James Freericks 2025 Election Bio
2025 National Board of Directors Election Candidate for Treasurer
James Freericks (he, him, his)
Current Position:
Professor and McDevitt Chair,
Department of Physics,
Georgetown University, Washington, DC
James.freericks@georgetown.edu
Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Physics, Princeton University, 1985
Masters of Science, University of California, Berkeley, 1987
Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley, 1991
Professional Experience:
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, McDevitt Chair, Department of Physics, Georgetown University, 1994—present
Physics Department Chair, Georgetown University, 1998-2000
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, 1993-1994
Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1991-1993
Honors and Recognitions:
edX Prize, Finalist, Mathematical and Computational Methods, 2022.
Georgetown University, Provost's Innovation in Teaching Award, 2019.
edX Prize, Finalist, Quantum Mechanics for Everyone, 2018.
American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (Physics), 2018.
Georgetown University Presidential Teacher-Scholar Award, 2017.
American Physical Society Outstanding Referee, 2012.
Alpha Sigma Nu Book Award for the category of Natural Sciences 2009.
Georgetown University Distinguished Achievement in Research Award, 2007.
American Physics Society Fellow (Division of Condensed Matter Physics), 2006.
Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program Award, 1996.
Oak Ridge Associated Universities Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, 1995.
Department of Education Fellowship, 1/89-12/90.
National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, 8/85-8/88.
Kusaka Memorial Prize in Physics, Princeton University, 1985.
Phi Beta Kappa, Princeton University, 1984.
Memberships:
American Association of Physics Teachers
American Physical Society
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Author’s Guild
International Research Group on Physics Teaching (GIREP)
Sigma Xi
AAPT Activities:
Treasurer, 2024 — present
Task Force on AAPT Sections, 2022 — 2025
Editorial Board, American Journal of Physics, 2022 — present
Section Representative of the Chesapeake Section, 2021 — present
Other Professional Activities:
American Physical Society, Committee on Committees, 2022 — present
American Physical Society, Council Steering Committee, 2022 — present
Co-lead National Science Foundation, Workshop to determine the key concepts for quantum information science learners, 2020 — present
Editorial Board, Symmetry, 2020 — present
American Physical Society, Division of Computational Physics, Divisional Councilor, 2020 — 2023
American Physical Society, Council Prize Committee, 2020 — 2023
Department of Energy, Chair, INCITE Review Panel, Materials, Microscopic Methods, 2019 — 2024
American Physical Society, Division of Computational Physics, Secretary Treasurer 2012 — 2018
Department of Energy, Panel Lead, Quantum Materials Report, 2016 Editorial Board, Scientific Reports, 2015 — 2021
Candidate Statement:
I am passionate about the long-term health of the AAPT. We are in a challenging phase of AAPT’s history, with total membership decreasing, and significant costs from the pandemic, and the post-pandemic world creating fiscal challenges. AAPT has also suffered from the cancellation of a number of grants used to support mission-based activities with the new governmental administration. I have been a member of AAPT for almost 30 years. Over the past two years, as your Treasurer, I have embarked on a campaign to assist with balancing the budget, increasing the reserves and the ability for AAPT to safely use that income, and preparing for future impacts that can affect earnings and spending. In education, I am driven to find a better way to teach quantum mechanics to both our majors and those who will enter the quantum workforce. I believe the way we teach this material has a huge influence on the diversity, equity, and inclusion of our students. My book, entitled Quantum Mechanics Done Right will be coming out in the Fall of 2025 with Springer; of course, it will be green open access. I have significant administrative experience from my work at the American Physical Society. As Secretary/Treasurer of the Division of Computational Science, In the past, I have successfully led campaigns to fund the Metropolis Thesis Prize ($90,000) and the Rahman Award ($300,000) at APS and I have participated in their association-wide governance through their Council. I have read the strategic plan and am committed to supporting it through my work. As a parent in a multiracial family, I have always felt that DEI is critically important for the association, as well as for our society as a whole.
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