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Lila Adair
, AAPT’s President in 2008, has
been a vital force in physics education for over
30 years. She has served in many capacities
in the organization, including High School
Representative to the Board,
TPT
author,
editorial board member, and chair of many
AAPT committees. Through his books and
articles, former AAPT President and current
TPT
editorial board member
Ken Ford
has
helped us make sense of phenomena ranging
from the physics of soaring to quantum
mechanics. His involvement in science
education is diverse. He has taught students at
the high school, undergraduate, and graduate
school level.
Paul Hewitt
, best-selling author
of the ground-breaking
Conceptual Physics
,
has made the ideas of physics accessible to
students at all levels and of all abilities. His
TPT
“Figuring Physics” column has been a
favorite of teachers and students alike for
over 30 years.
Eva Haddix
taught college
English literature for 11 years before assisting
Clifford Swartz in producing
The Physics
Teacher
journal. Her attention to detail was
apparent in every issue of the journal. A
stalwart supporter of the physics teaching
profession and former AAPT President,
John
Hubisz
has also been president of the Texas
and North Carolina Sections. John has served
on and chaired numerous AAPT committees.
His
TPT
book reviews are where one goes to
learn about what’s good in science reading.
Another former AAPT President,
Harvey Leff
brings a formidable combination of ability,
passion, and demonstrated accomplishment—
in the classroom, in research, in academic
leadership, and on musical stages—to his
service to AAPT. Through his articles in
The
Physics Teacher
he has demystified entropy and
thermodynamics and illuminated the physics
of light bulbs.
Martha Lietz
and I have worked
together for years on various efforts. It has
been a pleasure to share teaching ideas with
her, as well as have her representation as chair
of the Committee on Physics in High Schools
and a section representative to AAPT.
John
Mallinckrodt
, professor emeritus of physics at
Cal Poly, has served as interim and consulting
editor to
TPT’s
sister publication, the
American
Journal of Physics
, and is currently serving
on the
TPT
editorial board. His letters to the
editor never fail to help us better understand
Gay Stewart, AAPT President 2013-2014
Foreword
2013 marks the 50
th
anniversary of
The Physics Teacher (TPT)
. This booklet
contains the reflections of 16 AAPT members regarding how their experiences
with the journal have influenced their professional lives, as well as how their
contributions have affected the journal. As President of AAPT, I have the
honor of providing a brief introduction to the contributors. Each has had a
major impact on our Association and its members.
