2012 Call for Editor: The Physics Teacher

The American Association of Physics Teachers is seeking a new Editor for The Physics Teacher to transition into the post by July 2013.

Duties of the Editor
The Editor has overall responsibility for the operation of the Journal under the general supervision of the Publications Committee of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).  The Editor is responsible for selecting papers and letters for publication from those submitted.  The Editor also coordinates the work of the various column editors. Most of the routine tasks are presently carried out by a managing editor, who logs in new and revised submissions, sends reminders to reviewers, logs in reviews, maintains a database of correspondence with the editorial office, and communicates with the production office. Regular activities of the editor include submission to the AAPT for approval an annual budget for the editorial work; monitoring expenditures under the budget; selecting appropriate reviewers for manuscript submissions; corresponding with authors concerning reviewed papers; making publication decisions; editing  accepted papers (an important and large part of the job) in preparation for copy editing and production; monitoring the publication process; and supervising the on-site editorial support staff. Copy editing is currently done by the managing editor, who submits manuscripts to the senior publications editor in College Park for layout and transmission to the printer.

In addition to supervising these tasks, the Editor solicits some papers to be written, reviews the editorial policy of the Journal in consultation with the Editorial Board, writes editorials, reports twice a year to the AAPT Publications Committee, nominates members of the Editorial Board for appointment by the AAPT Executive Board, and is at the center of every editorial emergency.  The Editor is a member of the AAPT Publications Committee, and an ex officio, nonvoting member of the AAPT Executive Board.

More information can be found in the October 2012 issue of The Physics Teacher.

Arrangements
The Editor's responsibilities constitute professional activities requiring approximately 3/4 of the Editor's time on a 12-month basis, but the specific time commitment and personal financial arrangement will be negotiated between the prospective Editor, the Editor’s host institution and AAPT. In the past, host institutions have provided some or all of the following: released time for the Editor, part or all of the salary for the released time, office space for the editorial staff without cost, disbursement of funds at the direction of the Editor, and billing of AAPT periodically for these expenses, without overhead.

The arrangements for the initial appointment are flexible. Editorial appointments are normally for three years. It is AAPT policy to conduct periodic reviews of each of its editorial functions.

The Search Committee is primarily interested in the qualifications of candidates,  and thus present or past arrangements should not discourage anyone from applying.

Criteria of Selection
Candidates will be judged on their interest and accomplishments in physics teaching, familiarity with the various fields of physics, demonstrated ability to use the written word, acquaintance with The Physics Teacher, and administrative ability.  The Search Committee will review all applications and submit a recommendation to the AAPT Executive Board for approval.

Application Procedure
The Search Committee welcomes inquiries from those interested in the Editor's position, as well as nominations of others.  These should be directed to the Chair of the Search Committee (contact information below).  Applications should include: (1) a cover letter explaining the candidate's views on the role of The Physics Teacher and how it might best serve the physics teaching community; (2) a curriculum vita; (3) a letter of support from the candidate's department chair (or equivalent), indicating, among other things, the willingness of the department and institution to support the presence of the TPT editorial office (some comment from the senior administration regarding institutional support is important); and (4) two additional letters of recommendation.  Applications should be complete by January 10, 2013 but will be accepted until the position is filled. Send applications to tpteditorsearch@aapt.org.

Search Committee Members
Dwain Desbien, Estrella Mountain Community College, Chair
Steve Iona, AAPT Secretary, Chair of AAPT Publications Committee
Karl Mamola, TPT Editor, ex officio, non-voting
Beth Cunningham, AAPT Executive Officer, ex officio, non-voting
Diane Riendeau, Deerfield High School
Dwight (Ed) Neuenschwander, Southern Nazarene University