eNNOUNCER September 2014

2014 AAPT Executive Board Election

The election of officers for the AAPT Executive Board will take place between September 17 and November 4.  Members will receive instuctions through email or, if no email is on file, through the mail to help you vote electronically.  Those elected will take office at the close of the 2015 Winter Meeting. Learn more about the 2014 candidates.

2015 AAPT Winter Meeting

Early Bird registration for the 2015 AAPT Winter Meeting in San Diego will begin in October.  In the meantime, check out the meeting website for more information and to begin booking your hotel and travel accommodations.

Abstract submissions will be accepted until September 12th.
Learn more and submit your abstract today!

AAPT Fellows Program

AAPT has begun a Fellows program designed to honor "exceptional contributions to the mission of the AAPT which is to enhance the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching." It is recognition by one's professional peers.

The Association, fortunately, has many worthy and well-qualified members who meet these criteria.  As part of the inaugural class, the Board issued pins for those who had received a previous award (other than Klopsteg and Richtmyer awardees) who are current members of AAPT and have been members for the last seven years.  There were 158 members who met these criteria and 67 participated in the brief ceremony during the Summer Meeting in Minneapolis in August.

Candidates will be accepted from the High School, Two-Year College, and Four- Year College/University communities on a yearly rotating basis.  This is done to help assure that each community is appropriately included in the selection process.  Each Area Committee and each Section will be asked to forward information on the candidate to the Awards Committee in the fall of each year via the online process.  Nominations from the membership will also be accepted.

Please see the criteria listed on the website.

AAPT includes as its members many dedicated professionals, please consider this program as well as the other award possibilities as opportunities to acknowledge their contributions to the Association.

Steve Iona, President

Call for Award Nominations

The AAPT Awards Committee invites nominations for all of AAPT's awards, citations, and medals http://www.aapt.org/Programs/awards/. This is the first year that nominations will be accepted for AAPT Fellows. Nominees are accepted from the High School, Two-Year College and Four-Year College communities on a yearly rotating basis. Nominations of Two-Year College faculty for AAPT Fellows are particularly encouraged this fall.

More from AAPT

Hunt Winners
Huge thanks to all who participated in our first Instagram Scavenger Hunt during the 2014 AAPT Summer Meeting.  A special congratulations goes to the following members: Jack Dostal (first place), Ekaterina Michonova-Alexova, and Adam Pearlstein (Ekaterina and Adam tied for second).  Check out the photos and follow us on  Instagram today!

Limited Edition Einstein and Newton Shirts Still Available
In case you missed it, we still have a few limited edition shirts left.  The shirts were designed by AAPT member Walter Trikosko (of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX).  They are only $12 and proceeds go directly to support the AAPT Student Fund.  Purchase yours today before they sell out.

Network Yourself to a Great Career
Whether you're an early career professor or a tenured faculty member, networking is essential to your professional development.  Join us on October 1st as we host a complimentary webinar on networking specifically for those in science, engineering and mathematics disciplines. Learn more and register today!.

Physics Days at NSTA This Fall
AAPT will be participating in Physics Days at the upcoming NSTA Area Conferences in October, November and December. Several AAPT members have put together a day worth of programming developed with you in mind. For detailed information about each of the Physics Days, click here.

Amazon Smile
Donating to AAPT just got a little easier! Simply visit http://bit.ly/AAPTAMZ and confirm you'd like a percentage of your Amazon.com purchases to go to AAPT. From then on, AAPT will receive a small donation from each of your purchases whether it's text books, electronics, clothing, or groceries; every purchase will support AAPT. Start shopping today!

AAPT Member Cedric Linder wins the 2014 ICPE Medal for Physics Education

The International Commission on Physics Education has announced that the winner of the 2014 ICPE Medal for outstanding contributions to physics education is Professor Cedric Linder of Uppsala University, Sweden.

Professor Linder's work has been notable for its range, depth and impact, as well as for its international scope. Through his work Cedric Linder has helped to change the way in which physics is taught by enabling colleagues to appreciate the learning experience of students. He has influenced lives by opening up physics to many disadvantaged students, and he has added new theoretical insights and methodological approaches to the practice of physics education research.

The full citation for Professor Linder is available on the website. Click    here for more information.

Danielle Spaete and Rebecca Vieyra Appointed as New e-Mentor Co-Coordinators

Danielle Spaete and Rebecca Vieyra have agreed to serve as e-Mentor Co-Coordinators starting in September.  Both have many years of experience teaching high school physics.  In addition, both have been active in AAPT, PTRA, and as mentors.  Al Thompson has served as the first eMentor Coordinator since the start of the program in 2011.  We thank Al for his leadership and welcome Danielle and Rebecca in their new roles.

Save the Date

AAPT/NSBP Workshop for HBCU Physics and Astonomy faculty, November 10-14
AAPT and the National Society of Black Physicists are hosting a meeting for physics and astronomy faculty members at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Nov. 10-14, 2014 in College Park, MD.  The meeting will focus on issues important to physics and astronomy at HBCUs including department structures and resources, recruiting and retaining students, and implementing effective pedagogy.  Participants at the meeting are welcome to stay on for the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop, Nov. 13-16, also in College Park, for which a limited number of travel subsidies are available.  More information about both workshops will be available on the AAPT and NSBP websites in early September.

Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop, November 13-16
  Physics and astronomy chairs are invited to nominate early career tenure-track faculty members for the Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop to be held November 13-16, in College Park, MD. The NSF-funded workshop introduces new physics and astronomy faculty members to effective teaching and learning methods, grant writing, time management, and other professional skills. A nomination form is available online.

ComPADRE Continuation Fund

The ComPADRE Digital Library is a network of free online resource collections supporting college faculty, high school and middle school teachers, education researchers, and students in Physics and Astronomy. Collections contain materials designed for a specific community, with all materials available through the central ComPADRE portal.

The creation and development of ComPADRE was funded by multiple federal grants over the past decade. Now that these grants have ended, AAPT has committed to fund and develop ComPADRE with help from other sources of funds. The ComPADRE programs and resources will continue to be available as we transition to AAPT servers. Beginning next year these and additional services will be available through your AAPT membership.

Donations to the ComPADRE Continuation Fund are used to sustain and continue the operation of the ComPADRE website and the services provided to the physics education community.

Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship (AEF) Program for K-12 STEM Teachers is now accepting applications for the 2015-2016 fellowship year.  The AEF program provides a unique opportunity for accomplished K-12 educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to serve in the national education arena.  Fellows spend 11 months working in a Federal agency or U.S. Congressional office, bringing their extensive classroom knowledge and experience to STEM education programs and/or education policy efforts. More information can be found here. The deadline for applications is November 20, 2014. To be eligible, applicants must be U.S. citizens, be currently employed full-time in a U.S. public or private elementary or secondary school or school district, and must have taught full-time in a public or private elementary or secondary school for at least five of the last seven years in a STEM discipline.

5th IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics

The U.S. Delegation attended the 5th IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics held at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada, in early August.  Fifty countries were represented and over 200 individuals attended the conference.  Country delegations shared information about recruitment and retention of women in physics.  The U.S. Delegation presented a poster describing U.S. programs that encourage girls to consider careers in physics and support women once they enter the profession.  A free PDF version of the poster is available for physics departments to use to recruit and retain women. The proceedings of the conference should be published mid-2015.

Invitation for Women in Physics to Submit Their Stories to My STEM Story

We're inviting you to share a story that reflects your life in science.  Perhaps it's a memory of the first scientific concept that sparked your curiosity, or a mentor who nourished your sense of wonder.  It may be the story of a research breakthrough — or failure — and how it changed your thinking.  It could be the story of a challenge you faced as a physicist, and how you overcame it.  We welcome any story that conveys an experience or perspective that has shaped the scientist and person you have become.  With your permission, we will share your story in a unique and engaging compilation on the website.  Stories may also be presented anonymously if you prefer.  Your story can be a short paragraph, a poem, a song, a video, a drawing, a letter or a longer essay.  It is up to you! Submit your story at http://mystemstory.wlu.ca.

CERN High School Physics Teachers' Program

Five High School teachers participated in the CERN High School Teachers' Program in Geneva, Switzerland this summer.

AAPT members, Cherie Bomrnhorst, Robert Franckowiak, Kevin Martz, and Jeremy Wegner received seventy hours of instruction from July 6-26 and were awarded CEU's by AAPT for participating in the program.

The Feynman Lectures on Physics

Caltech and The Feynman Lectures Website are pleased to present an online edition of The Feynman Lectures on Physics.  Now, anyone with internet access and a web browser can enjoy reading a high quality up-to-date copy of Feynman's legendary lectures.

SCOPE Student-centered Learning Resources for Schools and Classrooms

Student-centered schools have been shown to support high levels of achievement for traditionally underserved students.  As educators return to school this fall, they can learn ways to implement student-centered practices in their own schools and classrooms through a new online tool developed by the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE).

This professional development tool includes definitions of the features of student-centered schools, video examples of student-centered practices, and reflection questions for educators to use to integrate their own practices within their classroom and school-wide. For more information visit this link.

SciCast Online Science and Technology Forecasting

The AAAS Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy has been helping George Mason University recruit scientists with a diverse set of expertise to assist in a science and technology forecasting project called SciCast. The purpose of this project, which is funded by Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), is to determine whether crowdsourcing can be used to accurately predict the results of science and technology questions.
The SciCast online forecasting site is https://scicast.org/?referral_id=AAAS. You are invited to explore the site and answer questions to get a better feel for the project.

Jobs Announcements from the Career Center

Director, Physics Curriculum & Content Development
The College Board
http://jobs.aapt.org/jobs/6418322

Faculty Positions in Physical Science
Yale-NUS College
http://jobs.aapt.org/jobs/6393930

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. Undergraduate students enrolled, or planning to enroll, in physics teacher preparation curricula and high school seniors entering such programs are eligible. Successful applicants receive a stipend of up to $2,000. The scholarship may be granted to an individual for each of four years. December 1 deadline.                        Read more.

Global Teacher Prize

Do you know a teacher worthy of recognition and celebration? Help find one exceptional educator who deserves to be recognized around the world.

The Global Teacher Prize is an annual one million dollar award from the Varkey GEMS Foundation to be given to a super-special teacher.  One innovative and caring teacher who has made an inspirational impact on their students and their community will receive the reward of a lifetime. If you're a teacher, you can apply today. If you know a teacher who deserves to win the Global Teacher Prize, you can nominate a teacher. Read more »

2014 PhysTEC Conference Presentations

The 2014 PhysTEC Conference presentation slides are now available for download. The conference theme was Building Leadership and presentation threads include Recruiting and Retaining Future Physics Teachers, Pedagogical Training for Physics Teachers, The Future of Physics Teacher Preparation, Learning Assistants, Leading Professional Communities, and Leading Through Sustainability.

Report on Sustainability of PhysTEC Sites

In 2012-2013, PhysTEC supported an independent study on the sustainability of its sites after project funding ends.  The study, conducted by evaluator Rachel Scherr, sought to measure the extent to which programs have been sustained and to identify what features should be prioritized for building sustainable physics teacher education programs.  Most of the studied sites have sustained increases in production of physics teachers as well as funding for physics teacher education.  About half of the programs are thriving, in that they have sustained large increases in physics teacher production and funding for physics teacher education.  All studied sites that sustained increases in physics teacher production have two features in common: a champion of physics teacher education and institutional motivation and commitment.  A copy of the report will be sent to all physics chairs and can be downloaded here.

Assistance Introducing History to the Physics Classroom

The Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics is producing materials to help teachers introduce lessons on the stories of African Americans in the history of the physical sciences.  The team producing this Teachers Guide, which will be a resource for both history and science teachers and adhere to the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, is looking for advice on the best way to incorporate history into the science classroom.  If you have advice on creating lesson plans and resources that will make if easier for physics teachers to introduce history into their curriculum, please share it with the AAPT Executive Office (eo@aapt.org).

Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs

The American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Physicial Society are pleased to announce the formation of the Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs (J-TUPP). Read more »

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.

2014  International Year of Crystallography

The International Year of Crystallography 2014 (IYCr2014) commemorates not only the centennial of X-ray diffraction, which allowed the detailed study of crystalline material, but also the 400th anniversary of Kepler’s observation in 1611 of the symmetrical form of ice crystals, which began the wider study of the role of symmetry in matter.  Links to posters and other promotional materials and resources are available on the IYCR website. Read more »

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.

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 - 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. 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:

Physics Simulations Delivered to Your Tablet

Francisco (Paco) Esquembre, the Open Source Physics group, and ComPADRE have collaborated to create the tools to create, deliver, and run physics simulations on iOS and Android portable devices.  Paco and his colleagues have extended the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool to create HTML5 and Javascript simulations (EJsS). An app to download and run these simulations is now available on the Apple and Android stores; search for EJSS Reader.  The Reader can access the OSP library and similar sites, to quickly and easily download and run simulations from authors around the world.  More information is available on the EJS Wiki at http://www.um.es/fem/EjsWiki/.

Section News

July 2014 Section News is available here.

Section Meeting: Arkansas-Oklahoma-Kansas Section
Sep 26, 2014 - Sep 27, 2014
Fall Meeting
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, AR
Email: Shannon Clardy

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

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 rfinnegan@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.

© 2014, American Association of Physics Teachers