eNNOUNCER March 2015

Pi Day Celebration

Not only does this month harbor a very special Pi Day--March 14, 2015 at 9:26 (3.1415926...), but the 14th is also heralded as Einstein's birthday. How will you celebrate? AAPT has created a helpful resource, Einstein in the AAPT Journals 2007-2012. The Physics Teacher editor, Gary White, included an editorial and survey, Rush τ, rush π! in the March issue. After you read the editorial, be sure to weigh in on your preference.

2015 Millikan Medal Awarded to Robert Morse

AAPT has announced that Robert A. Morse will receive the Robert A. Millikan Medal during the 2015 Summer Meeting in College Park, MD. This award recognizes educators who have made notable and creative contributions to the teaching of physics. Read more »

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.

2015 High School Physics Photo Contest

The 2015 contest begins 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.

2015 AAPT Summer Meeting

The Summer Meeting is less than 5 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 does not open until April but it's not too early to 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 »

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.

2014 Barbara Lotze Scholarship Winners Named

The 2014 Barbara Lotze Scholarship for Future Teachers has been awarded to Leah DeWeez, Southern Adventist Universtiy; Raven Marie Hernandez, University of Wisconsin-River Falls; Nicholas Alexander McKinley, Towson University; Alexandra Judith Trunnell, Vassar College. Supported by an endowment funded by AAPT Member, Barbara Lotze, the scholarship provides a $2000 stipend to outstanding future high school physics teachers. Read more »

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.

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.

Recommendations for Undergraduate Physics Lab Curriculum

The Laboratory Goals Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) Committee on Laboratories, has reviewed the state of the undergraduate physics laboratory curriculum and related physics education research on the physics laboratory and has made recommendations that foster the development of many key 21st century skills and competencies. Read more »

2015 AAPT PhysicsBowl Registration Open!

The deadline for registration is March 9 for the 2015 AAPT PhysicsBowl taking place April 1 - April 17, 2015. Read more online.

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

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.

Office of Science and Technology Policy Internship Program

The Office of Science and Technology Policy is currently accepting applications for its Summer 2015 Policy Internship Program. The application deadline is 11:59 pm Sunday, March 15. Students who are U.S. citizens and who will be actively enrolled in an academic program are welcome to apply. More information and application instructions are available.

Save the Date

Nominations for the June 2015 Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop due by March 6, 2015
Physics and astronomy department chairs are invited to nominate faculty members in their first few years of their faculty appointments for the workshop to be held June 22-25 at the American Center for Physics in College Park, MD. The nomination form is available online.

2015 Physics Department Chairs Conference
The American Association of Physics Teachers and The American Physicial Society are pleased to jointly organize the 2015 Physics Department Chairs Conference. See the conference website.

The 2016 PhysTEC Conference will be held on March 11-13 at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court, in Baltimore, MD. The conference will precede the APS March Meeting.

Member in the News

Physicist James Kakalios of the University of Minnesota Receives the 2014 AAAS Public Engagement with Science Award
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named James Kakalios as the recipient of the 2014 AAAS Public Engagement with Science Award, recognizing "the unique ways he communicates the ideas and excitement of physics" and stimulates members of the general public to learn more about developments in science and technology that shape their lives. Members attending the 2014 Summer Meeting enjoyed his use of comic book heros as a resource for teaching physics. Read more ».

AAPT Statement on High School Physics Courses

The AAPT Executive Board has adopted a statement about the desired characteristics of high school courses aimed at preparing students for STEM-related work in colleges and universities. The full text of the statement can be found here.

Cycle for Science

This spring, two physicists Rachel Woods-Robinson and Elizabeth Case are bicycling from San Francisco to New York City, and stopping in middle schools along the way to teach physics lessons and to interview local science teachers. They are centering their lesson plans around the "Sol Cycle" — a miniature, 3D printable, solar powered bicycle demo that they are designing — to use as a hands-on teaching tool. Their project, called Cycle for Science, just launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for lesson costs and recording gear - please help spread the word! If you teach along their route and are interested in bringing Cycle for Science to your school, feel free to reach out at wecycleforscience@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.cycleforscience.org.

Survey on Understanding Part-Time Online Instructors

Part-time college and university instructors who teach online are encouraged to complete a survey focused on "Understanding Part-time Online Instructors". The survey is available here. The number of part-time online instructors is growing across the globe. Yet there is a large gap in the academic literature regarding the current characteristics of part-time online instructors. A research program is trying to close that gap through the use of an online survey. For example, what are the demographic characteristics of, reasons for teaching, and amount of teaching done by the the part-time online instructors? Are there distinct profiles or types of part-time online instructors that can be identified? If so, what art they? The results of the survey will help shape AAPT's design of professional development opportunities for part-time instructors.

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.

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.

NSF Permanent Program Officer Position in the Division of Undergraduate Education

If you have interest in being a permanent program officer in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation, with expertise in the preparation of the pre-K to 12 STEM teacher corps, please consider the position announcement available at this URL.

American Institute of Physics CEO Search

The American Institute of Physics is searching for a new CEO. The ideal candidate will be a strategic, visionary, and an innovative leader, with a minimum of 10 years of relevant senior executive level leadership experience. See the complete positiion posting on the AIP.org website.

Meggers Project Award

The William F. and Edith R. Meggers Project Award of the American Institute of Physics is a biennial award designed to fund projects for the improvement of high-school physics teaching in the United States.  The Award was made possible by an endowment created by the gift of a stamp and coin collection from William F. and Edith R. Meggers to the American Institute of Physics. Application submission deadline: March 31, 2015. Read more »

Your Smartphone Can Do Physics

That smartphone you carry around in your pocket all day is a pretty versatile lab assistant. It is packed with internal senors that measure everything from acceleration to sound volume to magnetic field strength. 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!

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

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 Physics Teacher
Germantown Academy
http://jobs.aapt.org/jobs/6835819

Coordinator of Undergraduate Laboratories
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
http://jobs.aapt.org/jobs/6866152

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 interdiscipinary 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 ».

Increase Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Do you or does your department have a practice, funding strategy, internship placement strategy, or course with research embedded in it that, if adopted by other physics or astronomy departments, would help increase the number of undergraduate research opportunities? AAPT along with the Council on Undergraduate Research, the American Physical Society, and the Society of Physics Students are collecting articles that will be published on-line to serve as a resource to departments, faculty, and students as they work to meet the challenge put before the community that all undergraduate physics and astronomy majors at all colleges be provided with a research experience. AAPT’s statement on research experiences for undergraduates is available on our website. We invite you to submit an article for publication in this new resource that highlights any practice that encourages, leads to increases in, or enhances research experiences for undergraduates. We strongly encourage faculty members at two-year colleges to consider submitting a highlight. Please contact Executive Officer Beth Cunningham (eo@aapt.org) for more information.

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.

More from your Membership, Join your AAPT Community

Did you know that you can connect with your collegues 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 - March 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.

1. New Jersey Section
   Mar 13, 2015 - Mar 14, 2015
   Spring Meeting
   Princeton University
   Princeton, NJ
   Email: Joseph Spaccavento


2. Appalachian Section
   Mar 13, 2015 - Mar 14, 2015
   2015 Next Generation Physics Teaching Conference
   & Regional meeting with Appalachian, Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Tennessee Sections
   Eastern Kentucky University
   Richmond, KY
   Email: Richard Gelderman


3. Kentucky Section
   Mar 13, 2015 - Mar 14, 2015
   2015 Next Generation Physics Teaching Conference
   & Regional meeting with Appalachian, Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Tennessee Sections
   Eastern Kentucky University
   Richmond, KY
   Email: Richard Gelderman


4. Southern Ohio Section
   Mar 13, 2015 - Mar 14, 2015
   2015 Next Generation Physics Teaching Conference
   & Regional meeting with Appalachian, Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Tennessee Sections
   Eastern Kentucky University
   Richmond, KY
   Email: Richard Gelderman


5. Tennessee Section
   Mar 13, 2015 - Mar 14, 2015
   2015 Next Generation Physics Teaching Conference
   & Regional meeting with Appalachian, Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Tennessee Sections
   Eastern Kentucky University
   Richmond, KY
   Email: Richard Gelderman


6. Idaho-Utah Section
   Mar 13, 2015 - Mar 14, 2015
   Spring Meeting
   Snow College
   Ephraim, UT
   Email: Brian Pyper


7. Western Pennsylvania Section
   Mar 14, 2015
   Spring Meeting - Pi Day!
   Grove City College
   Grove City, PA
   Email: Dyan Jones


8. North Dakota Section
   Mar 20, 2015 - Mar 21, 2015
   Spring Meeting
   Century High School
   Bismark, ND
   Email: Tony Musumba


9. New England Section
   Mar 20, 2015 - Mar 21, 2015
   Spring Meeting
   Salem State University
   Salem, MA
   Email: David Sturm


10. Central Pennsylvania Section
    Mar 27, 2015 - Mar 28, 2015
    2015 Annual Meeting
    Messiah Caooege
    Mechanicsburg, PA
    Email: Abaz Kryemadhi


11. Chesapeake Section
    Mar 28, 2015
    Spring Meeting
    University of Virginia
    Charlottesville, VA
    Email: Carl Mungan

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