Diana Sachmpazidi

Diana Sachmpazidi is an Assistant Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She holds a joint appointment in the College of Science and teaches courses such as PHYS-211 University Physics I, PHYS-295 Physics Research, and PHYS-790 Graduate Research & Thesis. Her work integrates physics education research with departmental change initiatives, emphasizing inclusivity and systemic transformation in STEM education.

Her research focuses on understanding institutional cultures, graduate student persistence, and the implementation of equitable practices through projects like the Departmental Action Leadership Institute (DALI) and AGEP pilots. Dr. Sachmpazidi has contributed to developing survey instruments for assessing departmental climates and has published extensively on topics including familial capital, assessment frameworks, and team-based instructional change.

Her recent work examines how physics departments can leverage data-driven approaches to foster cultural shifts, particularly around racial equity and student agency. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles since 2016, with a focus on both physics education research and nuclear physics experiments related to single-particle structures in neutron-rich isotopes.

Dr. Sachmpazidi's computational physics projects include integrating numerical modeling into introductory labs and developing internet-based problem-solving tools. She actively participates in national initiatives to improve undergraduate STEM education through collaborative faculty teams and student-faculty partnerships.