Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova, a physics professor at Texas A&M University, has become an inspiration for women pursuing a career in physics through her viral videos on social media. Despite women accounting for only a quarter of U.S. graduates who earn bachelor’s degrees in physics, Dr. Erukhimova is determined to change the statistics with the help of her TikTok videos.
Inspiring through Social Media
Dr. Erukhimova’s TikTok videos, showcasing her experiments, have gained tens of millions of views over the last two years, sparking curiosity and inspiring viewers to consider physics as a potential career. Her clips can ignite a passion for physics, especially among young women.
Afiya Dhanani, who attended Texas A&M University, was inspired by Dr. Erukhimova’s physics experiments online, especially since she was a female leader. According to Afiya, watching Dr. Tatiana’s videos motivated her to pursue a career in physics. Dr. Erukhimova’s journey began thousands of miles away from Texas, about six hours northeast of Moscow, where she grew up with two physicist parents and later married a physicist, Alexey. Together, they relocated to College Station, Texas, where they both serve as educators.
Promoting Gender Equality in Physics
Dr. Erukhimova is passionate about promoting gender equality in physics and involved in outreach activities. The 2021 study she participated in included 10,000 students, physicists, and other individuals in the sciences. The study revealed that there is no difference between male and female performance on exam scores, a message that Dr. Erukhimova continues to share with her students and viewers.
Former student Nicole Cirigioni praises Dr. Erukhimova’s enthusiasm and dedication to teaching, saying that she cares and wants her students to learn, which motivates them to learn too. Dr. Erukhimova is always looking for ways to celebrate science, and her upcoming event, the “Physics and Engineering Festival” at A&M in April, is expected to attract thousands of people to campus.
Celebrating Science for Everyone
Dr. Erukhimova emphasizes that her Physics and Engineering Festival is open to everyone, and you don’t need to be a scientist to celebrate science, just like you don’t need to be a musician to attend a music festival. Former student Callie Rethman says that Dr. Erukhimova’s videos going viral have brought that celebration everywhere.
Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova’s inspiring efforts to promote gender equality in physics and her dedication to teaching and outreach have made her a role model for young women pursuing a career in physics. Through her viral videos and events like the Physics and Engineering Festival, she continues to inspire curiosity and passion for science among viewers and students.
