AAPT
2012 Annual Report
3
President – Jill Marshall
AAPT is a great organization to be part of—and
right now we are moving in exciting directions.
2012 saw our finances continuing on the
sound heading set in 2011 by my predecessor
David Sokoloff, Executive Officer Beth Cun-
ningham, and the Senior Management Team.
We went into 2012 with a net surplus in the
operating budget and a balanced budget for
the first time in recent memory, and, even af-
ter restoring funds borrowed from long-term
reserves the previous year, left the year with a
slight profit in operations. We are enjoying a
very different outlook from what we were facing when I
came on the board only a few years ago.
2012 was also a great year for our national meetings.
Both the winter meeting in Ontario and the summer meet-
ing were highly successful in terms of attendance and in
terms of staying within budget. In Philadelphia, a record
number of 62 pre-college teachers were part of High School
Teachers Day at SM12. Plenary talks included such lumi-
naries as Brian Greene, Kip Thorne and the animators from
Dreamworks who brought us the physics of “Puss N Boots”
and “How to Train Your Dragon”- not to mention Benjamin
Franklin, himself, brought to life in a one-man show.
Other notable accomplishments of 2012 included:
• Establishment of the Next Generation PTRA initiative
• Input into the development process for the Next Gen-
eration Science Standards and other policy issues.
• Establishment of the Undergraduate Curriculum
Task Force.
• Continuation of the trend to enhance Board effec-
tiveness with short-term Ad Hoc committees on key
objectives and Priorities Discussion as part of the
Board agenda
• Support of ALPhA tandem conferences and immer-
sion experiences, as well as negotiations for a new
AAPT/ALPhA undergraduate research award spon-
sored by TeachSpin.
2012 also saw many challenges for AAPT, among them
ensuring the viability of our existing awards by developing
their endowments. As of the end of 2012, our only fully en-
dowed award was the Paul W. Zitzewitz Award for Excel-
lence in Pre-College Physics Teaching. which was generous-
ly endowed by Paul and his wife Barbara. Funding for the
Melba Newell Phillips Medal was down to a dangerously low
level in 2012. This is a good sign of the many women and
men who merited this honor based on “creative leadership
and dedicated service” to AAPT, but also a call to rebuild
the endowment. I am pleased to say that 2013
will see a major campaign to fund the Phillips
Medal.
Recruiting and maintaining members con-
tinued to be a challenge in 2012, particularly
outreach to high school teachers, our largest
membership category, graduate students and
early career educators. In 2012 we continued
to evaluate and develop our relationships with
other organizations, from our Sections to relat-
ed organizations such as the American Physi-
cal Society, with whom we are investigating the
possibility of regular joint meetings in the future.
Upon leaving the Presidency, I feel compelled to acknowl-
edge my appreciation for the relationships I have developed
and the valuable collaboration of others in the presidential
chain and in the Executive Office. It has been a privilege
to work with Beth Cunningham, Mike Brosnan, Tiffany
Hayes, Marilyn Garnder, Erwin Campbell and others in
the Executive Office, including Patch Hicks and RaShonda
Rosier, who joined us in 2012. I am grateful for Alex Dicki-
son’s statesmanship, David Cook’s patient and thoughtful
diligence (and grammatical expertise!), David Sokoloff ’s
chudspeh and bold leadership in dealing with finances, Gay
Stewart’s ability to do so many things at one time and Mary
Beth Monroe’s enduring wisdom and counsel. I know that
AAPT will be in capable hands as Mary Mogge joins the
Board in 2013. I take a brief moment to note the fact that
for the first time in our history there will be four women in
the presidential chain of AAPT in 2013- and reflect on the
support our organization has always given to women, from
Melba Phillips on.
Although it happened after the end of 2012, I also feel
compelled to acknowledge the passing of Paul Zitzewitz,
who did so much for AAPT, including, most recently, two
terms as Treasurer. I am grateful that Steve Iona was willing
to return to the Board, after so many years of service as Chair
of the Section Reps and AAPT Executive Board Secretary, to
fill Paul’s unexpired term. Indeed this is a remarkable orga-
nization, made remarkable by its diversity and its incredible
spectrum of dedicated, capable and generous members.
As I write this, Gay Stewart is already in full charge as
AAPT President, and serving as a strong leader for our orga-
nization. I look forward to 2013 with her at the helm, and to
the many opportunities and challenges it will bring.
Regards,
Jill Marshall
