eNNOUNCER December 2011

2011 Election Results

The AAPT membership has elected the following to the AAPT Executive Board:
            Mary Beth Monroe, Vice President
            Paul Williams, Two-Year College Representative
            Paul Zitzewitz, Treasurer
Terms will begin following the AAPT Winter Meeting, February 9, 2012.

2012 AAPT Winter Meeting

The 2012 Annual Winter Meeting and Exhibit Show will provide strategies on ways to engage and inspire your students to their maximum potential. This dynamic meeting will provide valuable face-to-face connections to enhance your daily activities as a physics educator.
          Register by December 7th and save over $100!
          Hotel reservations deadline is January 1, 2012. Reserve a room!
        There will be leading physics insiders and experts who will discuss and share important information along with issues that challenge the physics community.

Plenary Speakers
  Ron Henderson will present "Waves in Animation." Ron manages the FX Tools group at DreamWorks Animation where he develops physical simulation and procedural modeling tools. These systems have been used for key visual effects in recent films such as Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens.
Richard A. Muller of U.C. Berkeley will discuss "Real World Problems: Physics for Presidents." Muller is a renowned course developer and author of "Physics for Future Presidents."
AAPT Symposium on Education Policy: Physics Education Research and Public Policy with Vern Ehlers, Helen Quinn, Howard Gobstein and Moderator, Noah Finkelstein – This session will bring together individuals who play pivotal roles in helping to shape policies and who provide information to policy makers.

Save the Date:
Summer Meeting 2012, July 28-August 1 (Philadelphia, PA)
Winter Meeting 2013, January 5-9 (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Summer Meeting 2013, July 13-17 (Portland, Oregon)
Plenary Sessions and Award Lectures from the Summer Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska can now be viewed online. Watch the videos.

New Paradigms for Physics Teacher Education

The Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) 2012 Annual Conference will be held February 3-4 in Ontario, California in conjunction with the AAPT winter meeting.  The conference theme of New Paradigms in Physics Teacher Education will be addressed through workshops in topical strands on Teaching Methods, Learning Assistants, Recruitment & Retention, and Equity & Diversity, among others. More information

2012 F=ma Contest Open

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. Register online.        

PhysicsBowl Registration

Registration for the 2012 PhysicsBowl is now open.
        Each year, approximately 10,000 students take a 40-question, 45-minute timed, multiple-choice test under their school’s supervision. The 2012 exam will be given between March 28 and April 11, 2012. More information online.

Texas SPIN-UP Regional Workshop

May 4-10, 2012, Austin, Texas
        Physics Departments can send teams of faculty members to work with experienced physics consultants to develop plans to enhance their undergraduate physics programs.  Funds are available to help cover travel and lodging expenses.  More details will be available early in 2012.  For questions, contact Bob Hilborn, AAPT Associate Executive Officer, rhilborn@aapt.org.

AAPT Partners with The Celebration of Teaching & Learning

AAPT is a proud sponsor of The Celebration of Teaching & Learning to be held March 16-17, 2012 in New York City. This seventh annual Celebration will bring together global experts, advocates, practitioners, and academics with more than 10,000 educators to create a unique professional development experience where knowledge meets inspiration. The 2012 Celebration will honor teachers as global professionals and provide the opportunity for knowledge sharing across classrooms and cultures. Read online.

Call for AAPT Awards Nominations

Recognize excellence in physics education! The Awards Committee is seeking nominations for all of our awards, citations, and medals. AAPT members are urged to review the descriptions on the AAPT website and then, following instructions, to nominate individuals who should be considered for any of these awards. Nominations remain active for five years.

Scholarship Deadline Extended

The Barbara Lotze Scholarships for Future Teachers eligibility includes undergraduate students enrolled, or planning to enroll, in physics teacher preparation curricula and high school seniors entering such programs. Successful applicants receive a stipend of up to $2,000. The scholarship may be granted to an individual for each of four years. Application Deadline has been extended to January 1, 2012.

SPS Science Opportunity Clearinghouse

The Nucleus would like to invite you to post your research opportunity listing or your internship opportunity on the SPS Science Opportunity Clearinghouse and encourage your students looking for research and internship experiences  to use the Clearinghouse.
          Over the past six years, SPS and the Nucleus has listed many thousands of science positions at nearly 200 different institutions, and these listings have been utilized by tens of thousands of the best undergraduates anywhere. (Note: SPS is the Society of Physics Students, but even if your research experience or internship program is not about physics, you may benefit from listing it in the SPS Science Opportunity Clearinghouse. Many SPS members are majoring or minoring in math, chemistry, engineering, and astronomy---many others are planning careers in the biological sciences, the ecosciences, material sciences and in medical fields, and are qualified and interested in summer experiences in those areas.)
          In the 2010-11 academic year, the Clearinghouse logged more than 100,000 page views of research opportunity postings and those posting opportunities have cited significant gains in the numbers of applications. Comments from past providers of research opportunities include, "We hit an all-time high in applications this year," and "the site is very well organized and well-run." If you have students who are looking to expand their education through hands-on experiences, we hope you will direct them to this listing from hundreds of world-class institutions.
          If you have Research/Internship Opportunities you would like listed in this database, please contact the editor@the-nucleus.org to make your account a registered Research/Internship Opportunity provider.

Are You a New Physics Teacher? Could You Use a Little Help?

The AAPT eMentoring program is designed to connect pre-college physics educators in need of additional guidance with experienced pre-college physics educators. Learn more.

What is the Story Files Project?

AAPT is preserving audiovisual files from members on topics including the teaching and learning of physics, collaborations and interactions between members, historical and personal reminiscing about physics related experiences and careers, the value of being an AAPT member, and much more. If you wish to contribute your own video to this project, please contact Dave Wolfe for details.

Section News

AAPT Sections Host Physics Day at 2011 NSTA Area Conference         AAPT offers a full day of physics content at the NSTA 2011 Area Conference in Seattle, WA - Friday, December 9.
        December  Fall Meetings
        Long Island Physics Teachers Association, December 3, 2011
          LIPTA online
        To list your section meeting in the AAPT Calendar of Events, e-mail the information to mgardner@aapt.org. See the July 2011 Section News.

Sense About Science

Developments in science and medicine are frequently the subject of news headlines and public discussion. With increasing amounts of scientific information being put into the public domain, and a growing number of organisations involved in promoting and discussing scientific research, it can be difficult to judge which research claims should be taken seriously. Sense About Science provides tools for teachers that will empower their students to evaluate and understand evidence about scientific reports.
        Read online.

APS Minority Scholarship Announcement

The American Physical Society is once again pleased to announce the APS Scholarships for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors.  African American, Hispanic American, and Native American students who are college freshmen or sophomore physics majors, and who are US citizens or permanent residents are invited to apply.  The deadline is February 3, 2012.  Awards are $2000 and $3000 per academic year.
        More information.

The Small Matter of Big Science

This short video from the two-part program of the same name discusses the connection between economic security and investment, including government investment, in scientific research. The full program closely examines developing policy as it relates to nuclear science and frontier research in the United States. Watch the video.       

Google RISE Awards

Google RISE - Roots in Science and Engineering - Awards are designed to promote and support Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Computer Science (CS) education initiatives. We grant awards to organizations working with K-12 (primary & secondary schools) and university students to provide enrichment programs in these fields.
          Read about RISE online.

Question Writers Needed for National Science Bowl

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Science Bowl is a nationwide academic competition that tests students' knowledge in mathematics and multiple areas of science. National Science Bowl's high school competition involves more than 13,000 students and its middle school competition involves more than 5,000 students nationwide. Scientists, mathematicians, graduate students and STEM educators who are interested in writing or reviewing questions for regional and national competitions may send their resume to: nsb-questions@orise.orau.gov. An honorarium is available for U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.

Call for Articles

The Journal of Student Research, an affiliate of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), is seeking submissions of Research Articles and Review Articles by undergraduate or graduate students. The deadline for submission is January 31, 2012.
          Read more

Knowles Science Teaching Fellowships

KSTF awards Teaching Fellowships in the three disciplinary areas of biology, mathematics, and physical sciences to individuals who demonstrate exceptional content knowledge in the area they intend to teach, a commitment to teaching high school in U.S. schools, professional ability, and the potential for leadership.
If you are passionate about teaching high school math and science, and dedicated to challenging and supporting all students, the KSTF Teaching Fellowship could help you succeed in ways you've never imagined.
        Learn more. Apply online. Deadline:  Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 5:00 p.m.

Watery Enceladus

In 1980, telescopes revealed that one of Saturn’s rings is centered at the orbit of Enceladus, a medium-sized Saturnian moon. It was the first hint that Enceladus is a world like no other....More recently, the Cassini orbiter has revealed a place that not only probably hosts liquid water but also is obligingly launching fresh samples of that water into space for analysis by spacecraft instruments. That place is Enceladus—a moon of Saturn 500 km in diameter.
          Read the Article.

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