eNNOUNCER banner
eNNOUNCER November 2013
Higgs Boson





eNNOUNCER November 2013

Higgs Articles from AJP and TPT

The 2013 Nobel Prize has been presented for "the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles, which recently was confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle, by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider."

AAPT is proud to share a new resource, Higgs Articles from AJP and TPT, featuring information published in American Journal of Physicsand The Physics Teacher.

AAPT is a member society in the American Institute for Physics (AIP). You will find additional 2013 Nobel Prize resources on AIP's website at http://www.aip.org/nobel/physics2013.html.

2014 AAPT Winter Meeting Awards

AAPT has announced that the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT will be awarded to Jan Mader, Taha Mzoughi, Gabe Spalding, and Lee Trampleasure at the 2014 Winter Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

AAPT National Executive Board Election

The election of officers for AAPT Executive Board service beginning in 2014 is in progress until midnight (eastern time) November 4.  Read about positions up for election. Nominations are open for the 2014 election. Get the nomination form.

2014 AAPT Winter Meeting

Early Bird registration ends Tuesday, November 5th for the 2014 AAPT Winter Meeting being held January 4 - 7 in Orlando, Florida. Don't miss your chance to save $300 on registration. Register today!
Our new 4-day meeting format will consist of over 70 sessions, 30 workshops and tutorials, and much more. To learn more and register, please visit the meeting website. Don't forget, book your hotel accommodations today! Space is limited. Join the conversation on Twitter: #AAPTWM14

Child Care Grants

The AAPT Executive Board has approved funding to support small grants for AAPT national meeting attendees who are bringing small children to an AAPT national meeting or who incur extra expenses in leaving their children at home (i.e., extra daycare or babysitting services) in order to attend an AAPT national meeting. These grants are being offered for the first time to attendees of the 2014 Winter Meeting. Additional information will be available soon here.

High School Physics Teacher Day

We're looking for High School Physics Teachers who've never attended an AAPT National meeting. If that's you, make sure to join us on Sunday, January 5, 2014 for a special one day program catered to teachers just like you. Learn more and register here.

Refer-A-Friend, Win An AMEX Gift Card

Who knew referring friends could be so easy? Once you've registered, when you refer friends and colleagues, and they also register for the 2014 AAPT Winter Meeting, you'll be rewarded with an AMEX gift card. Click here for more details and the complete rules.

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 2014 of their intention to enter the 2014 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 will be available in the spring 2014 on the AAPT website.

NSSME Reports

NSSME had just released several new reports from the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education, including a series of reports describing the status of science/mathematics teaching at the different grade levels (e.g., elementary science, middle school mathematics, high school chemistry). You can find the reports here.

2014 F=ma Contest Registration Open

Sign up to participate in this competition for high school students to represent the United States at the 2014 International Physics Olympiad. 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. Register online »

Gearing up for SEES (Students Exploring Engineering and Science) in Orlando!

SPS and AAPT team up each year at the AAPT Winter Meeting to present an educational workshop outreach experience for about 100 local 6-8th graders from the local area where the meeting is held. Last year in New Orleans, SPS student volunteers and AAPT faculty mentors joined to present "invisible fields" to 107 local 6th graders. This event was begun many years ago by AAPT member, Betty Preece, who was an outstanding model of dedication and achievement within the science community. SEES was one of the many causes to which Betty gave her time and talents with her focus on providing encouragement to study science to students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The event provides these students with the opportunity to engage in three hours of hands-on science activities during the AAPT Winter Meeting each year. AAPT and SPS work collaboratively on this project, with AAPT arranging the details of transportation and lunch, and SPS responsible for the program, science materials and "take-aways". This has been a highly successful event, and we encourage any AAPT member to consider participating! To be part of this fun and rewarding tradition, contact Toni Sauncy, SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma director tsauncy@aip.org. Donate to the Betty Preece memorial fund that supports this outreach project.

Barbara Lotze Scholarships for Future Teachers

AAPT offers scholarships for future high school physics teachers. These scholarships, supported by an endowment funded by Barbara Lotze, are available only to U.S. citizens attending U.S. schools. Applications will be accepted at any time and will be considered for recommendation to the Executive Board at each AAPT Winter Meeting. All applications with all materials, including letters of recommendation, received by December 1, will be considered for recommendation at the winter meeting of the AAPT Executive Board.
Read more.

Melba Newell Phillips Medal Fund

The Melba Newell Phillips Medal Fund honors the life and legacy of Melba Newell Phillips, the first female president of AAPT. Your donations will help to endow the Medal established in her honor and recognize AAPT's next generation of leaders.

The Frederick and Florence Bauder Endowment

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 December 1.

Save the Date

The annual AAPT/APS Physics Department Chairs Conference will be held in College Park, MD June 6-8, 2014. More details about the conference will be available in December or January.

An NSF-funded conference on Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences will take place March 14-16, 2014 in Washington, DC. Details about the conference will be available later this fall.

The annual Physics Teacher Education Coalition Conference is the nation's largest meeting dedicated to physics teacher education. The 2014 PhysTEC Conference will be held May 19-20 at the AT&T's Conference Center in Austin, TX. The meeting will focus on Building LEadership. It features workshops, panel discussions and presentations by national leaders as well as excellent networking opportunities. The 2014 conference will be held jointly with the UTeach-NMSI Institute Annual Conference. Registration will open mid-Februrary. MSI travel grants available for qualifying institutions. Learn more »

Juan Marinello Vidaurreta from The University of Pedagogic Sciences at Matanzas, Cuba summons you to participate in the X International Workshop "ENFIQUI 2014 - Teaching Physics and Chemistry" and the III Workshop "Teaching Natural Sciences". May 20-24, 2014. Read more »

Registration for TARC 2014 is now open!

Check out the full rules for more details on this year’s challenge. The 2014 Application Packet is now posted on www.rocketcontest.org. If you have any questions about forming a team or filling out the packet please don’t hesitate to email me at anne.ward@aia-aerospace.org.

Third Conference on the Physics of Sustainable Energy: Using Energy Efficiently and Producing It Renewably

March 8, 2014 - March 9, 2014 at University of California, Berkeley
This conference will be an intense weekend short course to enhance the background of physical scientists, especially early-career scientists, who want to work on applied energy topics. The main audience will be physics professors, post-docs and graduate students. Read more »

ATE Workshops for Physics Faculty

The ATE Workshops for Physics Faculty are offering two new workshops this 2013-2014 academic year – one in November and one in March. Information about the workshops, application, and the program can be found at the project's website. You can also contact Tom O'Kuma or Dwain Desbien.

Help Us Hold the Line on your Membership Dues!

Postage is a major expense for member services.  You can help us hold the line on postage expenses and resulting dues increases by renewing your membership online when you receive the first notice.  Also by keeping your contact information current.  Please take a few minutes to log into your AAPT member account, update your contact information and demographics, and check on your member status. 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.

Career Learning Center

Professional development is a work in progress, and constantly gaining new skills and knowledge is essential to the success of any career. The latest enhancement to the AAPT Career Center AAPT Career Center - the Career Learning Center - is a career-guidance companion to searching the latest science teaching jobs. Equipped with four career-centric seminars, the AAPT Career Learning Center is a user-friendly virtual platform that satisfies the professional needs of AAPT members at all points on the career spectrum.
This helpful content is ONLY available to registered users with the AAPT Career Center, a free job seeker service provided by AAPT. Quickly login or create your job seeker account, and take control of your future by building a stronger presence among our industry's top employers.

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. Free internship postings are valid on 60-day online-postings; 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.


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:
facebook twitter LinkedIn Googleplus pinterest YouTube flickr


ComPADRE

ComPADRE Digital Library

The ComPADRE Digital Library is a network of free online resource collections supporting faculty, students, and teachers in Physics and Astronomy Education.
Each ComPADRE collection contains a catalog of materials for teaching and learning that are selected by the editors for the target user community. The collections also provide information resources and community collaboration tools to support the needs of our users, usually in collaboration with partner physics and astronomy education projects.


Section News

November Meetings

Iowa Section
Nov 2, 2013 - Nov 2, 2013
Fall Meeting
Regional Academy for Math and Science Center
Oelwein, IA
Email: John Zwart
Southern California Section
Nov 9, 2013 - Nov 9, 2013
Fall Meeting
La Salle High School
La Salle, CA
Email: Chija Bauer
Kentucky Section
Nov 9, 2013
Fall Meeting in conjunction with the Kentucky Academy of Science
Morehead State University
Morehead, KY
Email: Richard Gelderman
New Jersey Section
Nov 9, 2013
Fall Meeting - High School and College Physics Teachers Workshop
Bergen Community College
Paramus, NJ
Email: Paul Griffo
Chicago Section
Nov 16, 2013
Fall Meeting
Oakton Community College
Skokie, IL
Email: Martha Lietz

To list your section meeting in the AAPT Calendar of Events, e-mail the information to mgardner@aapt.org. See the July 2013 Section News.

Respected UNI physics leader succumbs to ALS

AAPT joins the Iowa AAPT Section in honoring the life of C. Clifton "Cliff" Chancey III. Chancey, an active member of the Iowa Section and head of University of Northern Iowa's physics department, died October 26, leaving behind a 12-year legacy as a steadfast leader. A theoretical physicist, his professional interests were atomic and molecular theory, biophysical modeling and neuroscience. In some of his most recent research he was studying the physical processes involved in neural transmission. Read more »


International Conference of the Learning Sciences

Call for Proposals for sessions, papers, and posters

The deadline for ICLS 2014 in Boulder, Colorado is November 8, 2013. Submissions are encouraged from all communities of scholars, especially those engaged in research related to the ICLS 2014 theme: “Learning and Becoming in Practice.” The call for proposals and link to the submission site can be found here: http://www.isls.org/icls2014/Calls.htm#symposia

Resources  develop proposals related to the theme: http://www.isls.org/icls2014/Resources.htm

Registration Now Open for Department of Energy's National Science Bowl

Teams of high school and middle school students across the country can now register to compete in the 24th annual Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl (NSB). Thousands of students compete in the contest annually and it has grown into one of the largest academic math and science competitions in the country.

More:  http://science.energy.gov/news/in-focus/2013/10-21-13/

Mini Grant Program

The American Physical Society is happy to announce that it will award several grants to encourage APS members to develop new outreach activities. Programs to be funded may include not only the more traditional K-12 outreach but also engaging the general public within physics and informing them about the importance of physics in their daily lives. These grants are to foster new activities and not support ongoing programs or duplicate APS efforts. Current and past APS outreach programs can be found at www.physicscentral.com. Grant awardees will be expected to present their work at a special session at the APS 2015 March Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, March 2 -6. Send application materials or questions to Rebecca Thompson no later than Sunday, December 15, 2013 (11:59 EST). Read more »

About eNNOUNCER

AAPT's eNNOUNCER is a service to members of the American Association of Physics Teachers and is produced by the AAPT Executive Office. Tell us what you think of this month's issue. Take this survey.
Other stories of significance appear in our Announcements Archive and our archive of Press Releases. E-mail suggestions, news items, comments, and unsubscribe requests to: aapt-news@aapt.org.
Deliverability of this publication depends on your e-mail address being current. If you have recently changed providers, jobs, or schools, please update your profile online at aapt.org as soon as possible. Adding AAPT-News@aapt.org to your address book will also help ensure that your copy is delivered to your mailbox.
Advertising and Archiving
See our Media Kit for advertising information or email mmormile@aip.org. All eNNOUNCER issues are archived and information about AAPT publications is online.
Note on External Links
Links to non-AAPT sites are intended as a service to readers interested in AAPT, physics, and education. These links do not reflect an endorsement of any content or product. Also, due to the evolving nature of websites, some external links referenced in the eNNOUNCER may expire over time.
Thanks for your readership and your support of AAPT.

© 2013, American Association of Physics Teachers

In this issue


Featured Journal Articles

The Physics Teacher

A Carbon Nanotube Cable for a Space Elevator
Read online

American Journal of Physics

A simple optics experiment to engage students in scientific inquiry
Read online

Are you receiving your journals online?

Subscribe to our free e-mail alerting service to receive table of contents alerts as new American Journal of Physics (AJP) and The Physics Teacher (TPT) issues are published.


AAPT Member in the News

UMass Amherst physics professor wins grant to study organization inside cell's space

Physicist Jennifer Ross of the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently won a four-year, $800,000 INSPIRE award from the National Science Foundation to uncover and establish the laws for the fundamental workings of cells, which form the basis of tissues in plants, animals and humans.
Read online

 

BHSU physics professor’s essay published in Science magazine

Radiation may seem like a foreign concept for non-science majors and one that is incomprehensible; however, Black Hills State University assistant professor Dr. Andy Johnson believes the way the concepts are taught makes all the difference. His innovative ideas on inquiry-based instruction in teaching radioactivity and ionizing radiation are being recognized in this week’s issue of Science magazine. Johnson’s essay “Radiation and Atomic Literacy for Nonscientists� was chosen as this month’s Science Prize for Inquiry-Based Instruction (IBI). In it he describes his nearly decade-long project.
Read more


Physics Store Features

2014 Physics Photo Calendar

2014 Physics Photo Calendar

Only
$4.95

for members


Higgs Boson Poster

Higgs Boson Poster

Only
$3.50

for members

The Physics Store logo