2023 Medal Winners | francais

PRESS RELEASE / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The 2023 Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarship

is awarded to

Kara Deane

"Being chosen as a recipient is a tremendous honor. I feel sincerely grateful and excited to share the joys and wonders of physics with future students. I am committed to creating equitable, accessible opportunities in physics, and this support makes me feel like I can make a genuine difference." winner quote

The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) is pleased to announce that the 2023 Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarship is awarded to Kara Deane, University of British Columbia, in recognition of her excellent academic record and demonstrated ability in designing and delivering physics teaching activities. Additionally, she has made substantial contributions to the promotion and education of STEM subjects through her outreach and volunteer work with youth. Kara’s curiosity is what draws her to physics, and she hopes to share this with students by "[counteracting] narratives that place physics on a pedestal of impossible difficulty and [grounding] abstract concepts in the daily lives of students". announcement

I was first drawn to physics because I was profoundly curious. I was constantly and recursively asking why, always wanting to look deeper, and physics offered answers. I now understand that the power of physics is not just its ability to answer questions and satisfy curiosity, but to inspire questions and ignite curiosity. Physics is a way of experiencing the world with wonder and appreciating the astounding complexity everywhere around us.

Every student deserves the opportunity to experience physics this way, but many students face barriers to doing so. There are widespread misconceptions regarding physics which make it seem inaccessible, whether because of perceived difficulty, underrepresentation of diverse identities, or lack of awareness regarding opportunities in the field. I am becoming a teacher because I want to create opportunities for students to experience physics in a way that is joyful and exciting while building their confidence to positively engage with physics – whether in a university program or in their daily lives.

My love of sharing curiosity and reducing barriers to physics education has led to my involvement in numerous STEM outreach initiatives. I have found immense value in working with youth and draw genuine joy from getting to talk about physics every day. I am excited to continue this work as a high school teacher and am enrolled in a rural teacher education program. I intend to spend my career in rural schools, where the support from this scholarship will be particularly impactful. The intensity of the program means I won’t be able to work this year. Receiving this scholarship will alleviate financial burdens and stress so that I can dedicate myself to learning and serving my students as thoroughly and effectively as possible. nominator citation

ABOUT the Scholarship

The Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarships, valued at up to $5000 each, are awarded annually to one or two physics students with a strong academic record and a demonstrated passion for physics and physics pedagogy. With the help of the Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarship, the winners will pursue a career in physics education at the secondary school level.

The Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarships were set up by the CAP and the CAP Foundation with a generous endowment from the Carswell Family Foundation to raise awareness at all levels of society that physics education is a vital, highly valued and rewarding career path while reinforcing the fact that a major in physics is valuable for many careers, not just research. Educators at all levels are crucial in that they must provide students of all genders and backgrounds with the passion, confidence and science literacy that will inspire them to seek out and succeed in gaining a physics education at the university level. These scholarships were first awarded in 2020. medal description

ABOUT the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP)

The Canadian Association of Physicists, founded in 1945, is a professional association representing over 1600 individual physicists and physics students in Canada, the U.S. and overseas, as well as a number of Corporate, Institutional, and Departmental Members. In addition to its learned activities, the CAP, through its charitable arm - the CAP Foundation, also undertakes a number of activities intended to encourage students to pursue a career in physics. cap description

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For more information, please contact:

Mrs. Francine Ford, Executive Director
Canadian Association of Physicists
Tel: 343-361-3326
E-mail: execdir@cap.ca
www.cap.cacap contact and joint contact