Reflections Ahead of My Talk at the Fields Institute On January 31st, I will have the honour of presenting at the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences in Toronto, speaking about an issue that has shaped much of my… Read moreBridging Research and Practice in STEM Teacher Education
April 26, 1986 (almost exactly three month after the Challenger disaster) is a day I will never forget. My uncle and aunt had invited me to spend the weekend at their cottage by a lake near Kharkiv, where we… Read moreForty years later: Challenger, Chernobyl, and the cost of weak STEM foundation
As the end of the year approaches, it is an opportune moment to pause and reflect on the state of Canada’s K–12 public education system. Since 2010, I have been deeply involved in teacher education in British Columbia, working closely… Read moreCanadian K-12 Teaching Crisis
I have just finished teaching my undergraduate and graduate courses for future and practicing STEM teachers. With grades submitted, I finally have the space to pause and reflect—not only on my students’ learning, but on my own experience as a… Read moreGrades Submitted, Questions Remain: Teaching STEM in the Age of AI
I feel very fortunate to be able to present our science outreach work to the colleagues at the Department of Physics at Aarhus University this summer. These exchanges of ideas allow us to learn from each other and to improve… Read moreEngaging Students in Physics: Innovative Outreach at UBC
Every year, early March I have an opportunity to write about the the event that is very near and dear to my heart – the UBC Physics Olympics . This allows me to share how much pride I feel for… Read more46th UBC Physics Olympics – Great Success
As I am getting ready to start a new academic year, I keep thinking about what I will carry on from the past and what I will try to do differently this year. I also keep thinking about what I… Read moreNew Academic Year: Old challenges and new possibilities
As the school year is coming to an end, it is a great opportunity to reflect on the highlights of this year for me. I would like to mention 7 special opportunities I had this year that made it all… Read moreEngaging students in STEM
Dear physics enthusiasts and friends: This Saturday, more than 700 secondary students from all over BC travelled to UBC to participate in the 45th Annual UBC Physics Olympics: https://physoly.phas.ubc.ca/ . It was our first face-to-face post-pandemic event and I am… Read more45 UBC Physics Olympics in Numbers
This year, for the first time in my life I had an opportunity to visit a rodeo. Even though my Ph.D. is from the University of TX, I never had a chance to see a real rodeo there. I also… Read moreNew Academic Year – Have a Great Ride
