Plenaries

• • • 2020 AAPT Fellows Awardee

    • PL14
    • Wed 07/22, 11:00AM - 12:30PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Mel Sabella
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • Jose D'Arruda, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC

• • • 2020 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award, Deborah Mason-McCaffrey

    • PL09
    • Tue 07/21, 1:30PM - 2:30PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Mel Sabella
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • Should Engineers be Teaching Physics?: There are a significant number of engineers teaching Physics at the secondary level. There are data to quantify that. The data are sparse, however, when we ask how many engineers teach physics in 2-year, 4-year, andR1 institutions. If the technology allows, we will take a quick look into that question by polling meeting attendees. So, should engineers be teaching physics? My answer is a qualified ‘Yes.’ We’ll examine a few pros and cons, and some stereotypes. We would be wise to acknowledge that engineers are, indeed, trained to think differently than physicists, which influences our approaches to problem-solving. We also know that teaching can involve things that are difficult to measure; such as building rapport, respect and community. I would like to show how those un-measurables, in concert with my experiences as an engineer, have shaped my approach to teaching physics. I try to balance careful planning and structure, with flexibility and treating teaching as a prototype product that can be continuously improved. And, finally, I will talk about being part of the significant growth in the Physics minor at Salem State University (Massachusetts).

• • • 2020 Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award: James Kakalios

    • PL02
    • Sun 07/19, 12:30PM - 1:30PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Mel Sabella
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • Superheroes and Public Outreach (No Spandex Required): Costumed superheroes seem to dominate our movie and television screens, making them an excellent delivery system to bring real physics to students and the general public. While the super-powers thesecharacters possess clearly violate the laws of nature, often times how the super-heroes and super-villains utilize their powers is consistent with known physical laws. One can therefore leverage the public’s interest in these characters to illustrate and explain the physics principles that underlie their fantastic adventures. A discussion of the strength of Spider-Man’s webbing can lead to the real physics of carbon nanotubes. What metal would be strong enough for Wonder Woman’s bullet deflecting bracelets? One can draw the connection between the Black Panther’s vibranium suit and conservation of energy, while the Infinity Stones (the MacGuffin in 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe films) can be connected to Emmy Noether and her theory explicating a deep connection between all conservation principles and symmetries in the laws of physics. People come for the superhero ice cream sundae and stay for the real science. If superheroes can help explain physics and the benefits of research in the classroom and to the general public – well, it wouldn’t be the first time these heroes have saved the day

• • • 2020 Millikan Medal, David Cook

    • PL10
    • Wed 07/22, 11:00AM - 12:00PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Mel Sabella
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • For years, I have posted on the wall of my office a slightly paraphrased quotation that is credited to John Stuart Mill: “Students who are never required to do what they think they cannot do never discover what they can do.” Confidently attempting the (seemingly) impossible is an important component of individual—and I think also of departmental—growth. Students’ growth is damped if they are never gently nudged to attempt the impossible. Departmental growth is limited unless the department regularly undertakes coordinated ambitious activities that may initially seem unlikely to succeed. My own department at Lawrence provides my case study. As Metropolitan opera star Beverly Sills once said, ``You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.’’

• • • 2020 Paul W. Zitzewitz Excellence in K-12 Teaching Award, Ann Walkup

    • PL05
    • Mon 07/20, 1:30PM - 2:30PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Mel Sabella
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • Let's All Do Physics!: Integrating Special Education Accommodations in Physics Curriculum Cranston High School East is both the largest and most diverse high school in Rhode Island according to US News and World Report, with 60% minority students and46% economically disadvantaged. Many are transient, have unconventional families, do not speak English, or have mental/physical disabilities. Many would think these students incapable of learning physics. This is a travesty; anything can be taught once you find common ground. I take the time to learn students’ stories, connect with their backgrounds, and make what I teach relevant to their lives. I enable them to feel successful and confident in their abilities. I find common ground and make physics concepts relatable on their terms. The vocabulary in many textbooks is unapproachable because many students are reading below grade level. Even glossaries use convoluted terminology in definitions. Books and technology can be intimidating; not every student is technology-savvy. Despite all that, no student is unteachable; they just need to be better understood by their teacher. As physics teachers, we need to teach the students in front of us, tailor what we are teaching to what they need to learn, and most importantly, teach them to be curious lifelong learners.

• • • 2020 Recipients of the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT

    • PL11
    • Wed 07/22, 11:00AM - 12:00PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Mel Sabella
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • Douglas Brown and Dan Burns are the 2020 recipients of the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT.

• • • APS Plenary - Artemis Spyrou, Michigan State University

    • PL08
    • Tue 07/21, 11:00AM - 12:30PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Jan Mader
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • Nuclear Science: Rare Isotopes at FRIB and what to do with them - Nuclear Science as a field has been around for more than 100 years. Many of its mysteries have already been explored, but there are still important open questions that the field is trying to address even today. One of the big questions is how neutrons and protons combine together to form bound systems (isotopes) and what are the properties of each combination. At Michigan State University (MSU) there is a 50-year history of producing and studying the rarest of these isotopes. Some can be used for practical applications for the benefit of society, and others live for fractions of a second and are only important in explosive stellar processes. The next generation rare isotope laboratory for the US, the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) is currently under construction at MSU. FRIB is expected to give us access to roughly 1000 new isotopes, never before created or studied in a lab. In this talk I will discuss how rare isotopes are produced at FRIB and the important scientific questions that FRIB will address. I will also present resources that were developed by the facility’s outreach team to help scientists and teachers bring the science of FRIB into the hands of students of any age.

• • • APS Plenary - Wolfgang Bauer, Michigan State University

    • PL07
    • Tue 07/21, 11:00AM - 12:30PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Jan Mader
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • The Physics of Green Energy: The near-exponential increase of greenhouse gas emissions due to human activity and the associated global warming are established facts.   At present, humans consume approximately 20 TW of average power, overwhelmingly supplied by fossil fuels.  What does it take to supply this amount of power from renewable resources?  There are physical limitations (Betz Limit, Shockley-Queisser Limit, storage cycle efficiency, raw materials constraints, …), but there are also economic and financial ones. This presentation will try to give a global perspective as well as a local perspective, with the campus of Michigan State University as a sample of what has been, what can be, and what needs to be accomplished.

• • • Mildred Boveda, Arizona State University, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College

    • PL03
    • Mon 07/20, 10:00AM - 11:00AM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Jan Mader
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • Intersectionality and Transdiciplinarity in Physics Education: Recent studies raise awareness of the nature of diversity and inclusivity concerns and propose best practices for reducing bias for women, LGBTQ+ students, racially/ethnically minoritized students,, and students with disabilities in physics education. While considering individual sociocultural categories (e.g., gender) in isolation has its merit, it is insufficient to adopt a unidimensional approach when attempting to address the disparities in representation and opportunities in physics. Instead, the simultaneous influence of multiple sociocultural identities such as age, gender, citizenship, class, dis/ability, ethnicity, linguistic origin, and sexuality must be considered. Faculty must also examine how interconnected sociocultural identities—their own, those of students, and of other educators—influence curricular decisions and pedagogical practices, as well as power dynamics in the classroom. Scholars in equity-based education communities (e.g. bilingual and special education), ethnic studies, and women, gender, and intersectional studies can inform how physics educators may collaboratively locate and address biases in curriculum and pedagogical practices, including those related to overlapping and interconnected oppressions. Intersectional consciousness will thus be present as a collaborative approach to advancing intersectionality and transdisciplinarity in physics education

• • • PERC Bridging Session Q&A (LIVE STREAM)

    • PL12
    • Wed 07/22, 2:30PM - 3:30PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider:
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • The PERC theme this year is "Insights, Reflections, & Future Directions: Emergent Themes in the Evolving PER Community." The bridging session explores the theme. The bridging session panelists represent diverse experiences in physics education research (PER) and/or discipline-based education research (DBER). To promote meaningful discourses about the history, current status and future projections of PER. Thus, the hour-long panel will be uniquely focused on communal reflections on the role of physics education research in many contexts, looking at the past, present, and future of PER.

• • • President's Town Hall (Live Stream)

    • PL06
    • Mon 07/20, 3:30PM - 4:30PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Speaker: Chandralekha Singh
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • AAPT Board continues to be excited to work with all our members to enact our new 2019 strategic plan consistent with our mission, vision and core values, which has the following broad goals: (1) continue to engage and invigorate the vibrant community of physics students and physics educators, (2) enhance professional development opportunities for physics educators, (3) enhance the visibility and role of AAPT as an expert on physics education policy and practice, and (4) enrich the field by supporting the diversity of physics students and educators at all levels. Please join us at the 2020 Summer President’s Town Hall Meeting for a session in which you will have an opportunity to ask questions and give suggestions to those in the AAPT Presidential Chain and the Executive Officer about moving forward with our strategic plan. The session will start with a short overview by the President and then will be followed by videos of the candidates running for various AAPT Board positions this Fall. Then a Q&A and discussion will follow in which the AAPT members, those in the Presidential Chain and the Executive Officer will engage.

• • • Welcome and Orientation

    • PL
    • Sun 07/19, 10:00AM - 10:30AM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider:
      
    • Type: Plenary

  • • Andrew Barnard, Michigan Technological University

    • PL01
    • Sun 07/19, 10:30AM - 11:30AM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Jan Mader
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • Acoustics: A Model for Interdisciplinary Research and Teaching in Physics: What gets students excited for STEAM careers? In my experience, it is interdisciplinary subjects that can spark interest in students of all backgrounds. I entered the field of Acoustics because it was so interdisciplinary. Acoustics is a core area of physics, but also fills knowledge areas in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, biology, arts, theater, medicine, computer science, and other disciplines. A background in acoustics is a broad introduction to the physical principles of science and engineering. In this talk, I will share insights from my interdisciplinary program in acoustics from both a research and teaching perspective. Anecdotes from the classroom will be presented as well as overviews of varied interdisciplinary research topics from underwater sensing to carbon nanotube speakers. I will share my passion for the field of acoustics and show how it transitions into the success of students on many, varied career paths.

• • • Zahra Hazari, Florida International University

    • PL04
    • Mon 07/20, 11:00AM - 12:30PM (EDT)
    
    
    • Presider: Jan Mader
      
    • Type: Plenary
    • STEP UP: A Social Movement to Promote Cultural Change in Physics - Physics, as a field, is developed and maintained by a community, and thus reflects historic and modern cultural norms set by that community, both consciously and unconsciously.  This includes how physics is defined, what it means to do physics, and what it means to be a physicist.  In order to shift cultural meanings to be more inclusive and equitable, we need to reflect on the norms and collectively work to disrupt those norms that marginalize groups and limit advancement.  One approach is to pose counternarratives that disrupt narrow stereotypic viewpoints.  Counternarratives are central to the STEP UP project, which focuses on mobilizing thousands of physics educators to inspire young women in physics. STEP UP presents counternarratives to students through lessons/materials that explicitly discuss the role of bias in the field and highlight a broad range of careers/goals pursued by diverse individuals with a physics degree.  Another counternarrative is presented through the agents of change who lead the movement – teachers. In a culture that undervalues teachers and teaching as a profession, a powerful counternarrative is that teachers can collectively affect cultural change.  Given this framing, the presentation will feature Zahra Hazari, the plenary speaker, as well as teachers who are helping to lead the way: Bree Barnett Dreyfuss, Colleen Epler-Ruths, Brian Kays, John Metzler, and Laura Sloma.