Meet the Team
Team Facts & News
In 1986, under the direction of the AAPT Executive Officer, Jack Wilson, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) organized the United States Physics Team for the first time. — AAPT.ORG

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I'm not really sure why I'm interested in physics. The biggest reason is definitely an innate desire to know how things work. When I was younger, I wa… read more
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I wasn't so interested in physics until I learned that it explained everything in the world. (At least, it's the best explanation we have right now, and… read more
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My fascination with math began when I was in elementary school, with my grandfather introducing my third grade mind to "heads and legs" problems. Figuri… read more
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Science has always been part of my life. My parents instilled me and my brother with an interest of science at an early age by bringing us to all kinds … read more
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My interest in math probably started around second grade when my parents got me a fourth grade math book, and I realized that the problems in it were ac… read more
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I've always had a sort of penchant for math and the natural sciences; I'd read science encyclopedias cover to cover (mind you, it was a kid's version, g… read more
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In elementary school, I was the slacker kid who pestered the teacher to give us easier homework. I had never given much thought to an academic future, g… read more
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When I first sat down to write this biography, I found this task more daunting than the USAPhO Semifinal. The bios I had read from previous years were a… read more
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When I was in kindergarten, my parents noticed that I really liked numbers. My dad took it upon himself to teach me one of the most advanced math topics… read more
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My physics teacher used to tell his students that they would be "masters of the universe" if they could solve physics problems. I've done a lot of physi… read more
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As a child, I was an innocent little kid, inquisitive to the world and wondering what it held in store. At this point, I wasn't too different from anybo… read more
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I am currently a junior at The Harker School, in San Jose, CA. From my early childhood I have always been interested in solving logic and mathematical… read more
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My name is Lawrence Sun and I am currently a junior at the Catlin Gabel School in Portland, Oregon. My first exposure to the world of academic competiti… read more
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I have been a math person for almost as long as I can remember. Ever since elementary school I've been doing various math contests, starting from local … read more
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Pretty much as far back as I can remember, I have been interested in both science and math. And for most of that time, math was clearly my first choice.… read more
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I'm so excited to be invited back to physics camp! I had an incredible time last year, where I gained a deep appreciation for physics and got to spend a… read more
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I grew up in laid-back, always-sunny Southern California and have spent most of my life being the jack of all trades and the master of none. While this … read more
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Samuel Zbarsky
Traveling Team
Silver Spring, MD
Montgomery Blair High School
Teacher: James Schafer
Senior
Bio:I've loved math as long as I can remember, thanks to my parents. My parents had many years' worth of issues of Kvant, a math and physics journal for hig… read more
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Almost everybody's story seems to start the same way: a love of math. My parents were no scientists, and there weren't any textbooks or science equipmen… read more
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I have always been passionate about astronomy. Many memories of visits to the local planetarium were accompanied by my animated chatter and ensuing voll… read more
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