Blane Baker2020 National Board of Directors Election Candidate for Secretary

D. Blane Baker

Department of Physics, William Jewell College, Liberty, MO 64068 bakerb@william.jewell.edu

Education

  • B.A. William Jewell College, 1986, Physics summa cum laude
  • M.A. Washington University, 1990
  • Ph.D. Washington University 1993

Professional Experience

  • Naval Research Laboratory, National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow (1993-1995)
  • University of Houston-Downtown: Assistant Professor of Physics (1995-1997)
  • Ouachita Baptist University: Assistant Professor of Physics (1997-1999)
  • William Jewell College: Assistant Professor of Physics (1999-2001)
  • William Jewell College: Associate Professor of Physics (2001-2006)
  • William Jewell College: Professor of Physics (2006- present)
  • William Jewell College: Wallace A. Hilton Chair in Physics (2007-present)

Honors

  • National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1993-95
  • Templeton Foundation Course Award 1999
  • William Jewell College Wallace A. Hilton Endowed Chair 2007
  • William Jewell College Carl F. Willard Distinguished Teaching Award 2007
  • Northland Chamber of Commerce Teaching Award 2007
  • Society of Physics Students Outstanding Chapter Advisor 2017

Memberships

  • American Association of Physics Teachers
  • American Physical Society
  • American Physical Society Texas Section
  • Society of Physics Students SPS; Sigma Pi Sigma

AAPT/SPS Activities

  • AAPT Secretary (2019-present)
  • AAPT Publications Committee Chair (2019-present)
  • AAPT Commttee on Governance Structure (2019-present)
  • AAPT Awards Committee (2019-present)
  • Associate member of AAPT Apparatus Committee (2015-2019)
  • SPS Zone Councilor (2013-2016, 2016-2019)
  • SPS National Council (2013-2016, 2016-2019)
  • SPS By-laws and Policies Committee (2015-16)
  • SPS Awards Committee (2015-16)
  • SPS Physics Congress 2019 Planning Committee (2017-2019)
  • Regular contributor to and reviewer for The Physics Teacher

Commentary

As one of your colleagues, I would be honored to continue my service as AAPT Secretary. I greatly value my membership in AAPT, and I enjoy the camaraderie that we share. Since assuming my position as Secretary in January 2019, I have become familiar with the various duties, and I am striving diligently to fulfill my roles effectively.

As Secretary, I serve as Chair of the Publications Committee. Within the past year, we have formed a Books Advisory Committee BAC to solicit and review books for the AAPT Books Program in conjunction with AIP Publishing. Several of you are collaborating with the BAC on projects, and we encourage others to participate. In addition, this past fall we commissioned a group of AAPT members to conduct a periodic review of the American Journal of Physics (AJP). The review has been completed and a report to the AAPT membership will appear in an upcoming eNNOUNCER. Another ongoing effort includes working on Transformative Agreements with our publishing partners.

As an AAPT Board Member, I have been active as a contributor and participant in all meetings and conversations. Our recent discussions and deliberations have included: developing a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning to a virtual Summer Meeting 2020, working on strategies to strengthen membership, and engaging in strategic planning activities. 

Finally, I am deeply committed to ensuring that AAPT meets the needs of all Association members. I fully support all diversity initiatives and activities that promote equity and inclusion within AAPT and our larger world. I look forward to connecting with many more AAPT members in our virtual SM 2020, via email, or in other contexts.