Paul J. Heafner2020 National Board of Directors Election Candidate for At Large Two Year College Representative

Paul J. Heafner

Astronomy, Mathematics, and Physics (AMP) Department, Catawba Valley Community College, 2550 Highway 70SE, Hickory, NC 28602
heafnerj@gmail.com

Education

  • BA UNC-CH, 1989, Astronomy
  • MS UNC Greensboro,1991

Professional Experience

  • Catawba Valley Community College, Astronomy and Physics instructor, 1992-present
  • UNCC, Adjunct Lecturer, 1999-2000
  • Lucile Miller Observatory, staff member 1992-present
  • Editor of AstroNotes column in The Physics Teacher 2014-present

Honors

  • Best Pedagogical Paper, NCS-AAPT Meeting Spring 1999
  • Best Pedagogical Paper, NCS-AAPT Meeting Fall 2006
  • AAPT Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service, 2014
  • AAPT Fellow, 2015-present

Memberships

  • American Association of Physics Teachers
  • North Carolina Section AAPT

AAPT Activities

  • Former Area Chair and member of AAPT Committee on Space Science and Astronomy.  Current friend of the committee
  • Former Area Chair and member  of AAPT Committee on Physics in Two-Year Colleges. Current friend of the committee
  • Editor of AstroNotes column in The Physics Teacher 2014-present
  • Past President of NCS-AAPT
  • Numerous contributed and invited papers and workshops at AAPT meetings

Commentary

AAPT has been vital to my teaching career and professional development. Two-year college faculty have a unique mix of talents and needs that are often overlooked, except in AAPT. AAPT provides a community in which we can express our concerns and celebrate our successes. As a member of the Executive Board, I will do everything I can to represent my colleagues’ voices and needs to AAPT and will work to find solutions to the problems these unique times bring, as well as solutions to longstanding problems that still hold our community and our discipline back. Our community is inherently diverse and that only makes us stronger in our efforts to do better for everyone involved. It will be my privilege and honor to serve my fellow two-year college faculty, and AAPT, on the Executive Board if elected.