eNNOUNCER March 2019
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AAPT News
Natalie Ferris Recognized With the 2018 AAPT/ALPhA Award
The 2018 AAPT-ALPhA Award winner is Natalie Ferris (Dickinson College). Her advisors are David Jackson and Brett Pearson. She will be presented the award at SM19. Additional information about Natalie and her project will be available prior to SM19.
2018 Barbara Lotze Scholarship Winners
The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) announced the winners of the 2018 Barbara Lotze Scholarship for Future Teachers. Undergraduate students enrolled, or planning to enroll, in physics teacher preparation curricula and high school seniors entering such programs are eligible. Successful applicants receive a stipend of up to $2,000 and a complimentary AAPT Student Membership for one year. The scholarship may be granted to an individual for each of four years.
2019 AAPT Summer Meeting
Join us at the 2019 AAPT Summer Meeting in Provo, Utah July 20-24. Surround yourself with Physics Educators from around the globe and develop and strengthen professional connections. Hear from internationally known plenary speakers, attend sessions, workshops and special activities designed with you mind. Don't miss this opportunity to share your expertise and learn from and network with leaders in the field. Check the AAPT website for more information as it becomes available.
Registration
Registration for the 2019 AAPT Summer Meeting will open in early March. Please click here for more information.
Enter the 2019 AAPT Apparatus Competition
The AAPT Apparatus Competition is held each year at the Summer Meeting, this year in Washington DC . There are two main categories, Low Cost and Unlimited. Pasco has again graciously sponsored the prizes, $1000 for First Place. The Application Deadline is June 28 , 2019. Please consider entering one or more of your Physics Apparatus in the competition.
Click here for the Entry Form
Click here for the Rules
SM19 Abstract Submissions
AAPT is accepting post-deadline abstracts from March 1 to May 2. All post-deadline abstracts will be scheduled on the July 24 in the last session of the day. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to present your research and share your teaching methods with other physics educators from around the globe.
Click here to submit an abstract
Sponsorship and Digital Advertising Opportunities
AAPT’s summer meeting is expected to draw over 1,200 physics educators from around the globe. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your company stand ahead of the rest. Click here for some exciting opportunities.
Hotel
The 2019 AAPT Summer Meeting will take place at the Utah Valley Convention Center and the main conference hotel will be the Provo Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Please click here for more information and to make a reservation.
eAlliances: Uniting Isolated Women Physicists and Astronomers
Everyone needs mentors, but how do you find other women physicists who understand your experience-- as the only Hispanic in the department, the only PER researcher, the only full-time physicist at your TYC, the only one who brings a newborn in a sling to department meetings? Join eAlliances, an NSF-sponsored faculty development project for women physics faculty, and become part of a peer-mentoring alliance with other women who share many of your same experiences.
Why me?
• Connect with other women physicists and astronomers
• Get and give advice and affirmation
• Gather a variety of insights to help you address professional issues
• Address work-life balance issues
• Receive encouragement and support in achieving your goals
This is professional development for your career stage: whether you are teaching your first or hundredth section of intro physics; mentoring your first or hundredth research associate, or leading your first or hundredth committee meeting. Someone else has a similar experience and can share insights, frustrations, and successes.
To join: Register at eAlliances.aapt.org
Recruit STEM Interns from the Best Job Sites for FREE!
The AAPT Career Center offers no-cost postings to employers recruiting seasonal interns. Locate the best fit for your organization by reaching the future of the science community - the AAPT membership, as well as the members and student members of the American Physical Society (APS Physics), AVS Science and Technology, and the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma.
Get the word out! Your posting will also appear on the Physics Today Jobs site, which when combined with the job sites of the organizations mentioned above forms the ultimate online science, engineering, and computing career network, ensuring maximum relevant visibility for your internship. Visit https://jobs.aapt.org/employers/ to get posting!
AAPT Books Program - Calling All Authors!
We are interested in hearing from authors who desire to publish books in the areas of physics content, the history and philosophy of physics, physics education research, and the application of pedagogical techniques in physics. Book topics must fit within the AAPT mission of “enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching.” We have prepared guidelines to help us evaluate prospective book ideas as we seek a publisher. If you are interested in authoring an AAPT book, please review the guidelines and consider submitting a proposal. Send questions about authoring an AAPT book to eo@aapt.org.
PTRA
See the stars in Utah. The 2019 PTRA Summer Leadership Institute will be July 24-28, 2019 at Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. Transportation to and from Salt Lake City will be provided for those attending the AAPT meeting. All K-16 teachers, faculty, and support personnel are invited to apply to attend. The main focus will be astronomy and applications to the classroom. More information and the application link can be found at aaptptra.com. Deadline for applications is April 1, 2019.
Interpret today's news in the light of Physics. The Central Pennsylvania Section will host a PTRA workshop Friday March 29, 2019 from 8:30AM -3:00 PM at Wilkes University. In the workshop you will get an introduction to PIRA (Physics Instructional Resource Association). PIRA has developed and catalogued 1000's of demonstrations by some of the most talented and creative minds in physics to allow others to learn Physics. You will also be investigating some of the topics that are in the news, evaluating them in light of Physics. Climate change is an example. Again Perimeter Institute materials form the framework of the investigations. For more information and registration Click here to read more
AAPT Programs
Jiajia Dong, Named Academic Director of United States Physics Team
The American Association of Physcs Teachers has announced the appointment of Jiajia Dong, Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Buckell University, as Academic Director of the United States Physics Team Program. Dong earned a BA in English and B.S. in Physics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R.China in 2003 and a Ph.D.in Physics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA in 2008. Read more
Support the U.S. Physics Team - Donate Now
Each year AAPT sponsors 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. AAPT is responsible for recruiting, selecting and training teams each year to compete in the International Physics Olympiad Competition. Your contribution is needed to support these high school students as they prepare to represent the U.S. internationally. Donate now!
2019 High School Physics Photo Contest
The 2019 High School Physics Photo Contest registration opens March 1, and will close May 15. The contest is open to high school students in grades 9-12. Teachers register on the AAPT website and receive a confirmation code that their students can use to submit their entries (essay and photo). Photos may be entered in either the Natural photo or Contrived photo category. The top 100 entries will be displayed and judged during the 2019 Summer Meeting in Provo, UT. Learn more!.
PICUP Workshop on Integrating Computation into Undergraduate Physics Courses: July 8-14, 2019
The Partnership for Integration of Computation into Undergraduate Physics (PICUP), an informal group of physics faculty from around the country, is committed to building a community of STEM educators dedicated to integrating computation into the undergraduate curriculum. Towards this end, PICUP invites all physics faculty to consider attending the Summer Faculty Development Workshop to be held on the campus of the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, from Monday, July 8 through Sunday, July 14, 2019. The purpose of this week-long workshop is to guide participants in developing their own computational educational materials, and in formulating a plan for implementing these materials in their upcoming courses. If you apply before April 1st, the registration fee is only $100, which covers all housing and meal costs for the entire week! There may also be some limited funding for round-trip travel to River Falls. If you do not have experience with computational methods and programming languages, you are invited to also come for a day-long series of tutorial sessions on Tuesday, July 9th, that will introduce you to the fundamentals of using a computer to solve basic physics problems. These tutorials are intended to get you up to speed on programming and computational basics so that you can confidently participate in the main workshop that will commence on the morning of Wednesday, July 10 and ends on Sunday, July 14. Go to www.compadre.org/picup/ for more details on this workshop and other PICUP events.
Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop
The next Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshop will be held June 24-27, 2019 in College Park, MD. This NSF-funded project now reaches about 50% of the new tenure-track hires in physics and astronomy in the U.S. Click here for more information about the workshops.
The 5+ Club
The Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) is pleased to announce the newest inductees into The 5+ Club, a group of institutions that has graduated five or more highly qualified physics teachers in the last academic year. In their 2015-16 report, the American Association for Employment in Education found that the teacher shortage in physics is number three among 59 education fields. The 5+ Club institutions are national leaders in addressing the severe nationwide shortage of secondary physics teachers. See the inductees here
PhysTEC Fellows
The PhysTEC Fellows program provides recognition and support for postsecondary faculty looking to improve their physics teacher preparation programs. PhysTEC Fellows collaborate with their institutional team and a fellowship cohort to plan and implement changes. Learn more and apply
Teacher of the Year
The PhysTEC Teacher of the Year program aims to recognize outstanding physics teachers and to demonstrate the impact and value of physics teacher preparation programs. All PhysTEC institutions are encouraged to nominate a graduate for this award. Nomination of awardees may result in recognition of excellent physics teachers and the physics teaching profession, and recognition of your PhysTEC institution as a producer of excellent physics teaching graduates. Submission of the nominated teacher's application is due by April 1. Submit a nomination now
AAPT Membership
AAPT Member Spotlight
John W. Jewett Jr.
California State Polytechnic University
Pomona, California
Read More
Membership Renewal
We appreciate our community of members, and we are here to serve you. If you have any difficulties renewing your membership or have any membership-related questions, please do not hesitate to contact us in the Membership Department at 301.209.3333 or membership@aapt.org.
Discounts Are Coming!
AAPT Members can now take advantage of major discounts at retailers such as Hertz, Office Depot/Office Max and HotelEngine.com. You save a percentage of your bill and a portion of the proceeds helps to support AAPT as well! We will be launching the program in the coming weeks, so be sure to check the Member Discounts Program page for details.
New AAPT Member Benefit: Up to 25 Free Downloads of AIP Journals Every Year
AAPT has partnered with AIP Publishing on a valuable new benefit. AAPT members now have access to 25 free article downloads every year from any of the AIP Publishing journals.
If you or your institution do not have subscription access to one of the journals in this list, you can now access the full text of an article from the journal by going to the article page and clicking either the "PDF" download or the "FULL TEXT" menu buttons. You will then be given an option to use one of your AAPT member credits to access the article.
After one year, any article download credits you used will be restored, and you will once again have 25 free article downloads to use during the next year as long as your AAPT membership remains active.
Thank you for supporting AAPT, and we hope you enjoy this new membership benefit.
Applications Now Being Accepted for Jossem Fund Grants
Applications are currently being accepted for the E. Leonard Jossem Fund. The E. Leonard (Len) Jossem International Education Fund provides grants to individuals in support of international programs dealing with teaching and learning of physics. The fund will be available for two different categories:
• Collaborations between U.S. and developing countries. Funding should facilitate interactions and exchanges of ideas between U.S. physics educators and/or students and those in developing countries.
• International meetings and conferences focused on physics education. Meetings and conferences should involve direct contact between physics educators and furnish the interactions that stimulate new ideas and lasting collaborations. Students and faculty with limited resources can apply for funding to attend international meetings and conferences.
The Jossem Fund invites applications from physics educators who are AAPT members at any academic stage or rank. Only AAPT members may apply. Awards will range from $200 to $2,000. Applications must be received by late spring or early summer (deadline is the same as the Special Projects Fund) for consideration during the 2019 fiscal year. Applications will be reviewed by the Special Projects and Philanthropy Committee. Click here for more information.
Teachers and Faculty Who Have Tutored Physics?
The AAPT Committee on the Interests of Senior Physicists (CISP) is considering organizing sessions or workshops on tutoring in physics and astronomy. We think that such sessions would be of particular interest to physics teachers looking for post-retirement occupations.
Do you know teacher or faculty member who has tutored physics at any level? If so, please send their names and email addresses to Charlie Holbrow, Chair of CISP (chholbrow@gmail.com). CISP would like to get in contact with them and learn about their experiences and explore how we might share these with interested colleagues.
The possibilities for tutoring online either on your own or through some online agency are of particular interest, but there are useful things to say about any sort of tutoring. CISP wants to gather information about all modes of tutoring physics and make the information widely available.
Support New Teachers!
Are you interested in the ways you can 'pay it forward'? Have you thought about how you can truly impact the future? Consider supporting the next generation of physics teachers with your tax deductible donation to the AAPT New Teacher Fund. Your generosity helps to provide professional development opportunities to new, and early career educators, with a membership in AAPT. Proceeds from this fund underwrite much of the cost of membership dues and, enables us to expand our outreach efforts.
Call for Award Nominations
The AAPT Awards Committee invites nominations for all of AAPT awards, citations, and medals. We are particularly interested in nominations for AAPT Fellows and for the Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT.
Free Individual Membership in the Council on Undergraduate Research for Faculty in Institutions with Enhanced Membership
One of AAPT's frequent collaborative organizations, the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) has an enhanced institutional member category. For a list of CUR’s enhanced members, please see this webpage. If you, and other faculty, administrators, and students are at a CUR enhanced member institution, your individual membership is FREE. All you need to do is to sign-up, remembering to choose the division of physics and astronomy as your “home” in CUR. CUR’s physics and astronomy division is very active, and more members would be welcome!
Please refer to the Membership Tab of the CUR website (https://www.cur.org)) hover over “Become a Member”, select the Individual Membership Online Application, and select your institution’s name from the dropdown list. A “pop up” message will announce that you have added onto the Enhanced Membership, click OK and complete the application form. Thanks for sharing this great opportunity to connect with CUR with your colleagues in physics and/or astronomy departments.
Infusing Engineering into the Science Classroom
Join other teachers seeking to integrate engineering into their science classroom with this unique professional development opportunity. Headed by AAPT/AIP Master Teacher Policy fellows Matthew Peterie and Andrew Edmondson, you will learn from experienced and skillful teachers. The cost will be $385 for individual attendee which includes your registration for the year long program and meals for the two days at Olathe Northwest. If a group of teachers from a building or district would like to attend, reduced pricing is available. After registering your team by completing the form below, subsequent correspondence will make arrangements for payment. Sign up here
Vincent Rodgers, AAPT member, honored with top UI teaching award
Vincent Rodgers, University of Iowa faculty member was honored recently with the 2018 President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence in recognition of their years of outstanding teaching.Throughout his 30 years as a member of the UI faculty, Vincent Rodgers has aspired to make concepts in physics engaging and accessible to his students. Click here to read more
Ramon Lopez named to UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers
AAPT Member Ramon Lopez, a professor of physics at The University of Texas at Arlington, has been named to the UT System Academy of Distinguished Teachers for his excellence in teaching and mentoring students.
In the News
Register Now to be a Presenter in the 2019 STEM for All Video Showcase
Do you have a federally funded project aimed at improving STEM or CS learning and teaching in formal or informal environments? If so, you are invited to be a presenter in this year's STEM for All Video Showcase!. Registration to present will end on February 19th (or earlier if the showcase receives more than 250 registrations). Don't miss out!
Click here for more information
JavaScript Physlet Physics Now Available
The new JavaScript edition of Physlet Physics is now available from the Open Source Physics ComPADRE Collection. The original functionality and interactivity of Physlets is maintained and all 800+ Illustrations, Explorations, and Problems are mobile friendly and ready-to-use by students without installing any additional plug-in. Try them out on AAPT-ComPADRE at: www.compadre.org/physlets/
Student Research Foundation
Please help us to identify strategies to close the gap between STEM supply and STEM demand. If you receive a package of surveys by mail, please complete them. If you have not yet received a mailed survey package from The Research Consortium on STEM Career Pathways, please ensure that you and your students are included by filling out this simple online form or by emailing info@studentresearchfoundation.org. Thank you for participating!
To the GIREP members and sympathizers
GIREP is working on improving even more the quality of Teaching and Learning Physics with different initiatives with the goal to support the production of research results, studies and in general teaching proposals based on PER. Contributing to this goal are the excellent Conferences and Seminars, organized more and more in collaboration with other bodies, the very active and qualified GTGs instituted in the last years and the contracts with the Springer and IOP for ISI books of selected papers. Content research, design based research and integration of research with practice is characterizing the GIREP members and sympathizers. Read More
Active Learning in Introductory Physics Courses: Research-Based Strategies that Improve Student Learning
Designed for those who teach introductory physics at universities, colleges and high schools. Graduate credit will be available through the University of Oregon.
Instructors: David Sokoloff, University of Oregon and Ronald Thornton, Tufts University
Participants will be introduced to research-validated, classroom-tested strategies for each component of the introductory course that have been demonstrated to improve learning. These include Interactive Lecture Demonstration (ILDs), RealTime Physics (RTP) labs, Collaborative Problem-Solving Tutorials, Workshop Physics (WP), Physics with Video Analysis (PVA), and related online video analysis exercises. The course will also include the use of video analysis to identify analytic functions describing real data. Read more
APS 2019 Excellence in Physics Education Award Recipients
The 2019 award recognizes the Learning Assistance Program at U of Colorado Boulder. Three of the recipients are AAPT members.
The award is to recognize and honor a team or group of individuals (such as a collaboration) or, exceptionally, a single individual, who have exhibited a sustained commitment to excellence in physics education. The award, presented annually, consists of a $5,000 monetary award, a certificate citing the achievements of the group or individual, and an allowance for travel expenses to the APS April Meeting where the award is presented.
Recipients: Laurie S. Langdon, University of Colorado, Boulder Richard McCray, University of Colorado, Boulder Steven Iona, University of Colorado, Boulder / University of Denver, (AAPT) Steven Pollock, University of Colorado, Boulder, (AAPT) Valerie K. Otero, University of Colorado, Boulder, (AAPT)
CPEP Award for Excellence in Teaching Contemporary Physics
The Contemporary Physics Education Project (CPEP) has established the International CPEP Award for Excellence in Teaching Contemporary Physics to recognize an educator working with high school or middle school students, who has made outstanding achievements in teaching contemporary physics topics. Contemporary physics topics include, but are not limited to, particle physics, nuclear physics, plasma physics, cosmology, fusion physics, and gravitational waves. Please see www.CPEPphysics.org for more details on these topics. Click here for more information.
Melba Phillips Papers Now Online
The Niels Bohr Library & Archives (NBLA) at the American Institute of Physics has digitized the papers of physicist and physics educator Melba Phillips. The whole collection is now accessible to the public in NBLA’s online repository here. Click here to read a brief biography of Phillips and to learn about some of the interesting items in the collection.
Career Toolbox for Undergraduates
The Careers Toolbox for Undergraduate Physics Students is a set of tools and exercises designed to help undergraduate physics students prepare to enter the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce. Tools range from exploring the common job titles of physics bachelor's to preparing for interviews, and are all geared specifically for physics students. This resource is brought to you by the American Institute of Physics and the Society of Physics Students. The 4th Edition is now ready for use.
Help students find the right grad program. Tell them about GradSchoolShopper.com
Advise your students to check out GradSchoolShopper.com, the most complete directory of graduate programs in the physical sciences. New 2019 departmental data is now available! Students headed for graduate school can use this FREE service to search by degree programs, admission deadlines, research specialties, faculty profiles, GRE requirements, and more! If your program isn’t listed, contact us to find out how to have it included.
Highly Trained STEM Teachers Needed to Boost America's Global Competitiveness, According to New Study
The United States' global competitiveness is at risk as the nation confronts persistent shortages of STEM teachers. More than half of all high school physics teachers lacked certification in the discipline in 2012, for example. As a result, students who are interested in STEM careers find themselves ill prepared to compete in an increasingly highly technical workforce.
A new study by the American Physical Society, in collaboration with the American Chemical Society, Computing Research Association, and Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership, addresses the reasons why STEM students shy away from teaching as a career and offers ways to counter the trend. Download the full report at www.aps.org/policy/reports.
American Modeling Teachers Association
During the 2018 summer, almost 800 teachers attended one of the 49 Modeling Workshops, held in 14 different states. Plans are currently being made for the 2019 season, in which we hope to have workshops in Physics (mechanics, E&M, waves, computational Modeling: Physics First, light and sound), chemistry (first and second semester), biology, physical science and workshops for middle school teachers. The workshop information will be made available in the spring on the website.
Contact Wendy wendy@modelinginstruction.org.
Face to Face Modeling Workshops
The 2019 face-to-face Modeling Workshops Cognition and Instruction in STEM, are posted on the website as we receive the information. Workshops have been planned for Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts and Ohio. Workshops are scheduled for physics, chemistry, biology, middle school and physical science. Click here for details.Arizona State University Master of Natural Science Degree in Physics for Teachers
Arizona State University has an interdisciplinary Master of Natural Science (MNS) degree in physics for high school and two-year college teachers. Courses are in summer, and the degree is founded on Modeling Instruction. Teachers in 15 western states can apply for IN-STATE tuition; the deadline is APRIL 1.
For more details click here .
Ask for information click here.
NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 Program Is Accepting Proposals
The National Science Foundation invites proposals to the Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 (Mid-scale RI-1) program. Within Mid-scale RI-1, proposers may submit two types of projects, “Implementation” and “Design”. Design and Implementation projects may comprise any combination of equipment, infrastructure, computational hardware and software, and necessary commissioning. Design includes planning (preliminary and final design) of research infrastructure with an anticipated total project cost that is appropriate for future Mid-scale RI-1, Mid-scale RI-2 or MREFC-class investments. Mid-scale RI-1 uses an inclusive definition of implementation, which can include traditional stand-alone construction or acquisition and can include a degree of advanced development leading immediately to final system acquisition and/or construction. Mid-scale RI-1 "Implementation" projects must directly enable advances in fundamental science, engineering or science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education research in one or more of the research domains supported by NSF. Implementation projects may support new or upgraded research infrastructure. For more information click here
Physics Careers
Jobs Announcements from the Career Center
Instructor
Mississippi State University
Click here for job description.
Physics Instructor, Honors and Advanced Placement C
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Click here for job description.
More Physics Resources
Social Media @ AAPT
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Section News
Please submit your Section Report for the AAPT Section News. To list your section meeting in the AAPT Calendar of Events, e-mail the information to mhall@aapt.org. See the Fall 2018 Section News.
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