eNNOUNCER April 2015
Dwain Desbien to Receive the AAPT 2015 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching
AAPT has announced that Dwain Desbien will receive the 2015 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching. Read more »
David Weintraub Named as Recipient of the 2015 Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award
David A. Weintraub of the Vanderbilt University Department of Physics and Astronomy, is the 2015 recipient of the Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award. Read more »
Gillian Winters to Receive 2015 Paul W. Zitzewitz Excellence in Pre-College Teaching Award
The 2015 Paul Zitzewitz Excellence in Pre-College Physics Teaching Award winner is Gillian Winters, a New York State Master Teacher and high school physics teacher from St. James, New York. Read more »
2015 AAPT Summer Meeting Service Awards
The Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT will be awarded to Kathleen Harper, Jill Marshall, Marie Plumb, Scott Schultz, and Albert Thompson during the 2015 Summer Meeting in College Park, Maryland.
Announcing the AAPT Speakers Bureau
The AAPT Speakers Bureau was created to provide suggestions for SPS chapters, physics departments, and others seeking speakers on various physics-related topics. It is now available online. Members are invited to Register as a Speaker. You are encouraged to share this resource with other members who would qualify for the Speakers Bureau or are looking for a great physics speaker. Read more »
AAPT's Ementoring Webinar Series
The 2015 Ementoring webinar Series:
January 12 - SimBucket with SimBucket developer Chris Bruce (recording available)
February 9 - Modeling Method of Instruction in Physics with Colleen Megowan-Romanowiscz, CEO of the American Modeling Teachers Association
March 9 - Interactive Lecture Demonstrations with author David Sokoloff
April 13 - Physics Classroom with developer Tom Henderson
May 11 - Technology Integration with high school teacher Dolores Gende
June 8 - Bootstrap: Algebraic Videogame Programming for the Physics Classroom, with Emmanuel Schanzer, founder of Bootstrap
If you are interested in becoming an AAPT e-mentor or a mentee and participating in these webinars, please do not hesitate to contact Rebecca Vieyra at ementoring@aapt.org.
New to eMentoring - Instant Mentor
Are you an early-career high school physics teacher who sometimes wishes you had "immediate" feedback from an experienced mentor, but don't need a full mentorship pairing? If so, consider seeking help through the AAPT's free Program new "Instant Mentor" option, and a registered eMentor volunteer will get back to you within 24 hours or sooner. Submit your request for an instant Mentor at ementoring.aapt.org.
A Study of Light: In Celebration of The International Year of Light
AAPT members have access to this new resource comprised of articles on light that were previously printed in the American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher and edited by Chris Chiaverina.
Additionaly, as a member society of the American Institute of Physics members can enjoy the information and photos in celebration of light shared in the Emilio Segre Visual Archives.
Have your Students Applied for a Yamani Membership?
Each year, AAPT awards several two-year Hashim A. Yamani AAPT Memberships, which are regular electronic memberships and include electronic only access to copies of the American Journal of Physics, The Physics Teacher, and Physics Today. If your students are planning to become a teacher, or have just graduated and started teaching, tell them to apply for a Yamani Membership today!
Nominate Someone for a Harold & Charlotte Mae Fuller Fund Membership
AAPT is committed to increasing the effectiveness of Physics education not just in North America, but all across the world. Thanks to the Harold Q & Charlotte Mae Fuller Fund, AAPT is able to give out a number of complimentary memberships to physics teachers in developing countries. If you know a physics teacher in a developing country, nominate them for an AAPT membership.
2015 AAPT Summer Meeting
The Summer Meeting is just months away! Join us right outside of the nation's capital at the University of Maryland - College Park, July 25-29 for 5 days of professional development and networking with colleagues from across the globe.
Registration opens in early April. Preview the sessions and workshops. Also, visit the meeting website to learn more about the opportunities for Child Care Grants.
Special Projects SM15 Grants
Maybe you've been invited to present at AAPT. Or, perhaps you have a great idea for a contributed talk or poster or want to present in a workshop. If funding is holding you back, AAPT might be able to help. There are limited funds (awards range from $200 to $1200 with a total of $2500 for all awards) to help AAPT members attend the 2015 Summer Meeting in College Park to make a presentation. The application is now available. The committee will determine the recipients by the first week of April, so please submit your abstract. Read more »
High School Physics Teacher Camp
AAPT is sponsoring a HS Physics Teacher Camp on Sunday, July 26th in College Park, MD, the site of the AAPT Summer Meeting. The Camp is a self-organizing opportunity for teachers of high school physics classes to discuss topics such as inquiry labs, standards-based grading, video analysis, and computer-based labs. The registrants will determine the topics. There will also be an expectation to share something about your teaching with the group. The cost for the day is about $20, but you must apply to be invited. More information will be forthcoming.
2015 High School Physics Photo Contest
The 2015 contest began March 1. The contest is open to high school students in grades 9-12. Teachers register on the AAPT website and receive a confirmation code that their students can use to submit their entries (essay and photo). Photos may be entered in either the Natural photo or Contrived photo category. The top 100 entries will be displayed and judged during the 2015 Summer Meeting in College Park, MD. Learn more!
F=ma Semifinalists Announced!
The semifinalists have been selected from those who took the 2015 F=ma Exam. View the list of semifinalists.
Consider Submitting an Entry to the Apparatus Competition
The AAPT Apparatus Competition recognizes, rewards, and publicizes worthwhile contributions to physics teaching through lecture demonstrations, instructional laboratory equipment, and interactive exhibits. The Competition is held annually during AAPT's summer meeting and is open to all members with entries targeting all levels of physics education from K-12 to undergraduates to the general public. See the entry selection criteria. Entrants must notify the Apparatus Competition Director in June 2015 of their intention to enter the 2015 Apparatus Competition, including a statement about services required to display the apparatus. An official application packet with entry form, rules of eligibility and judging, safety guidelines, and competition requirements is available on the AAPT website.
Outstanding Student, Teaching Assistant, and Learning Assistant Year-end Awards
The American Association of Physics Teachers is pleased to provide end of year academic excellence award materials as a service to members for promoting excellence in physics education. The three recognition awards help honor their top students, teaching, and learning assistants. The awards are linked from aapt.org and at the Awards and Recognition Programs page. Access to the award materials for 2015 is a benefit of your membership and requires your login. The deadline for submitting your awardees is June 1, 2015.
The Frederick and Florence Bauder Endowment Grant
The Frederick and Florence Bauder Endowment provides grants to support special activities in the area of physics teaching. The deadline for applications to request funds is July 1, 2015. Learn more ».
AAPT-ALPhA Award is Now Open for Nominations
AAPT and ALPhA (Advanced Laboratory Physics Association) have announced the AAPT/ALPhA Award for undergraduate physics students who have executed, mastered, and left as a legacy for future students an advanced laboratory experiment. Do you have a student (or team of students) who might be interested in taking up the challenge to build an experiment new to their own department and possibly receive national recognition, attend a national AAPT meeting, present an invited talk, and receive a check for $4,000? The nomination process is now open. Applications need to be completed by September 1, 2015. If qualified candidates are proposed, we anticipate presenting the first award at the 2016 AAPT Winter Meeting in New Orleans. Read more or Apply. Funding for this award, for the first five years, is provided by TeachSpin, Inc.
Save the Date
Summer 2015 Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop
The New Faculty Workshop will be held June 22-25 at the American Center for Physics in College Park, MD.
2015 Physics Department Chairs Conference June 5-7
Physics Department Chairs are invited to register online for the annual AAPT/APS Physics Department Chairs Conference to be held in College Park, MD. The schedule for the conference and the registration information can be found on the conference website.
AAPT/APS Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs
The AAPT/APS Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs is hosting a "Town Hall" meeting on Saturday, April 11, 6 - 7 pm in the Hilton Baltimore Hotel in the Holiday 3 room as part of the APS April Meeting. The Joint Task Force is charged with producing recommendations and guidelines for undergraduate physics programs that effectively prepare students for a diverse set of careers. The Town Hall meeting provides an opportunity to hear an update on J-TUPP activities and provide suggestions and comments to the Task Force.
The Inclusive Astronomy Conference
The Inclusive Astronomy conference will be held at Vanderbilt University from June 17-19, 2015. Registration is now open!
The content of the meeting is being organized under four broad topical areas: barriers to access; inclusion and access to power, policy, and leadership; creating inclusive climates; and establishing a community of inclusive practice. Each broad area will contain presentations, breakout sessions, and workshops. Contributed science posters and posters on inequity/inclusion are welcome. Travel grants and child care accommodations are available through the registration site.
How Long Would It Take You To Fall Through Earth?
Suppose you dug a tunnel through the center of Earth, jumped in, and let gravity pull you through. How long would it take you to reach the other side of the planet? For decades, physics students have been asked to calculate that time and have been taught that the correct answer is 42 minutes. Now, a more realistic analysis has lopped 4 minutes off that estimate. The new calculation, which appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Physics, doesn't merely add more detail about the structure of Earth. It also explains why you can replace one overly simple assumption with another equally crude one and still get a much more accurate answer. Read the AJP Article. Also read the story in Science Magazine.
Michael Winer, Wins Top Prize in Intel Science Talent Search
Michael Hofmann Winer, 2014 US Physics Team Silver Medalist, won the First Place Medal of Distinction for Innovation, at the 2015 Intel Science Talent Search. This medal celebrates finalists who demonstrate the problem-solving aptitude of an engineer through innovative design and creativity. Read more »
Hydrogen Bomb Physicist's Book Runs Afoul of Energy Department
AAPT member, Kenneth W. Ford, a physicist who helped devise the Hydrogen bomb more than half a century ago spent his career in academia. His new book, "Building the H Bomb: A Personal History," is attracting significant attention. Read more »
AAPT K-12 Program Manager Position
The American Association of Physics Teachers seeks an experienced high school physics teacher to serve as its first K-12 Program Manager. The K-12 Program Manager will be responsible for developing new programs and enhancing existing programs that support the professional development of K-12 teachers of physics. Read more »
Summer Teaching Opportunities: JHU's Center for Talented Youth
The Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth (CTY) is seeking energetic instructors and teaching assistants to work in their summer programs.
Session 1, June25 - July 18
Session 2 July 18 - August 8
Dates may vary according to site. Read more »
Free Internship Job Posting on AAPT Career Center
AAPT has an online jobsite that offers free 60-day internship job postings. To post internships online at AAPT visit http://jobs.aapt.org/. Locate the best fit for your organization by reaching the future of the science community – AAPT members. Valid intern-level opportunities are defined as limited-term (up to 12 weeks) employment for current undergraduates or recent bachelor degree recipients with financial compensation (if any) in the form of a modest salary or stipend. "Internship" Job Level must be selected when posting to access this offer.
AAPT Career Resources
Two new articles have been added to the AAPT Career Center Resources.
How to Obtain and Write References
Your Question Answered about Job Interviews, Part 1
If you missed our most recent webinar, The Interview: What you need to do before, during and after getting the job, a recorded version in available here.
Jobs Announcements from the Career Center
Upper School Science Teacher Position - Physics
The Park School of Baltimore
http://jobs.aapt.org/jobs/6940549
Physics Faculty - Tenure-track
Harford Community College
http://jobs.aapt.org/jobs/6940872
Encourage Enrollment in Introductory Physics Courses with PMM
Help potential new students to see the value of introductory physics by sharing this link to Physics Meets the Monsters (PMM). Funded by AT&T, PMM is made by the same nonprofit team that created this TED-Ed physics video, with over 300,000 views. Share PMM with your students and your colleagues so that they might pass it on to pre-physics students. Let's all bang the drum for enrollment in introductory physics courses.
Not Just for Smart Dead Guys
When you tell a student about Isaac Newton's third law of motion, they nod and smile—until you start talking about gravity. They grow suspicious when you tell them that they exert an attractive force on Earth. High-school physics teacher, Anthony Rennenkamp and his students recreate Henry Cavendish's famous gravity experiment in the March Physics Today paper.
Telling the Stories of Women and African Americans in the Physical Sciences
The American Institute of Physics, Center for History of Physics, is seeking six K-12 teachers for a four-day workshop, July 20-23, in College Park, MD. The Center is developing curriculum on the history of women and African Americans in the physical sciences, to highlight the diversity of achievement in science by individuals of many backgrounds. Teachers will interact with the team of researchers and suggest changes and additions that best meet classroom needs. Participants will receive a stipend of $100/day ($400), travel costs, and meal costs. AIP will provide hotel accommodations. Materials to be critiqued may be found at our website. Requirements for applicants »
One Stop Shop for STEM Teachers
Check out STEM Opportunities — "the one stop shop" for STEM teachers! Are you looking for professional development opportunities, grants, conferences or opportunities for students? Stem Opportunities has them all!
Set Your Physics Today Preferences
AIPP, publisher of Physics Today makes this publication available as part of your AAPT membership. With their recent change in vendors, members may now choose to receive print or digital copies of Physics Today at no additional cost. You will continue to have online to Physics Today. Read how to set your preferences.
Rock the LHC Video Contest
The High Energy Particle Physics Group at the University of Notre Dame will host a public video contest called "Rock the LHC," from March 23 - May 31, 2015. Participants are invited to create short videos about why they are interested in the research at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The goal of the video contest is to celebrate particle physics and the U.S. contributions to the LHC. Read more ».
Society for College Science Teachers Award
Do you know an outstanding science teacher?
Nominations are being accepted now for the Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher Award (OUSTA). Presented annually by the Society for College Science Teachers (SCST), the award recognizes the efforts and achievements of an outstanding science teacher based upon teaching, scholarship, and service. The award includes a cash prize and support to attend the 2016 SCST national conference. Students or faculty can make nominations for this award, and self-nominations are encouraged, and due by June 30, 2015. More information » or contact the awards chair, Heather M. Scherr.
Nominations Now Open for 2015 U.S. Professors of the Year
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 U.S. Professors of the Year awards. The deadline for all entries is Monday, April 13.
Sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and administered by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the awards program is the only national initiative that focuses solely on excellent undergraduate teaching and mentoring. The program offers excellent opportunities for colleges and universities to draw positive attention to teaching excellence across campus and throughout the community and region. Read more »
APS Education Awards Nomination Open
Award for Improving Undergradute Physics Education
This award recognizes departments and programs that support best practices in education at the undergraduate level. Nominations are being accepted until July 15. Learn more »
APS Excellence in Physics Education Award
This award recognizes and honors a team or group of individuals, or exceptionally a single individual, who have exhibited a sustained commitment to excellence in physics education. Nominations are being accepted until July 1. Learn more »
National Science Foundation Announces Plan for Comprehensive Public Access to Research Results
The National Science Foundation (NSF), announced its continued commitment to expand public access to the results of its funded research through the publication of its public access plan, Today's Data, Tomorrow's Discoveries. NSF's public access is intended to accelerate the dissemination of fundamental research results that will advance the frontiers of knowledge and help ensure the nation's future prosperity. NSF will require that articles in peer-reviewed scholarly journals and papers in juried conference proceedings or transactions be deposited in a public access compliant repository and be available for download, reading and analysis within one year of publication.
NASA Educator Professional Development Program Will Fly Again in 2015
AAPT Members, David Marasco and Dan Burns, have been selected to participate in NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy program, known as SOFIA.
Burns teaches physics at Los Gatos High School and Marasco is a physics professor at Foothill College in Los Altos. Both will go on a flight with 27 other educators to join NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy on missions later this year. Read more »
Summer 2015 Workshops
The American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) has posted their Summer 2015 workshops. Workshops are scheduled for the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas. Internationally in Hong Kong. The information is subject to change so check the site every so often to see if now your state offers a Modeling™ workshop!
ASU Modeling Workshops in Physics and Chemistry
Four modeling workshops (June 8-26, June 15-26, July 6-24, 2015) for high school physics, chemistry, and physical science teachers nationwide are offered by Arizona State University in Tempe. The program can lead to a Master of Natural Science degree. Low-cost family housing. Pre-service and TYC teachers are welcome, too. Modeling Instruction is designated as an Exemplary STEM program by Change The Equation. The American Physical Society gave it the 2014 Excellence in Physics Education Award. More Information »
ASU Master of Natural Science Degree for High School Teachers
Arizona State University has an interdisciplinary Master of Natural Science (MNS) degree in physics for high school teachers. Courses are in summer, and the degree is founded on Modeling instruction. Teachers in 15 western states can apply for IN-STATE tuition; the deadline is APRIL 1. More details ». For Information ».
Membership Connections
AAPT is pleased to provide a set of membership referral materials to help you encourage a college to become a member. As Dan Schroeder, a life member put it, "the main reason to be a member of AAPT is to support all of the great work accomplished by the Association." Additionally, membership connects you with a world of physics educators who are working to enlighten society through excellence in K-20 teaching. You can find the new member referral poster, pass along card, and bookmark online in the Membership Recruitment Kit. To request printed copies to share with colleagues, email aaptmembership@aapt.org.
More from your Membership, Join your AAPT Community
Did you know that you can connect with your colleagues by joining an AAPT Email Discussion List? There are more than 20 different lists/communities available. Find the list that matches your career interests at http://www.aapt.org/Resources/lists.cfm. Contact your Member Services Department at 301-209-3333, or by e-mail at membership@aapt.org if you need assistance, or have further questions.
Social Media @ AAPT
AAPT wants to connect with you on social media! Stay abreast of the latest AAPT and physics-related news. We invite you to like us, follow us, connect with us, and pin us. You can find us here:
Section News - April 2015
To list your section meeting in the AAPT Calendar of Events, e-mail the information to mgardner@aapt.org. See the December 2014 Section News.
- Illinois Section
Apr 10, 2015 - Apr 11, 2015
Spring Meeting
Principia College
Elsha, IL
Email: Pat Sievert
- Chicago Section
Apr 11, 2015
Spring Meeting
Glenbrook South High School
Glenview, IL
Email: Gordon Ramsey
- Northern California-Nevada Section
Apr 24, 2015 - Apr 25, 2015
Spring Meeting
PASCO Headquarters
Roseville, CA
Email: Lee Trampleasure
- Southern California Section
Apr 25, 2015
Spring Meeting
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA
Email: Jeff Phillips
- Long Island Section
Apr 25, 2015
Spring Meeting
Manhasset High School
Manhassett, NY
Email: Tania Entwistle
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