Robert A. Millikan Medal

No new nominations will be accepted.

Established 1962

The Robert A Millikan Medal recognizes those who have made notable and intellectually creative contributions to the teaching of physics. The recipient delivers an address at an AAPT Summer Meeting and receives a monetary award, the Millikan Medal, an Award Certificate, and travel expenses to the meeting. Self-nomination is not appropriate for this award. Preference in the selection of the recipient will be given to members of AAPT.

This award has been renamed.

In the spring of 2021, the AAPT Board of Directors voted unanimously to remove Robert A. Millikan’s name from the award that recognizes “those who have made notable and intellectually creative contributions to the teaching of physics.” This decision follows the recent decision by Cal Tech to remove Millikan’s name from buildings based on his participation in the eugenics movement through affiliation with the Human Betterment Foundation, an organization which supported eugenic sterilization research.

The Board of Directors have unanimously approved renaming the award to the Lillian McDermott Medal with the citation “Lillian McDermott Medal recognizes those who are passionate and tenacious about improving the teaching and learning of physics and have made intellectually creative contributions in this area”.

Award Winners

2021

Gregory E. Francis, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT

“Two Red Bricks: Is A Good Lecture Better Than No Lecture At All?”

2020

David M. Cook, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI
“Attempting the (seemingly) Impossible”

2019

Tom Greenslade, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH
"Adventures with Oscillations and Waves"

2018

Kyle Forinash, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN
"Breaking Out of the Physics Silo"

2017

Kenneth Heller, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
"Can We Get There from Here?"

2016

Stephen M. Pompea, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, AZ
"Knowledge and Wonder: Reflections on Ill-Structured Problem Solving"

2015

Robert A. Morse, St. Albans School, Washington, DC
"Facets of Physics Teaching-Pedagogical Engineering in the High School Classroom"

2014

Eugenia Etkina, Rutgers University
"Students of Physics: Listeners, Observers, or Collaborative Participants?"

2013

Harvey Gould, Clark University, Worcester, MA
"New Challenges for Old Physics Departments"

2012

Philip M. Sadler, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
"Separating Facts From Fad:  How Our Choices Impact Students' Performance and Persistence in Physics"  UStream video

2011

Brian Jones, Colorado State University
"All I Really Need to Know About Physics Education I Learned in Kindergarten"

2010

Patricia M. Heller, University of Minnesota
"Guiding the Future: Developing Research-based Physics Standards"-

2009

Arthur Eisenkraft, University of Massachusetts
"Physics for All: From Special Needs to Olympiads"

2008

Eric Mazur, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
"The Make-Believe World of Real-World Physics"

2007

David Sokoloff, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
"Building a New, More Exciting Mouse Trap is Not Enough"

2006

Art Hobson, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
"Thoughts on Physics Education for the 21st Century"

2005

John S. Rigden, Washington University in St. Louis, MO
"The Mystique of Physics: Relumine the Enlightment"

2004

Kenneth S. Krane, Oregon State University
"The Challenges of Teaching Modern Physics"

2003

Fred M. Goldberg, San Diego State University
"Research and Development in Physics Education: Focusing on Students' Thinking"

2002

Simon George, California State University
"Global Study of the Role of the Laboratory in Physics Educations"

2001

Sallie A. Watkins, University of Southern Colorado
"Can "Descriptive" End with "A"?", Am. J. Phys.70, (2002).

2000

Thomas D. Rossing, Northern Illinois University
"Beauty in Physics and the Arts", Am. J. Phys.69, 248 (2001).

1999

Alan Van Heuvelen, The Ohio State University
"Research About Physics Learning, Linguistics, Our Minds, and the Workplace", Am. J. Phys.69,1138(2001).

1998

Edward F. Redish, University of Maryland
"Building a Science of Teaching Physics: Learning What Works and Why", Phys. Teach.37, 136 (1999).

1997

David Griffiths, Reed College
"Is there a Text in This Class?", Am. J. Phys.65, 1141 (1997).

1996

Priscilla W. Laws, Dickinson College, Phys. Teach.34, 470 (1996).

1995

Dean Zollman, Kansas State University
"Do They Just Sit There? Reflections on Helping Students Learn Physics", Phys. Teach.33, 421 (1995).

1994

Frederick Reif, Carnegie-Mellon University
"Understanding and Teaching Important Scientific Thought Processes", Phys. Teach.32, 454 (1994).

1993

James A. Minstrell, Mercer Island High School
"Creating an Environment for Reconstructing Understanding and Reasoning about the Physical World", Phys. Teach.31, 332 (1993).

1992

Robert G. Fuller, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
"Hypermedia and the Knowing of Physics Standing Upon the Shoulders of Giants", Am. J. Phys.61, 299 (1993).

1991

Don Herbert, Mr. Wizard Studios
"Behind the Scenes of Mr.Wizard", Phys. Teach.29, 488 (1991).

1990

Lillian C. McDermott, University of Washington
"What We Teach and What Is Learned Closing the Gap", Am. J. Phys.59, 301 (1991).

1989

Peter Lindenfeld, Rutgers University
"The Einsteinization of Physics", Am. J. Phys.58, 300 (1990).

1988

Robert G. Greenler, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
"Beetles, Bubbles, and Butterflies Iridescence in Nature", Phys. Teach.26, 331 (1988).

1987

Donald Glenn Ivey, University of Toronto
"Educational Television An Oxymoron?", Am. J. Phys.55, 1068 (1987).

1986

Mario Iona, University of Denver
"Why Johnny Can't Learn Physics from Textbooks I have Known", Am. J. Phys.55, 299 (1987).

1985

James Gerhart, University of Washington
"Handling Numbers", Am. J. Phys.54, 492 (1986).

1984

Earl F. Zwicker, Illinois Institute of Technology
"Life, Learning, and the Phunomenological [sic] Approach"

1983

Gerald F. Wheeler, Montana State University
"The Emerging Telecommunications Network: New Conduit to Learners", Phys. Teach.21, 452 (1983).

1982

Paul G. Hewitt, City College of San Francisco
"The Missing Essential A Conceptual Understanding of Physics", Am. J. Phys.51, 305 (1983).

1981

Albert A. Bartlett, University of Colorado at Boulder
"Are We Overlooking Something?", Am. J. Phys.49, 1104 (1981).

1980

Thomas D. Miner, Garden City High School,(ret.)
"Prides and Prejudices of a Physics Teacher", Phys. Teach.18, 411 (1980).

1979

Alexander Calandra, Washington University
"The Art of Teaching Physics", Phys. Teach.17, 498 (1979).

1978

Alfred Bork, University of California at Irvine
"Interactive Learning", Am. J. Phys.47, 5 (1979).

1977

C. Luther Andrews, State University of New York at Albany
"Microwave Optics", Phys. Teach.15, 343 (1977).

1976

Tung Hon Jeong, Lake Forest College
"Holography", Am. J. Phys.44, 1026 (1976).

1975

Harold A. Daw, New Mexico State University
"Physics Instructional Apparatus and Things"

1974

Harald Jensen, Lake Forest College
"A Retired Physics Teacher Reminisces", Am. J. Phys.42, 1049 (1974).

1973

Frank Oppenheimer, The Exploratorium
"Teaching and Learning", Am. J. Phys.41, 1309 (1973).

1972

Arnold A. Strassenburg, State University of New York at Stony Brook
"The Evolution of Physics Teaching", Am. J. Phys.40, 1729 (1972).

1971

Harry F. Meiners, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
"Problems of Science Education in Underdeveloped Countries", Am. J. Phys.39, 468 (1971).

1970

Franklin Miller, Jr., Kenyon College
"A Long Look at the Short Film", Am. J. Phys.39, 3 (1971).

1969

John M. Fowler, University of Maryland
"Content and Process in Physics Teaching", Am. J. Phys.37, 1194 (1969).

1968

Alan Holden, Bell Telephone Laboratories
"Artistic Invitations to the Study of Physics", Am. J. Phys.36, 1081 (1968).

1967

Gerald Holton, Harvard University
"Oildrops and Subelectrons", Am. J. Phys.35, 905 (1967).

1966

Alan M. Portis, University of California, Berkeley
"Electrons, Photons, and Students", Am. J. Phys.34, 1986 (1966).

1965

John G. King, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"The Undergraduate Physics Laboratory and Reality", Am. J. Phys.34, 1058 (1966).

1964

H. Victor Neher, California Institute of Technology
"Millikan: Teacher and Friend", Am. J. Phys.32, 868 (1964).

1962

Paul E. Klopsteg, Northwestern University
"The Early Days of the American Association of Physics Teachers"