March 2006

From the Editor

AAPT's monthly email update continues to evolve. This month, we've added an Action Items section that lists upcoming deadlines—this new section will lead off each issue. We've also received many positive comments about the new look and the new content—and many helpful suggestions, too.

Note: Due to the evolving nature of the web, some links referenced in this and other AAPT NEWS reports may no longer work.

The AAPT NEWS is a service to our members and is from the Executive Office of the American Association of Physics Teachers. All issues can be found on the AAPT website at: http://www.aapt.org/aboutaapt/updates/

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

Contents

• Action Items
• News Headlines
• News from the Executive Office
• Recommended Reading
• Upcoming Meetings & Events
• Member News
• Career Center

This new section lists this month's upcoming deadlines.

Summer Meeting Abstracts Deadline: March 16
U.S. Physics Team Semi-Final Exams Deadline: March 16
PhysicsBowl Registration Deadline: March 20

A selection of recent stories of interest to our members.*

In Quantum Physics Breakthrough, Strange Computer Is On and Off
From the Kansas City Star
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/13946424.htm

Pluto Explored
From Discover (abstract; full article available to subscribers)
http://www.discover.com/issues/mar-06/features/pluto-explored/

"Nano Skins" Show Promise as Flexible Electronic Devices
From RPI press release
http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=1394

Faculty Salaries Up 3.4 Percent
From Inside Higher Ed
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/03/06/cupa

Rallying for Science Education in South Carolina
From the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0303education.shtml

A Perception Gap Over Students' Preparation
From The Chronicle of Higher Education
http://chronicle.com/free/v52/i27/27b00901.htm

Time Too Good to Be True
From Physics Today
http://www.physicstoday.org/vol-59/iss-3/p10.html

Celebrating 75 Years
This year marks AAPT's 75th Anniversary. Visit our anniversary site for details on upcoming activities and events!
http://www.aapt.org/anniversary/index.cfm

2006 U.S. Physics Team Semi-Finalists
The semi-finalists for this year's team have been selected and can be viewed by following the link below. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Alexandria, VA) leads all other schools with 12 semi-finalists. Congratulations to the students and their teacher, John Dell.
http://www.aapt.org/olympiad2006/semifinals.cfm

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 at:
http://www.aapt.org/anniversary/index.cfm

Hot 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:
http://www.aapt.org/Store/

75th Anniversary Trivia Contest
Physics trivia connoisseur? AAPT history expert? Enter the AAPT weekly trivia contest. Registration is free and is restricted to current AAPT members. Play to win weekly and monthly prizes. Click the link below to play:
http://www.aapt.org/anniversary/trivia_new.cfm

75th Anniversary Time Capsule
Coming Soon: Look for your opportunity to suggest items for inclusion in a time capsule. Items will be sealed in the capsule at the AAPT Annual Meeting this summer. The capsule will remain sealed until our 100th Anniversary in 2031.
Read more anniversary news and information here:
http://www.aapt.org/anniversary/index.cfm

The Physics Teacher
Article of the Month
AAPT Sections, by Randy Peterson (TPT online subscribers only, PDF format)
http://scitation.aip.org/getpdf/servlet/GetPDFServlet?filetype=
pdf&id=PHTEAH000044000003000136000001&idtype=cvips

American Journal of Physics
Article of the Month
Investigating Vortex Streets Behind Real and Virtual Bluff Bodies, by Y. D. Afanasyev and C. G. Deacon (AJP online subscribers only, PDF format)
http://scitation.aip.org/getpdf/servlet/GetPDFServlet?filetype=
pdf&id=AJPIAS000074000003000236000001&idtype=cvips

AAPT 2006 Summer Meeting
Details on the July 22-26 meeting at Syracuse University are available here:
http://aapt.org/Events/SM2006/index.cfm

2006 PhysicsBowl
Details about the contest and awards as well as a registration form are available here:
http://www.aapt.org/contests/physicsbowl.cfm
The deadline for registering for the contest is Monday, March 20.

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. For specific dates and more details:
http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/Physics/lfot/workshops.asp

Gordon Research Conference on Physics Research and Education: Electromagnetism
The purpose of this conference is to help foster interactions between traditional physics researchers, physics education researchers, and undergraduate physics educators. This June 11-16 conference will concentrate on electromagnetism and applications of electromagnetic phenomena in modern research. For more details:
http://www.grc.uri.edu/programs/2006/physres.htm

Obituary: Ik-Ju Kang, Professor Emeritus, AAPT Illinois Section President
Ik-Ju Kang of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville died Friday, Feb. 24. He was 77.
http://www.thealestle.com/news/2006/03/02/News/Former.Prof.Dies.At.
77-1649112.shtml

iScienceProject To Loan $500,000 in Classroom Tech Equipment to U.S. Schools
iScienceProject offers free loans of HOBO data loggers to K-12 teachers in the United States, and an exciting, interactive website where students and teachers can download more than 300 free classroom labs and participate in contests.
http://www.iscienceproject.com

Do You Know a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math Educator with  a Disability?
Georgia Tech researchers are conducting a survey to learn about the employment experiences and workplace accommodations used by science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) K-12 and postsecondary educators who have a disability. The survey is anonymous and takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. While there is no direct benefit to you for participating in this study, the goal of this research is to provide information to help people with disabilities successfully become teachers and to help educators who acquire a disability to be able to continue in their career. To participate in this NSF-funded research project, go to:
http://www.catea.org/teachersurvey/

The Pirelli INTERNETional Award
In May 2006, registration will officially open for the Tenth Edition of the Pirelli INTERNETional Award (2006). Launched in 1996, it is the world’s first Internet multimedia award aimed at the diffusion of scientific and technological culture worldwide.
http://www.pirelliaward.com

Publish Your News Here
Have a news item you'd like to share with the AAPT membership in the April edition? Send it to us by March 31:
aapt-news@aapt.org

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 at: http://www.aapt.org/CareerCenter/index.cfm