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Team Facts & News

In 1986, under the direction of the AAPT Executive Officer, Jack Wilson, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) organized the United States Physics Team for the first time. — AAPT.ORG

2016 Physics Olympics Team Banner

Each year, AAPT and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) sponsor 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.  Photos of the 2016 Team and camp are available on Flickr.

Important Dates

December 14, 2015 - F=ma Registration Deadline

January 19-24, 2016 - F=ma Testing Dates

March 14-25, 2016 - USAPhO Testing

May 26 - June 6, 2016 - U.S. Physics Team Training Camp, University of Maryland

July 10-18, 2016 - International Physics Olympiad, Switzerland & Liechtenstein

News

7/18/2016
2016 U.S. Physics Team Scores 2 Gold and 3 Silver Medals.  Read the AAPT Press Release, and the APS Press Release.

6/06/2016
U.S. Physics Team Travelers selected for the 2016 International Physics Olympiad.  Read the AAPT Press Release.

5/18/2016
Meet the 2016 U.S. Physics Team Members, team biographies will be coming soon.


A Note about team selection: This year, as in past years, the core of the US Physics team training camp participants were selected from among the gold medal winners.  In an effort to increase the pool of potential students for next year, as well as to keep diversity in the program, we also invited an additional number of students who won silver or bronze medals.  These additional students were chosen in part because of the different regions of the US that they come from, and also because the answers to their questions indicated promise that could be used in building the program in the future.


5/9/2016

2016 U.S. Physics Olympiad Medal Ranking List, USAPhO solutions will be posted soon.  U.S. Physics Team Members and bios will be posted soon.


5/9/2016

A listing of students who took the USAPhO can be found by clicking HERE! The cutoff score this year was 14.  F=ma solutions will be posted soon.


2/24/16

F=ma scores have been emailed to the teachers/proctors who administered the exam.  The cut off score for students to qualify for the USAPhO exam is 14 and above.  Student scores will not be given out over the phone at the AAPT office, students and parents will need to contact their teachers/proctors to find out their scores.  A formal listing of Semifinalists, and the Medal Ranking for the USAPhO exam will be posted after the exam dates.


2/19/2016

F=ma results will be sent to the teachers/proctors on or about February 24th, at that time the cut off score for the USAPhO exam will be posted.   USAPhO exam dates will be March 14-25, 2016.

Contact Information

For more details and information about the US Physics Team, please contact AAPT's Programs department at 301-209-3340 or programs@aapt.org