Paul W. Zitzewitz Award for Excellence in Pre-College Physics Teaching

Established as the Excellence in Pre-College Teaching Award in 1993; renamed and endowed in 2010 by Paul W. and Barbara S. Zitzewitz

Funded since 2010 by a generous gift to AAPT from Paul W. and Barbara S. Zitzewitz and named for Paul W. Zitzewitz, the principal author of the highly acclaimed and widely adopted high school physics text Physics: Principles and Problems and a long-time member and supporter of AAPT, the Paul W. Zitzewitz Award for Excellence in Pre-College Physics Teaching recognizes outstanding achievement in teaching pre-college physics. The recipient, an AAPT member for whom pre-college teaching is a primary responsibility, delivers an address at an AAPT Summer Meeting and receives a monetary award, an Award Certificate, a copy of the citation, and travel expenses to the meeting. Previous winners of the Oersted Medal or the Robert A. Millikan Medal are not eligible for this award. Self-nomination is not appropriate for this award.

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Award Winners

Below is a list of previous years' winners, their school, and the title of the address they gave up receiving the award.

2013

2012

Mark D. Greenman, Marblehead High School, Marblehead, MA

"Interactive Laboratory Experiences (ILE) -- A Professional Development Recipe for Success"  UStream video

2011

Stacy McCormack, Penn High School, Mishawaka, IN

"Blond Girls Can't Learn Physics"

2010

Diane Riendeau, Deerfield High School, Deerfield, IL

"Who's In??"

2009

Deborah Roudebush, Oakton High School, Herndon, VA

"What Your Mother Never Told You About… Physics Teaching"

2008

Mark Davids, Grosse Pointe South High School, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

"Best Practices"

2007

Jan Mader, Great Falls High School, Great Falls, MT

"Those Who Can Teach"

2006

Steve Ethen, Burnsville High School, Burnsville, MN

"On the Shoulders of Giants"

2005

Patrick Callahan, Delaware Valley Regional H.S., Frenchtown, NJ

"Things I've Learned Along the Road"

2004

James L. Hicks, Barrington High School (retired), Barrington, IL

"Tango On"

2003

John Roeder, The Calhoun School, New York, NY

"Energy—A Basic Physics Concept and a Social Value"

2002

Lowell G. Herr, Catlin Gabel School, Portland, OR

"Project PHYSLab: Improving High School Physics Labs"

2001

Clarence A. Bakken, Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto, CA

"How Do We Know We're Doing a Good Job?"

2000

James H. Nelson, Seminole County Public Schools, Sanford, FL

"Reflections on High-School Physics Teaching"

1999

Arthur Eisenkraft, Foxlane High School, Bedford, NY

"Problems That Don't Remain Solved"

1998

Robert A. Morse, St. Albans School, Mt. St. Albans, Washington, DC

"Fitting Tool to Task: Tinkering with Technology in Teaching Physics"

1997

Christopher J. Chiaverina, New Trier High School, Winnetka, IL

"Informal Physics: Using Interactive Exhibits in Schools"

1996

Paul Hickman, Belmont High School, Belmont, MA

"Improved Instruction by Listening to What Our Students Tell Us They Have Learned"