Eric Ayars 2018 Election Bio

Eric J. Ayars

Department of Physics, California State University Chico, Chico CA 95926
eayars@csuchico.edu

Education

BS Pacific Union College 1992, Physics Summa Cum Laud
Ph.D North Carolina State University, 2000

Professional Experience

Walla Walla College, Assistant Professor of Physics (2000-2003); California State University Chico, Assistant/Associate/Professor/Chair of Physics (2003-present)

Honors

Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Pi Sigma, Ironman, AAPT/ALPhA Awardee mentor, multiple AAPT Apparatus Competition winner

Memberships

American Association of Physics Teachers; American Physical Society; Advanced Laboratory Physics Association (ALPhA)

AAPT/APS Activities

AAPT Apparatus Committee (member/chair); AAPT Laboratory Committee (member/chair); AAPT Committee on Educational Technologies (member); APS Forum on Education (member). AAPT Workshop presenter, “Falsification Labs”, “Arduino Microcontrollers in the Physics Lab”; ALPhA Immersion mentor  “Using Arduino in the Physics Lab”, “Mechanical Chaotic Oscillator”

Commentary

AAPT has been my professional “home” since I was given a membership as a graduation present from college. I have benefitted immensely from the exchange of ideas in The Physics Teacher, American Journal of Physics, and at meetings; I see serving on the AAPT board is an opportunity to pay it forward and ensure that this organization continues to be a valuable resource to the physics teaching community.