AAPT.org - American Association of Physics Teachers

July 2006

From the Editors

Welcome to AAPT's monthly update. Happy Independence Day to all of our U.S. Members. July is an exciting month for AAPT as we officially celebrate our 75th Anniversary at our Summer Meeting at the end of the month (and we look forward to meeting many of you there). As always, if you have some feedback for the NEWS: Please write and tell us.

Contents

 
 
 
News from the Executive Office

U.S. Physics Team Departs for Singapore
The five-member team is on its way to Singapore to compete against 81 countries. The Physics International competition begins Saturday, July 8, with a Welcome Reception. A five-hour theory exam takes place on Monday, July 10, and a five-hour experimental exam will be given on Wednesday, July 12. Medals will be awarded on Sunday, July 16. More details on the Team site.

PER Leadership Organizing Council Announced
Congratulations to the six elected members of the Physics Education Research Leadership Organizing Council (PERLOC): Noah Finkelstein, Steve Kanim, Lillian C. McDermott, Valerie Otero, Joe Redish, and Michael Wittmann. Visit the PERLOC website for more information.

Celebrating 75 Years
This year marks AAPT's 75th anniversary. Visit our anniversary site for
details on this year's special activities and events!

75th Anniversary Time Capsule
At the 2006 Summer Meeting, a time capsule will be filled with AAPT and physics-related memorabilia. Once sealed, the capsule will be displayed in AAPT's Executive Office until its opening at our 100th Anniversary in the year 2031. Members are invited to suggest items to include in the capsule. Click here to read more details and submit your ideas; and then be sure to attend the time capsule ceremony at the 2006 Summer Meeting.

Celebrating 75 Years of Authorship
As part of our anniversary celebration, AAPT is collecting a selection of books written by members throughout the years. The books will be displayed at the 2006 Summer Meeting in Syracuse, NY. For more information please visit the 75th Anniversary home page.

75th Anniversary Call for Photos
The Summer Announcer will feature a special print and online section dedicated to remembering the past. Please send your old photos and memories to AAPT, Attn: Publications, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Photos may also be emailed. Click here for more details.

Summer Meeting Speakers Announced
AAPT’s 2006 Summer Meeting features an exciting line-up of speakers. Information about award lecturers and plenary speakers can be found
here.

New Sponsor for the 2006 Photo Contest
We are pleased to announce that Lexmark International, Inc., is our new partner for the annual photo contest. The 2006 AAPT/Lexmark High School Physics Photo Contest winners will be chosen at the Summer Meeting in July. We received more than 500 entries this year! We also have exciting new prizes.

Editors Sought for ComPADRE
ComPADRE is looking for editors for two collections: Upper Division Physics and Introductory Physics.

Discounts at the AAPT Online Store
Right now, select World Year of Physics items are 50% off: T-shirts, watches, hats, umbrellas, and more! Visit the store now for these items as well as AAPT 75th Anniversary commemorative items.

 
Recommended Reading 

American Journal of Physics
Article of the Month
"A Selected History of Expectation Bias in Physics" by Monwhea Jeng
(AJP online subscribers only, PDF format)

The Physics Teacher
Article of the Month
"Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend a National Meeting" by Diane Riendeau
(TPT online subscribers only, PDF format)
 
Upcoming Meetings & Events 

AAPT 2006 Summer Meeting
Details on the July 22-26 meeting at Syracuse University are available here.
NEW: New York Times article on Syracuse. (Free registration required.)

AAPT Strand Day 2006: Save the Date
Mark your calendar: October 20 at the NSTA Regional Meeting in Omaha, NE. Visit the site for more details.

Nationwide Physics Modeling Workshops
Workshops in high school physics will be held this summer in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New York, Ohio, and Texas. For details visit the site.

Workshops on Distance Learning and Remote Controlled Laboratories
The Department of Physics and the Laser and Fiber Optics Technology Program at Queensborough Community College/CUNY and the National Science Foundation are offering two NSF Faculty Enhancement Workshops in July 2006. The workshops are designed to enhance instruction in science, engineering, and technology through the use of remote controlled laboratories and interactive multimedia courseware. Click here for specific dates and more details.
 
Member News

2006 Summer Meeting Awardees
The following awards will be presented at the AAPT Summer Meeting in July:
Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award, Robert A. Millikan Lecture Award, Excellence in Pre-College Physics Teaching Award, and Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching Award. The award winners have been announced.

PER-CENTRAL Digital Archive Now Live
The Physics Education Research-Community Enhancing Network for Teaching, Research, and Learning is pleased to announce the launch of its digital archive. Access is free and with an account users can browse through the database, submit resources to be included in the collection, maintain a discussion forum, and create your own personal "filing cabinet" of previously searched items.

Contributions to ComPADRE Sought
ComPADRE and the Physical Sciences Resource Center (PSRC) are looking for good materials that can be added to the collections. To submit materials or register (free) click here.

2007 NCUR/Lancy Initiative: Call for Proposals
The Initiative is designed to provide exceptional undergraduates with the opportunity to do original work in close collaboration with faculty mentors. The program will make grants to institutions only. Please see proposal guidelines here.

Publish Your News Here
Have a news item you'd like to share with the AAPT membership in the August edition? Send it to us by July 21—be sure to include an overview and a URL (website address) where readers can go to for more information:
aapt-news@aapt.org
 
Career Center

Looking for the best physics job candidates and job opportunities? The AAPT Career Center is part of the Physics Today Career Network focused on the physics industry and its related disciplines. The network reaches more than 120,000 physicists and other scientists in a broad range of sectors from academia to industry to government and nonprofit organizations. It offers advertisers unmatched exposure and the best buy for their advertising dollar. Visit the online Career Center.

 
About the AAPT News

The AAPT NEWS is a service to our members and is produced by the Executive Office of the American Association of Physics Teachers.

E-mail news items, comments and suggestions to: aapt-news@aapt.org

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