eNNOUNCER September 2020
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AAPT News
2020 AAPT Board of Directors Election
The election of officers for the AAPT Board of Directors will begin in September. Student members are eligible to vote in this election for the first time. Members with a paid through date greater than or equal to 7/31/2020 will receive instructions in mid-September through email or, if no email is on file, through the mail to help you vote electronically. Be sure your email address and membership are current so you can participate. Learn more about the candidates.
Davies Named as First Recipient of the Doc Brown Futures Award
AAPT has announced that the recipient of the Doc Brown Futures Award is Kenric Davies. He has the honor of being the first recipient of this new award. The Doc Brown Futures Award recognizes early-career members who demonstrate excellence in their contributions to AAPT and physics education and exhibit the potential to serve in an AAPT leadership role. The award will be presented during the 2021 Virtual Winter Meeting. Read more
SM20 Highlights
Almost 1200 physics educators joined in AAPT's first large scale, multi-event conference using a virtual platform. The result of the 2020 Virtual Summer Meeting indicates that after six-months of teaching in virtual classrooms from K-12 through graduate school, physics teachers have adjusted well to this new format. Read more
WM21 Abstract Submissions
The 2021 AAPT Winter Meeting will be held virtually January 9-12. AAPT is now accepting abstract submissions until October 2, 2020. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to present your research and share your teaching methods with other physics educators from around the globe. Click here to submit an abstract.
Join Us for the AAPT Virtual Coffee Hour and Remote Instruction Share-a-thon
AAPT is working to help our members communicate with one another to provide the best physics education possible. AAPT members bring questions about physics education (taken broadly) to discuss and share their experiences in a confidential setting.
Please join us for these events!
Check the calendar for next Virtual Coffee Hour. Check your in-box for an invitation. Please make sure you RSVP (marketing@aapt.org) to the event. Everyone who RSVPs will be sent log-in instructions a few hours prior to the call. We hope you can join us!
AAPT One Minute Survey - September 2020
Please take a minute to complete this survey on online learning. Click here to take the survey. Last month's survey results.
Help Support AAPT!
We are living in incredibly challenging times right now. Many physics educators have been impacted and had to change their classes mid-spring from in-person to remote learning. AAPT has been on the forefront providing resources to help with this transition. However, we need your support to continue AAPT's programs and resources. Gifts to the AAPT Annual Fund support the everyday operations of AAPT, from inspiring excellence through educational programming to recognizing award winning physics professionals, all critical pieces in supporting the advancement of physics education. Many of these programs run year round that need your support--donate today to the Annual Fund to make a difference!
AAPT Career Center
No matter what degree you hold or what level you are in your career, the AAPT Career Center is here to help make your job search a more manageable and fulfilling process.
While here, you can:
View job listings for careers at every level, with filtering tools to help you locate exactly what you want
Browse career advice articles to help keep your ambitions fresh and your goals attainable
Brush up on industry trends and employment reports so you can plan your next career pivot
Watch webinars geared towards assisting scientists and engineers in their development
Join the AAPT Career Center today to kickstart your journey towards a job that works for you.
AAPT Books Program - Calling All Authors!
We are interested in hearing from authors who desire to publish books in the areas of physics content, the history and philosophy of physics, physics education research, and the application of pedagogical techniques in physics. Book topics must fit within the AAPT mission of “enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching.” Send questions about authoring an AAPT book to eo@aapt.org.
PTRA
Good news for pre-college teachers would like help with some lessons. PTRAs are developing lessons (about 1 hr in length) on physics topics relevant to your classroom. These are in video and ppt format and will be available in August. For more information contact us or visit the website where we will post the options when they are available and hope to continue adding to the list during the next year. If you want to help develop lessons we welcome your input. Just contact us.
Interested in teaching some basic quantum concepts to your students? PTRAs are developing learning cycles that can be easily implemented into your curriculum. If you want to be part of the process check out the information on https://quantumforall.org/
AAPT Programs
Support the U.S. Physics Team - Donate Now
Each year AAPT sponsors a competition for high school students to represent the United States at the International Physics Olympiad Competition. The mission of the U.S. Physics Team Program is to promote and demonstrate academic excellence through preparation for and participation in the International Physics Olympiad. AAPT is responsible for recruiting, selecting and training teams each year to compete in the International Physics Olympiad Competition. Your contribution is needed to support these high school students as they prepare to represent the U.S. internationally. Donate now!
2021 F=ma Contest
A decision on the status of the 2021 F=ma exam will be made in October.
Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop
Physics and Astronomy faculty who are in the first few years of their teaching appointments are invited to attend the online Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop, October 15-17, 2020.
Faculty should register at
https://portal.aapt.org/Event.aspx?EventKey=NFAC_F20
by Friday, September 18 for primary consideration. The registration fee is $45, payable as part of the registration process.
Get the Facts Out - Become a Champion
Help change the conversation about becoming a physics teacher this upcoming year by using some of the many helpful hints and resources on the GFO website If you haven't done so already, check out the updated resources and learn more about how to respond to your students when they ask about becoming a teacher. If you use any of the GFO resources or messaging you can also promote your program on the GFO map by registering as a GFO Champion and sign up to receive our newsletter.
New Fellowship Opportunity for Underrepresented Minority Teachers of Physics
A joint project from the American Institute of Physics and the American Association of Physics Teachers is starting and we are looking for applicants. Eligible applicants should be Black, African American, African, Black LatinX, Black Caribbean, and those who identify within the African Diaspora and are either a current, recent, or pre-service physics Teacher. Read more
STEP UP Workshops
Join STEP UP for trainings on the Careers in Physics and Women in Physics lessons before we start this new year. Our trainings will be held via Zoom and cover recommendations for teaching these lessons in-person and remotely. Join us by indicating your interest here.
STEP UP Online Community
STEP UP has launched a new online community (hosted by APS Engage)! You can join using existing APS credentials, or sign up for a free account. We have subcommunities for High School Teachers, Faculty/Professors, and Undergraduate Students, plus a central board for sharing ideas on encouraging young women to pursue physics degrees. Join in the conversation today!
PhysTEC Teacher of the Year Announced
Congratulations to Bouakham Sriri-Perez of Duncan Polytechnical High School in Fresno, CA, the 2020 PhysTEC National Teacher of the Year! Sriri-Perez was nominated by PhysTEC institution California State University, Fresno. Each year, one national winner and several local winners are recognized for their exemplary work as high school physics educators. Teachers are nominated by PhysTEC member institutions. Get to know this year's awardees
Funding Awarded for Two PhysTEC Regional Networks
Congratulations to Texas A&M University - Commerce and Stony Brook University! These physics teacher education programs have been awarded PhysTEC funding to build regional networks in Texas and southeastern New York & increase support for fellow educators. By forming regional networks, programs can aid each other in their efforts to recruit future physics teachers, obtain additional program funding, and garner support from administrators. Learn more
AAPT Membership
AAPT Member Spotlight
Lin Ding
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
Read More
Delivery Options for Print Journals
Many of you receive the print editions of our journals at your workplace, which you may not have access to currently. We wanted to provide you with instructions on how to update your preferred mailing address in your member profile.
- 1. Log in to www.aapt.org and sign in.
- 2. Click on MY ACCOUNT.
- 3. Click the EDIT button (pencil) under ADDRESSES.
- 4. Address preferences should be listed on the right side.
As always, if you need assistance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us (membership@aapt.org, 301.209.3333).
Membership Renewal
We appreciate our community of members, and we are here to serve you. If you have any difficulties renewing your membership or have any membership-related questions, please do not hesitate to contact us in the Membership Department at 301.209.3333 or membership@aapt.org.
Member Discounts Now Available!
AAPT Members can now take advantage of major discounts at retailers such as Hertz, Office Depot/Office Max and HotelEngine.com. You save a percentage of your bill and a portion of the proceeds helps to support AAPT as well! Be sure to check the Member Discounts Program page for details.
What Do You Want Your Legacy to Be?
Teachers make a difference. Given the chance, most of us would like to leave a legacy to organizations we valued in our lifetime. You help shape the future. AAPT can help you determine what you want your legacy to be-to your family, to your fellow teachers, and to tomorrow's future teachers. Planned Giving creates opportunities for you to make a lasting difference to physics education and AAPT. Consider including AAPT in your estate and financial plans. Click here for more information or contact eo@aapt.org
New AAPT Member Benefit: Up to 25 Free Downloads of AIP Journals Every Year
AAPT has partnered with AIP Publishing on a valuable new benefit. AAPT members now have access to 25 free article downloads every year from any of the AIP Publishing journals
This is an exclusive AAPT member benefit. Access any one of the journals in this list, now by clicking the 'SIGN IN' link in the right hand corner, and logging in with your Scitation username and password. Access the full text of an article from the journal by going to the article page and clicking either the "PDF" download or the "FULL TEXT" menu buttons. You will then be given an option to use one of your AAPT member credits to access the article. If you do not have a Scitation username and password e-mail Scitation and let them know.
Articles you download will be saved in your Scitation profile. AAPT members receive 25 free downloads each year as long as their membership remains in good standing.
Thank you for supporting AAPT, and we hope you enjoy this new membership benefit.
Call for Award Nominations
The AAPT Awards Committee invites nominations for all of AAPT awards, citations, and medals. We are particularly interested in nominations for AAPT Fellows and for the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT.
Infusing Engineering into the Science Classroom
Join other teachers seeking to integrate engineering into their science classroom with this unique professional development opportunity. Headed by AAPT/AIP Master Teacher Policy fellows Matthew Peterie and Andrew Edmondson, you will learn from experienced and skillful teachers. The cost will be $385 for individual attendee which includes your registration for the year long program and meals for the two days at Olathe Northwest. If a group of teachers from a building or district would like to attend, reduced pricing is available. After registering your team by completing the form below, subsequent correspondence will make arrangements for payment. Sign up here
OSTP/NSF working group on Quantum Information Education
The OSTP/NSF working group on Quantum Information Education finished its report and there was a NSF press release. Read more. Also click here for full report.
Gender Gap Project Webinar
The Gender Gap Project, funded by the International Science Council and eleven partner organizations, aims to help reduce the gap between women and men in their careers in science. Three complementary approaches were developed: a Global Survey of Scientists, a Study of Publication Patterns by gender, and a Database of Good Practice to guide improvements. The Gender Gap Book, "A Global Approach to the Gender Gap in Mathematical, Computing, and Natural Sciences: How to Measure It, How to Reduce It?", published in June 2020, contains the project findings and recommendations. This webinar, moderated by Mark Cesa (USNC/IUPAC member and member of the Gender Gap coordination group), features three of the women who wrote chapters for the book. Susan White (American Institute of Physics), Helena Mihaljevic (University of Applied Sciences, Berlin), and Merrilyn Goos (University of Limerick, Ireland) will each speak about their contributions to the project as well as next steps. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT via Zoom. Registration for this webinar is free. Click here to register.
In the News
Let U.S. K-12 Educators Know: Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Application is live!
The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program is a yearlong professional learning opportunity and short-term exchange for elementary, middle, and high school educators from the United States to develop skills to prepare students for a competitive global economy. Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms equips educators to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration.
The Living Physics Portal is now seeking beta users!
The Living Physics Portal is a new online environment for physics faculty to share and discuss free curricular resources for teaching introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS). The objective of the Portal is to improve the education of the next generation of medical professionals and biologists by making physics classes more relevant for life sciences students. We are currently looking for beta users to contribute curricular materials to this early version of the site, browse our existing collection of high quality materials from our team, and give us feedback on the site. To learn more about what's available in the beta version of the site, and what will be available in the future, see what's available and what's coming and become a beta tester. To get involved in our upcoming in-person events, see our events page.
JavaScript Physlet Physics Now Available
The new JavaScript edition of Physlet Physics is now available from the Open Source Physics ComPADRE Collection. The original functionality and interactivity of Physlets is maintained and all 800+ Illustrations, Explorations, and Problems are mobile friendly and ready-to-use by students without installing any additional plug-in. Try them out on AAPT-ComPADRE at: www.compadre.org/physlets/
Career Toolbox for Undergraduates
The Careers Toolbox for Undergraduate Physics Students is a set of tools and exercises designed to help undergraduate physics students prepare to enter the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce. Tools range from exploring the common job titles of physics bachelor's to preparing for interviews, and are all geared specifically for physics students. This resource is brought to you by the American Institute of Physics and the Society of Physics Students. The 4th Edition is now ready for use.
Help students find the right grad program. Tell them about GradSchoolShopper.com
Advise your students to check out GradSchoolShopper.com, the most complete directory of graduate programs in the physical sciences. Students headed for graduate school can use this FREE service to search by degree programs, admission deadlines, research specialties, faculty profiles, GRE requirements, and more! New 2020 departmental data is now available. If your program isn't listed, contact us to find out how to have it included.
Physics Careers
Recruit STEM Interns from the Best Job Sites for FREE!
The AAPT Career Center offers no-cost postings to employers recruiting seasonal interns. Locate the best fit for your organization by reaching the future of the science community - the AAPT membership, as well as the members and student members of the American Physical Society (APS Physics), AVS Science and Technology, and the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma.
Get the word out! Your posting will also appear on the Physics Today Jobs site, which when combined with the job sites of the organizations mentioned above forms the ultimate online science, engineering, and computing career network, ensuring maximum relevant visibility for your internship. Visit https://jobs.aapt.org/employers/ to get posting!
Jobs Announcements from the Career Center
Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow
Department of Energy
Click here for job description.
Assistant Professor
Princeton University
Click here for job description.
More Physics Resources
Social Media @ AAPT
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Section News
Please submit your Section Report for the AAPT Section News. To list your section meeting in the AAPT Calendar of Events, e-mail the information to mhall@aapt.org. See the Fall 2019 Section News.
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© 2020, American Association of Physics Teachers
Table of Contents
Featured Journal Articles
American Journal of Physics
Electromagnetic radiation and the self-field of a spherical dipole oscillator
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The Physics Teacher
Why Are There So Few Women in Physics? Reflections on the Experiences of Two Women
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