Rate My Professor Sara Cormier

Cormier's contributions extend across teaching innovation, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she spearheaded the shift to online delivery for PHYS 1A03, training faculty, teaching assistants, and students on tools such as Zoom and iClickers, and developing home-lab kits that enabled hands-on experiments at home, earning media attention in Physics World. As a core team member, she contributed to the complete redesign of PHYS 1A03 and implemented enhanced training programs for teaching assistants emphasizing pedagogy, EDI, Hippo-on-Campus training, and Mental First Aid. She mentors undergraduate students, preparing them for presentations at the Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference, where McMaster teams won more awards than any other university. In outreach, Cormier organizes Elevate: A Day for Inclusion in Science, an annual event for Grade 10 students from equity-seeking groups featuring workshops and talks to foster belonging; she developed the Girls in Science program for high schoolers and an online physics contest for teams. Through the Ontario Association of Physics Teachers, she presents on pedagogy and EDI, and co-created a database of underrepresented physicists for classroom use. Recognized as a Science Champion and recipient of McMaster University's President's Award for Outstanding Service in 2020, Cormier's efforts significantly enhance accessibility and inclusivity in physics education and the broader scientific community.