eNNOUNCER June 2018
AAPT News
2018 Summer Meeting
Meeting Program
The 2018 AAPT Summer Meeting Program is now available on-line. Click here to view the date and time of all plenaries, sessions, committees meetings and special events.
Registration
The early bird registration date has passed, but you can still save money by registering before the Advanced Registration deadline of June 26. Please click here for more information.
Dorm Alternative
The Cambria Hotel and Suites Washington, D.C. is located four blocks from the conference hotel (Renaissance WDC Hotel) and three blocks from the Mt.Vernon Sq./Convention Center Metro stop. All single/double rooms are available at the special rate of $115 per night (plus applicable tax). All guest rooms must be booked by the cut-off date of July 7, 2018. It is recommended that you make your reservation early, since the room blocks can sell out before the cut-off. Please click here to make a reservation.
AAPT Child and Dependent Care Grants
AAPT has small grants available for those looking to attend the Summer Meeting, but would like help with the extra cost of childcare, eldercare or care for an adult child with disabilities. Please click here for more information and an application form. The deadline date to submit your application is June 15, 2018.
AAPT Travel Grants
The Special Projects and Philanthropy Committee has limited funds (awards range from $200 to $1200 with a total of $5,000 for all awards) to help AAPT members attend an AAPT National Meeting to make a presentation. The AAPT Board of Directors approved an additional $10,000 for grants to support travel for high school and two year college faculty who are from underrepresented groups and/or from institutions whose students are predominantly underrepresented. Please click here for more information. The deadline date to submit your application is June 15, 2018.
Raffle Ticket to the National Museum of African American History and Culture
AAPT is raffling off tickets to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the documentation of African American life, art, history, and culture. The African American History Museum is Washington, D.C's newest Smithsonian museum and tickets are in high demand and hard to come-by. See registration page to enter raffle.
DC Trolley Tour
Join us for an entertaining and family-friendly sightseeing adventure around Washington DC on Tuesday, July 31. In this hour long tour you will be picked up at the conference hotel, driven by the Capitol, White House, Smithsonian, Washington Monument and the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. When the tour is over you will return to the hotel just in time to join your fellow colleagues at the summer meeting demo show. This is a great opportunity to get out and experience Washington’s top attractions. Please click here to register.
Tour of NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP) during 2018 AAPT Summer Meeting
Tour the Weather Operations floor of NCWCP on Friday, July 27 and see satellite data being modeled into forecasting for ocean conditions, precipitation, tropical storms, climate and more! Learn more about the Science On a Sphere. You will see the input, analysis, and output model side of this National Weather Service operation. Registration required. Please click here to register.
2018 Summer Awardees
Frank Noschese to Receive 2018 Paul W. Zitzewitz Excellence in K-12 Teaching Award
AAPT has announced that the 2018 Paul Zitzewitz Excellence in K-12 Physics Teaching Award winner is Frank Noschese, a physics teacher at John Jay High School in Cross River, NY. Read more
Bradley S. Ambrose to Receive the AAPT 2018 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching
Bradley S. Ambrose will receive the 2018 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching during the AAPT Summer Meeting in Washington, DC. Read more
2018 Millikan Medal Awarded to Kyle Forinash
AAPT has announced that Kyle Forinash will receive the Robert A. Millikan Medal during the 2018 Summer Meeting in Washington, DC. This award recognizes educators who have made notable and intellectually creative contributions to the teaching of physics. Read more
Clifford V. Johnson Named as Recipient of the 2018 Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award
College Park, Maryland, United States, March 8, 2018—The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) announced today that Clifford Victor Johnson, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, is the 2018 recipient of the Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award. The lecture and award will be presented during the AAPT Summer Meeting in Washington, DC Read more
2018 Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT Announced
AAPT has announced that Ximena C. Cid, Jose D'Arruda, Joy Elaine Gwinn, Warren W. Hein, and David P. Jackson will receive the association's Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT, during the 2018 Summer Meeting in Washington, DC.
Enter the 2018 AAPT Apparatus Competition
The AAPT Apparatus Competition is held each year at the Summer Meeting, this year in Washington DC. There are two main categories, Low Cost and Unlimited. Pasco has again graciously sponsored the prizes, $1000 for First Place. The Application Deadline is June 15, 2018. Please consider entering one or more of your Physics Apparatus in the competition.
The entry form is located at aapt.org/Programs/contests/upload/entryform.
The rules and other information can be found at
aapt.org/Programs/contests/apparatus.
eAlliances: Uniting Isolated Women Physicists and Astronomers
Everyone needs mentors, but how do you find other women physicists who understand your experience-- as the only Hispanic in the department, the only PER researcher, the only full-time physicist at your TYC, the only one who brings a newborn in a sling to department meetings? Join eAlliances, an NSF-sponsored faculty development project for women physics faculty, and become part of a peer-mentoring alliance with other women who share many of your same experiences.
Why me?
• Connect with other women physicists and astronomers
• Get and give advice and affirmation
• Gather a variety of insights to help you address professional issues
• Address work-life balance issues
• Receive encouragement and support in achieving your goals
This is professional development for your career stage: whether you are teaching your first or hundredth section of intro physics; mentoring your first or hundredth research associate, or leading your first or hundredth committee meeting. Someone else has a similar experience and can share insights, frustrations, and successes.
To join: Register at eAlliances.aapt.org
PTRA
The PTRA leadership institute will be held in conjunction with the PIRA/ALPHA conference at Loyola University in Baltimore July 25-28, 2018. Due to the nature of PTRA, there will be some sessions that are exclusive such as updates from the Perimeter Institute and discussion of implications of NGSS and future physics resources. PTRAs will host a one day workshop on July 24 for K-8 educators in Baltimore on behalf of the AAPT pre-HS committee. There will be no charge for this workshop, but spots will be limited.
AAPT Programs
2018 U.S. Physics Team
After a rigorous search involving two exams, the American Association of Physics Teachers has identified the top contenders as members of the United States Physics Team. They come from California, Florida, Indiana, Illinois Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas, They attend public schools, charter schools, online schools and home schools.. There are high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Read more.
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 US internationally. Donate now!.
2018 AAPT PhysicsBowl Contest Results!
Results for the 2018 AAPT PhysicsBowl Contest have been posted. Check Results Here!.
Physics Department Chairs Conference
Date: June 7 - 9, 2018
Registration is now open for the 2018 Physics Department Chairs Conference! Designed by chairs, for chairs, the program will feature topics of significant interest to chairs, including strategies for increasing physics majors, managing faculty effectively, tying the curriculum to physics careers, promoting diversity and inclusion, and more. There will be a number of opportunities for networking and discussion, including receptions and breakout sessions by institution type. Learn more.
PhysTEC Teacher of the Year - Now Accepting Nominations
The PhysTEC Teacher of the Year program aims to recognize outstanding high school physics teachers and to demonstrate the impact and value of physics teacher preparation programs at PhysTEC member institutions (PhysTEC membership is free!). Learn more and nominate a physics teacher today.
PICUP Workshop on Integrating Computation into Undergraduate Physics Courses
July 15-20, 2018 - Workshop registration is now closed.
The Partnership for Integration of Computation into Undergraduate Physics (PICUP), an informal group of physics faculty from around the country, is committed to building a community of STEM educators dedicated to integrating computation into the undergraduate curriculum. Towards this end, PICUP invites all physics faculty to consider attending the Summer Faculty Development Workshop to be held on the campus of the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, from Sunday, July 15 through Friday, July 20, 2018. The purpose of this week-long workshop is to guide participants in developing their own computational educational materials, and in formulating a plan for implementing these materials in their upcoming courses. All local expenses will be covered for participants at the River Falls Workshop, and there may be some limited funding for round-trip travel to River Falls.
Go to www.gopicup.org for more details on this workshop and other PICUP events.
Gordon Conference on Physics Research and Education on "Energy as a Subtle Concept"
June 10-15 2018
Bryant University - Smithfield, RI
This Gordon Research Conference seeks to bring together physics research scientists and physics education researchers for discussions, talks and posters on how energy is taught within the undergraduate curriculum, and howcutting edge research is allowing educators to consider new methods and models for teaching energy concepts. The format of the Gordon Research conferences (maximum 200 attendees, off the record policy, all plenary sessions, small campus location, and afternoons off for discussion) promote conversation, collaboration, and community building. Registration is now open.
AAPT Membership
AAPT Member Spotlight
Idaykis Rodriguez
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Read more
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.
Applications Now Being Accepted for Jossem Fund Grants
Applications are currently being accepted for the E. Leonard Jossem Fund. The E. Leonard (Len) Jossem International Education Fund provides grants to individuals in support of international programs dealing with teaching and learning of physics. The fund will be available for two different categories:
• Collaborations between U.S. and developing countries. Funding should facilitate interactions and exchanges of ideas between U.S. physics educators and/or students and those in developing countries.
• International meetings and conferences focused on physics education. Meetings and conferences should involve direct contact between physics educators and furnish the interactions that stimulate new ideas and lasting collaborations. Students and faculty with limited resources can apply for funding to attend international meetings and conferences.
The Jossem Fund invites applications from physics educators who are AAPT members at any academic stage or rank. Only AAPT members may apply. Awards will range from $200 to $2,000. Applications must be received by late spring or early summer (deadline is the same as the Special Projects Fund) for consideration during the 2018 fiscal year. Applications will be reviewed by the Special Projects and Philanthropy Committee. Click here for more information.
Public Policy and Advocacy Activities at the AAPT 2018 Summer Meeting
Are you interested in learning about and engaging in Policy and Advocacy work around science and science education? AAPT can support you! AAPT is offering workshops and sessions at the upcoming Summer Meeting and several pre-conference webinars on advocacy (including a webinar on June 18th focusing on engaging in advocacy). Take advantage of the opportunity to meet with your Members of Congress while in Washington, DC and educate them on the issues that are important to you. Congress must hear from you, their constituents, about the importance of science and education. Increasing the quality of science education is critical to helping the nation strengthen its global competitiveness by preparing a workforce for the 21st century. AAPT is working with Bethany Johns (American Institute of Physics) and Scott Franklin (Rochester Institute of Technology) to provide support for Summer 2018 AAPT meeting attendees who want to engage in congressional visits. Click here for more information.
Science. Power. Policy Part II
Monday, 18 June, 8 PM EST (Washington, DC)
You are the most influential person to your elected official and they want to hear from you. You are the expert and a voice for your profession, your colleagues, and your students. Elected officials need to hear from you, otherwise they may make decisions on complex issues, such as science and education, that are misinformed. Being engaged and having a relationship with your elected officials is important. The upcoming webinar will teach you the logistics on how to begin a long, productive relationship with your elected officials, whether you meet them in DC, in the district, or communicate online. Register for this webinar here.
Active Learning in Introductory Physics Courses: Research-Based Strategies that Improve Student Learning
June 19-21, 2018, Portland, Oregon
Designed for those who teach introductory physics at universities, colleges and high schools. Graduate credit will be available through the University of Oregon.*
Instructors: David Sokoloff, University of Oregon and Ronald Thornton, Tufts University
Participants will be introduced to research-validated, classroom-tested strategies for each component of the introductory course that have been demonstrated to improve learning. Read more.
The National Science Foundation Directorate for Education and Human Resources
(EHR) is hosting a FREE Webinar on June 14, 2018 from 1:00-3:30 pm ET.
NSF Program Officers and Staff will highlight current funding opportunities available at NSF targeting underrepresented groups in STEM and Minority Serving Institutions. Funding opportunities for programs like NSF INCLUDES, ADVANCE, LifeSTEM, IUSE, ITEST, GRFP and many others will be highlighted. Representatives from all four divisions in EHR will be represented.
•Division of Research on Learning
•Division of Graduate Education
•Division of Undergraduate Education
•Division of Human Resource Development
In addition, Q & A opportunities with Program Officers will be provided during the webinar.
Administrators, faculty, researchers, evaluators, and other STEM education leaders working to broaden participation in STEM in formal and or informal contexts are encouraged to attend.
Please register here as soon as possible.
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.
Concerned about the Future of Science?
Stay informed with FYI: Science Policy News from AIP. Your membership with AAPT makes it possible for AIP to provide accurate, objective, and comprehensive updates on science policy and funding.
FYI has been a trusted source of science policy news for more than two decades. Readers learn about legislative and executive branch policy developments, agency appointments, and funding important to the physical sciences community. By staying informed about policy developments, we can better shape the future of science. Sign up for free at: aip.org/fyi.
In the News
David Pines, 2013 J.D.Jackson Award Winner Dies
David Pines,winner of the 2013 John David Jackson Excellence in Graduate Physics Education Award died at his home in Urbana, IL. He was 93. This prestigious award was presented to Pines in recognition of his authorship of “The Many Body-Problem” and “Elementary Excitations in Solids” and the two-volume text/monograph, “The Theory of Quantum Liquids,” written with Philippe Nozieres.
AAPT award press release
Santa Fe Institute Memoriam
New York Times Obituary
Physics Education at the 23rd Australian Institute of Physics Congress
A shout out to passionate Physics Educators, we would love to hear from you at the Congress!
The 23rd AIP Congress will take place in beautiful Perth on the leafy campus of the University of Western Australia, from 9-13 December, 2018. Call for Abstracts are open now until 15 June 2018.
Join us for a High Tea event at the Congress with the Keynote speaker Prof Chandralekha Singh (University of Pittsburgh, USA), for a PEG keynote entitled “ How to strengthen physics by making it inclusive” The High Tea will be held at the University Club, UWA (date: TBD, but will be held during the PEG streams of the congress).
Materials physicist Kathryn Moler named Stanford vice provost and dean of research
Professor Kathryn Ann “Kam” Moler, senior associate dean of natural sciences in the School of Humanities and Sciences, has been named vice provost and dean of research at Stanford effective Sept. 1, Provost Persis Drell announced today. Moler was the 2011 recipient of the Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award.
Moler, BS ’88, PhD ’95, a professor of physics and applied physics who focuses on nanotechology, will support Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory research programs.
2018 U.S.-India Travel Grant Program
The APS-IUSSTF Professorship Awards in Physics permit professors from the United States and India to deliver short courses or a lecture series in the other country, and our Physics Ph.D. Student & Postdoc Visitation Program helps students and postdocs pursue opportunities in physics at summer institutes or to work temporarily in a laboratory. Don’t miss out, apply today. Learn more
Quantum Information at the National Institute of Standards and Technology
NIST has just launched a big website on the history and future of quantum information at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. AAPT thought it might be of interest to physics teachers who want to share information about this exciting field with their students. Read more
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.
Beamline for Schools
This initiative offers high-school students from around the world the opportunity to use a fully equipped beamline at the world's largest accelerator complex to run the students' proposed experiments. The new promotion video has just been released, which can be found on the Beamline website as well as in the following CERN channels:
Twitter link
Youtube link
STEMcoding project releases "Physics of Video Games" Hour of Code activity
Until recently, the world's most popular K12 computer science website, hourofcode.com, did not have any physics-focused coding activities. This has changed with the "Physics of Video Games" Hour of Code video tutorial from the STEMcoding project (u.osu.edu/stemcoding), which was just released on hourofcode.com/learn. The direct link to the video tutorial is at go.osu.edu/hourofcode. The "Physics of Video Games" coding activities are intended for absolute beginner programmers in grades 9-12 and they were designed with significant feedback from high school physics teachers. The STEMcoding project, which was recently selected for the AIP Meggers award, is led by Prof. Chris Orban from Ohio State University and Prof. Richelle Teeling-Smith from the University of Mt. Union. For more info contact Prof. Chris Orban at orban@physics.osu.edu.
Help students find the right grad program. Tell them about GradSchoolShopper.com
Advise your students in the new year 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! If your program isn’t listed, contact us to find out how to have it included.
Highly Trained STEM Teachers Needed to Boost America's Global Competitiveness, According to New Study
The United States' global competitiveness is at risk as the nation confronts persistent shortages of STEM teachers. More than half of all high school physics teachers lacked certification in the discipline in 2012, for example. As a result, students who are interested in STEM careers find themselves ill prepared to compete in an increasingly highly technical workforce.
A new study by the American Physical Society, in collaboration with the American Chemical Society, Computing Research Association, and Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership, addresses the reasons why STEM students shy away from teaching as a career and offers ways to counter the trend. Download the full report at www.aps.org/policy/reports.
The International Conference on Physics Education (ICPE)
Johannesburg, South Africa. October 1-5, 2018
The International Conference on Physics Education (ICPE) will be held October 1-5, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The theme of the conference is: “Physics Education for Development: a focus on context”. The main objective is to create a platform to facilitate the interaction of various stakeholders that includes physics educators, postgraduate students, teachers, researchers and policy makers working in physics education research and in physics education, from schools, colleges, universities and governments from all parts of the world.
The program will include a wide spectrum of presentations including keynote speakers, single and symposium oral presentations, posters and workshops. The conference will be held at the Misty Hills Hotel and Conference Centre, close to the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site and the famous Pilanesberg National Park. Click here for more information.
Workshop on Women and Minorities in the History of Physics, Role Models for Today
Dr. Greg Good, Director of the Center for the History of Physics, is eager to provide workshops at AAPT Section Meetings and elsewhere on Women and Minorities in the History of Physics. Teachers will be introduced to the teaching materials on the AIP website related to the history of women and minorities in the physical sciences. The purpose of these materials is to help students appreciate that not only white males have contributed to the development of physics, astronomy, and other physical sciences. On the flip side, there have been many more women than Marie Curie and many more African Americans than Benjamin Banneker and Jim Gates who have had successful careers in the physical sciences. We will explore several of the lesson plans in each group and explore games and other activities to bring these lessons to life. For more information, please contact Dr. Greg Good.
American Modeling Teachers Association
For 2018, Modeling Workshops™ have been organized for many states. Please encourage teachers to check the schedule for workshops in the field of their interest:
Physics Modeling Workshops™: Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia
Chemistry Modeling Workshops™: Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Texas,
Biology Modeling Workshops™: Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Texas,
Middle school/Physical Science Modeling Workshops™: Alabama, Illinois and Michigan
For information on 2018 Modeling Workshops, please visit the American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) website: modelinginstruction.org For questions: wendy@modelinginstruction.org or gheheman@asu.edu
Detecting Radiation in our Radioactive World
One of the American Nuclear Society’s most popular initiatives, the Detecting Radiation in our Radioactive World teacher workshop is coming to Philadelphia, PA, June 16. Participants will learn radiation basics, how nuclear reactors harness fission to produce electricity cleanly and safely, the latest in nuclear science and technology, and engaging ways to bring that knowledge to their students. All attendees will receive a working vintage Geiger-Müller counter, cloud chamber kit, classroom-safe radioactive sources, and teaching materials. In addition, two lucky participants will go home with an ANS Isotope Discovery Kit. Valued at more than $500, the kit uses a game-like format to help students learn the line of stability interactively. For more information on the workshop and to register, visit nuclearconnect.org, or contact ANS at outreach@ans.org.
Physics Careers
Jobs Announcements from the Career Center
Physics Teacher
Washburn Rural High School
Click here for job description
Physics Teacher
Dawson School
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 December 2017 Section News.
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© 2018, American Association of Physics Teachers
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The Physics Teacher
“Physics Stories”: How the Early Technologies of High Voltage and High Vacuum Led to “Modern Physics”
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American Journal of Physics
Diffraction effects in mechanically chopped laser pulses
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