
The Lillian McDermott Award in Physics Education Research
The award recognises the most outstanding poster presentation in the field of physics education research at the annual meeting of the Institute of Physics Higher Education Group.
About Lillian McDermott
Lillian McDermott was a pioneer in the field of physics education research and a passionate advocate for improving physics education through careful study of the conceptual difficulties encountered by students.
She was a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), and a recipient of the AAPT Oersted Medal. She also received the International Commission on Physics Education Medal presented by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.
Lillian McDermott was the lead author of Physics by Inquiry and Tutorials in Introductory Physics. Over a long and distinguished career, she positively influenced many generations of students as well as the wider physics community.
The Award
This award comes with a prize of £150 and a certificate.
Eligibility
- the winner must be a member of the IOP Higher Education Group
- the first author must be a student registered for the current Variety in Chemistry Education/Physics Higher Education Conference
Selection criteria
Poster presentations are judged on the basis of:
- excellence in physics education research design, research methodology, and analysis of results;
- originality of the poster layout and format; and
- effectiveness of communication.
Winner
The 2021 Lillian McDermott Award winner
Sophie McDougall, University of Glasgow: “Belonging and Engagement for a Successful Transition to Higher Education.”
Special mention
Eilidh Hudson, University of Glasgow.
Nabihah Rahman, Rebekah Christie, Jessie Durk, and Amy Smith, Imperial College London.