett Packard Educational Technology Grant (click here.) In the Fall of 2009 I was offered an Assistant Professor position at the University of British Columbia, at the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, where I am currently employed. I enjoyed working with my colleagues very much. I am very excited to be back in Vancouver and continue doing what I love – teach science, work with pre- and in-service teachers and explore how educational technology can help us become better teachers and better learners.

I have a wonderful family. For the past two and a half years I had to commute between Vancouver and Toronto (2074 air-miles one way) and if not for the continuous support of my husband and kids, I would not have been able to do it. My husband is a physicist; he is also a great climber and a marathon runner. I have two very energetic boys (Aviv, who is 16) and Arik (who is 14) both attend high schools in Vancouver. They love sports, reading, being on Facebook or playing online games, and spending time with their friends. Aviv is a ballroom dancer and he loves it and Arik is a climber. When I have free time, I like to read, play tennis, travel with my family and spend time with friends. One of my favourite places in Vancouver is Grouse Mountain. I also love the ocean and the mountains.

My favourite food is sushi and I have learned how to use chop sticks properly. My favourite shows are Seinfeld, Friends and The Big Bang Theory. My favourite short story author is O’Henry and in the summer of 2006 I visited his birth place in Greensboro, North Carolina (during the summer AAPT meeting). I also love taking photographs of nature, my kids and interesting places I have an opportunity to visit.

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