eNNOUNCER April 2018

AAPT News

Message from AAPT's President - Gordon Ramsey

Greetings, AAPT members. In my first message to you, I’d like to introduce myself. I am a professor of physics at Loyola University Chicago, where I have been for 36 years. In the past two years, I have served on the AAPT Board of Directors as Vice President and President-elect. From 2007-2010, I served as the At Large Four Year College Representative. My membership in AAPT has been for 45 years and I became a Life Member a decade ago. AAPT has helped me throughout my career by giving me ideas and inspiration for the classroom and curriculum, as well as establishing valuable friendships and collaborations. Read More ».

In Memoriam - John Lawrence Hubisz

AAPT joins the North Carolina Section, Texas Section, and the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Physics Department in celebrating the life of professor, Dr. John Lawrence Hubisz of Fuquay Varina, NC, who died peacefully on Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Read More ».

2018 Summer Meeting

Registration
Registration is now open for the 2018 AAPT Summer Meeting in Washington, DC. Register by May 30 to secure the best rate. Please click here for more information.

Post-deadline Abstracts
May 9 is the last day to submit a post-deadline abstract. All post-deadline abstracts will be scheduled on August 1 in the last session of the day. Please click here to submit your abstract.

Conference Hotel
The 2018 AAPT Summer Meeting will be held at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel. All sleeping rooms must be booked by July 2, 2018 in order to receive the group rate. It is recommended that you make your reservation early, since the room blocks can sell out before the cut-off. Please click here for more information.

AAPT Child and Dependent Care Grants
AAPT has small grants available for those looking to attend the Summer Meeting, but would like help with the extra cost of childcare, eldercare or care for an adult child with disabilities. Please click here for more information and an application form. The deadline date to submit your application is June 15, 2018.

AAPT Travel Grants
The Special Projects and Philanthropy Committee has limited funds (awards range from $200 to $1200 with a total of $5,000 for all awards) to help AAPT members attend an AAPT National Meeting to make a presentation. The AAPT Board of Directors approved an additional $10,000 for grants to support travel for high school and two year college faculty who are from underrepresented groups and/or from institutions whose students are predominantly underrepresented. Please click here for more information. The deadline date to submit your application is June 15, 2018.

Room/Ride and Daycare Share List Form
Please click here if you are interested in sharing a room, ride or daycare responsibilities for the upcoming conference. This will allow you to view a list of potential candidates with contact information online.

2018 Summer Awardees

Frank Noschese to Receive 2018 Paul W. Zitzewitz Excellence in K-12 Teaching Award
AAPT has announced that the 2018 Paul Zitzewitz Excellence in K-12 Physics Teaching Award winner is Frank Noschese, a physics teacher at John Jay High School in Cross River, NY. Read more

Bradley S. Ambrose to Receive the AAPT 2018 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching
Bradley S. Ambrose will receive the 2018 David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching during the AAPT Summer Meeting in Washington, DC. Read more for more information.

2018 Millikan Medal Awarded to Kyle Forinash
AAPT has announced that Kyle Forinash will receive the Robert A. Millikan Medal during the 2018 Summer Meeting in Washington, DC. This award recognizes educators who have made notable and intellectually creative contributions to the teaching of physics. Read more

Clifford V. Johnson Named as Recipient of the 2018 Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award
College Park, Maryland, United States, March 8, 2018—The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) announced today that Clifford Victor Johnson, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, is the 2018 recipient of the Klopsteg Memorial Lecture Award. The lecture and award will be presented during the AAPT Summer Meeting in Washington, DC Read more

2018 Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT Announced
AAPT has announced that Ximena C. Cid, Jose D'Arruda, Joy Elaine Gwinn, Warren W. Hein, and David P. Jackson will receive the association's Homer L. Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to AAPT, during the 2018 Summer Meeting in Washington, DC.

Enter the 2018 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 15, 2018. Please consider entering one or more of your Physics Apparatus in the competition.

The entry form is located at aapt.org/Programs/contests/upload/entryform.

The rules and other information can be found at
aapt.org/Programs/contests/apparatus.

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

AAPT Programs

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 US internationally. Donate now!.

2018 High School Physics Photo Contest

The 2018 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 2018 Summer Meeting in Washington, DC Learn more!.

Physics Department Chairs Conference

June 7 - 9, 2018 Registration is now open for the 2018 Physics Department Chairs Conference! Designed by chairs, for chairs, the program will feature topics of significant interest to chairs, including strategies for increasing physics majors, managing faculty effectively, tying the curriculum to physics careers, promoting diversity and inclusion, and more. There will be a number of opportunities for networking and discussion, including receptions and breakout sessions by institution type. Learn more.

PhysTEC Teacher of the Year - Now Accepting Nominations

The PhysTEC Teacher of the Year program aims to recognize outstanding high school physics teachers and to demonstrate the impact and value of physics teacher preparation programs at PhysTEC member institutions (PhysTEC membership is free!). Learn more and nominate a physics teacher today.

PhysTEC Request For Proposals

The PhysTEC project is now soliciting proposals for new sites. To date, PhysTEC has funded over 40 institutions to educate greater numbers of highly qualified physics teachers. Physics departments that engage in teacher preparation help to serve the needs of the surrounding region, and provide a pathway for students who are passionate about teaching to get a job that many find rewarding. Initial proposals are due April 13. Learn more and submit a proposal today

PICUP Workshop on Integrating Computation into Undergraduate Physics Courses

July 15-20, 2018

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 Sunday, July 15 through Friday, July 20, 2018. 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. All local expenses will be covered for participants at the River Falls Workshop, and there may be some limited funding for round-trip travel to River Falls.

Go to www.gopicup.org for more details on this workshop and other PICUP events.

2018 AAPT PhysicsBowl Registration Open!

Registration is now open for the 2018 AAPT PhysicsBowl Contest taking place March 28 - April 13, 2018. Read more

Gordon Conference on Physics Research and Education on "Energy as a Subtle Concept"

June 10-15 2018
Bryant University - Smithfield, RI

This Gordon Research Conference seeks to bring together physics research scientists and physics education researchers for discussions, talks and posters on how energy is taught within the undergraduate curriculum, and howcutting edge research is allowing educators to consider new methods and models for teaching energy concepts. The format of the Gordon Research conferences (maximum 200 attendees, off the record policy, all plenary sessions, small campus location, and afternoons off for discussion) promote conversation, collaboration, and community building. Registration is now open.

PTRA Report

PTRAs have been providing professional development for spring section meetings and NSTA. A PTRA TIPERS Workshop was given at the AAPT New England Section Spring Meeting in Nashua New Hampshire on March 17, 2018. There were 15 participants and each one received a copy of the TIPERS manual. The workshop was very well received and the participants ranged from beginning to veteran physics teachers from high school and college level. PTRAs also presented multiple workshops at the TSAAPT/SPS/APS spring meeting March 23-24 at Tarleton State University. Workshop topics included electricity/circuits, exploring Newton’s laws of motion with hover pucks, and the physics of metallurgy. If you are interested in having PTRAs provide workshops for your section meeting, contact Karen Matsler .

The summer PTRA leadership institute will be held in conjunction with ALPHA and PIRA at Loyola University July 25-28, 2018. Application to attend the institute can be found at aaptptra.com and will close April 1.

AAPT Membership

AAPT Member Spotlight

Kelly Roos
Bradley University
Peoria, IL
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.

Looking for Input from Early Career AAPT Members

Are you currently in the first 5 years of your teaching career, either in K-12 or higher education (i.e., two-year college, primarily undergraduate university, comprehensive, or research university)? AAPT is interested in putting together a small group of early career members with whom we can discuss the daily challenges you face, as well as areas where AAPT could provide support and resources that will aid you in your career. This group would primarily meet via web/conference call, or potentially face-to-face at AAPT national meetings. If you are interested, please contact Mike Hall (301.209.3333, mhall@aapt.org).

2018 March For Science

In 2017, more than one million people around the world gathered together in the largest event for science advocacy in history. AAPT and many of our members joined the March For Science last year. On April 14, we will continue to use the momentum of last year’s march to hold our political leaders accountable for passing equitable, evidence-based policies that serve all people and all communities. To RSVP for your local MFS, see here.

Active Learning in Introductory Physics Courses: Research-Based Strategies that Improve Student Learning

June 19-21, 2018, Portland, Oregon

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. Read more.

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 2018 fiscal year. Applications will be reviewed by the Special Projects and Philanthropy Committee. Click here for more information.

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.

Science, Power, Policy Webinar

Monday, 2 April
8 PM EST (Washington, DC)

The voice of science educators has an important place in political discussions. Join the upcoming webinar to hear from Dr. Bethany Johns, part of Government Relations for the American Institute of Physics (AIP), about how to, as an educator, provide expertise and perspectives valuable in the political process. In this webinar, you will learn: • Basics on science policy, federal budget, and legislative process; • Current politics that impact you; • Your role in advocating for science; • Methods for effective individual advocacy; • What the AAPT and AIP Public Policy Office is doing for you; • How you can get involved • Advocacy opportunities at the Summer AAPT meeting in Washington DC. Register for this webinar here.

Concerned about the Future of Science?

Stay informed with FYI: Science Policy News from AIP. Your membership with AAPT makes it possible for AIP to provide accurate, objective, and comprehensive updates on science policy and funding.

FYI has been a trusted source of science policy news for more than two decades. Readers learn about legislative and executive branch policy developments, agency appointments, and funding important to the physical sciences community. By staying informed about policy developments, we can better shape the future of science. Sign up for free at: aip.org/fyi.

In the News

Beamline for Schools

This initiative offers high-school students from around the world the opportunity to use a fully equipped beamline at the world's largest accelerator complex to run the students' proposed experiments. The new promotion video has just been released, which can be found on the Beamline website as well as in the following CERN channels:
Twitter link
Youtube link

STEMcoding project releases "Physics of Video Games" Hour of Code activity

Until recently, the world's most popular K12 computer science website, hourofcode.com, did not have any physics-focused coding activities. This has changed with the "Physics of Video Games" Hour of Code video tutorial from the STEMcoding project (u.osu.edu/stemcoding), which was just released on hourofcode.com/learn. The direct link to the video tutorial is at go.osu.edu/hourofcode. The "Physics of Video Games" coding activities are intended for absolute beginner programmers in grades 9-12 and they were designed with significant feedback from high school physics teachers. The STEMcoding project, which was recently selected for the AIP Meggers award, is led by Prof. Chris Orban from Ohio State University and Prof. Richelle Teeling-Smith from the University of Mt. Union. For more info contact Prof. Chris Orban at orban@physics.osu.edu.

Help students find the right grad program. Tell them about GradSchoolShopper.com

Advise your students in the new year to check out GradSchoolShopper.com, the most complete directory of graduate programs in the physical sciences.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.

The International Conference on Physics Education (ICPE)

Johannesburg, South Africa. October 1-5, 2018

The International Conference on Physics Education (ICPE) will be held October 1-5, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The theme of the conference is: “Physics Education for Development: a focus on context”. The main objective is to create a platform to facilitate the interaction of various stakeholders that includes physics educators, postgraduate students, teachers, researchers and policy makers working in physics education research and in physics education, from schools, colleges, universities and governments from all parts of the world.

The program will include a wide spectrum of presentations including keynote speakers, single and symposium oral presentations, posters and workshops. The conference will be held at the Misty Hills Hotel and Conference Centre, close to the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site and the famous Pilanesberg National Park. Click here for more information.

Workshop on Women and Minorities in the History of Physics, Role Models for Today

Dr. Greg Good, Director of the Center for the History of Physics, is eager to provide workshops at AAPT Section Meetings and elsewhere on Women and Minorities in the History of Physics. Teachers will be introduced to the teaching materials on the AIP website related to the history of women and minorities in the physical sciences. The purpose of these materials is to help students appreciate that not only white males have contributed to the development of physics, astronomy, and other physical sciences. On the flip side, there have been many more women than Marie Curie and many more African Americans than Benjamin Banneker and Jim Gates who have had successful careers in the physical sciences. We will explore several of the lesson plans in each group and explore games and other activities to bring these lessons to life. For more information, please contact Dr. Greg Good.

American Modeling Teachers Association

For 2018, Modeling Workshops™ have been organized for many states. Please encourage teachers to check the schedule for workshops in the field of their interest:

Physics Modeling Workshops™: Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia
Chemistry Modeling Workshops™: Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Texas,
Biology Modeling Workshops™: Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Texas,
Middle school/Physical Science Modeling Workshops™: Alabama, Illinois and Michigan

For information on 2018 Modeling Workshops, please visit the American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) website: modelinginstruction.org For questions: wendy@modelinginstruction.org or gheheman@asu.edu

Physics Careers

Jobs Announcements from the Career Center

Physics Teacher
Scheck Hillel Community School
Click here for job description

Physics and Mathematics, 10 month Faculty, LEON
College of Southern Maryland
Click here for job description

More Physics Resources

Social Media @ AAPT

AAPT wants to connect with you on social media! Stay abreast of the latest AAPT and physics-related news. We invite you to like us, follow us, connect with us, and pin us. You can find us here:

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 December 2017 Section News.

Section Meetings

Central Pennsylvania Section
Apr 6, 2018 - Apr 7, 2018
Spring Meeting & 66th Annual Meeting and PTRA Workshop
Penn State Schuylkill
Schuylkill Haven, PA
Email: Mike Gallis  
Phone: 706.272.2170

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