College Park, Maryland, United States, April 6, 2007

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT; ) announced today that the 2007 Robert A. Millikan Award has been awarded to Dr. David R. Sokoloff, Professor of Physics, University of Oregon, Eugene. This award recognizes educators who have made notable and creative contributions to the teaching of physics.

The 2007 Robert A. Millikan Lecture award will be presented on Tuesday, July 31, 2007, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., during the AAPT Summer Meeting at the Joseph S. Koury Center in Greensboro, NC. Following the presentation, Sokoloff will give an address “Building a New, More Exciting Mousetrap Is Not Enough!” a review with lessons from his two decades of work in physics education research and curriculum development.

Ken Heller, Chairman, AAPT Nominating Committee said, “Professor Sokoloff has been a leader in the movement to redesign lecture demonstrations to make them effective learning experiences. He is very active in promoting active learning and using computers to give students real time feedback of physical phenomena.”

“The work of David Sokoloff on student learning in physics, well received nationally and internationally, represents one of the foundational building blocks that helps the community understand how to teach more effectively. His contributions exemplify our ideal of excellence and fit snugly within our domain of advancing physics through teaching and learning,” stated Toufic Hakim, AAPT Executive Officer.

Sokoloff began his physics education at Queens College of the City University of New York, and went on to earn his Ph.D. in AMO physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972. He has been on the physics faculty of the University of Oregon since 1978.

For more than two decades, he has conducted research into students' understanding of physics, and used the results of physics education research to develop active learning laboratories and interactive lecture demonstrations that connect students to the behavior of the physical world.

Since 1999, he has been part of a UNESCO team presenting active learning workshops in Australia, Vietnam, Korea, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco, India, Tanzania and Brazil.

He is a previous recipient of AAPT’s Distinguished Service Citation (1997).

Regarding the Millikan award, Sokoloff stated, “It is very exciting and gratifying to be recognized by the physics education community for my work in curriculum development and dissemination. I am hopeful that this award and recognition of my work with UNESCO will bring attention to the continued need for improved science instruction in both the developed and the developing worlds.”

About the Award
The Robert A Millikan Award, established in 1962, recognizes teachers who have made notable and creative contributions to the teaching of physics. The Millikan Medal recipient is asked to make a presentation at the Ceremonial Session of an AAPT Summer Meeting. A $7,500 monetary award, The Millikan Medal, an Award Certificate, and travel expenses to the meeting are presented to the recipient.

Previous Awardees:
2006, Art Hobson, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
2005, John S. Rigden, Washington University in St. Louis, MO
2004, Kenneth S. Krane, Oregon State University, Corvallis
http://www.aapt.org/Grants/millikan.cfm

About AAPT
AAPT is the leading organization for physics educators—with more than 10,000 members worldwide. Our mission is to advance the greater good through physics education. We provide our members with many opportunities for professional development, communication, and student enrichment. We serve the larger community through a variety of programs and publications. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.

For More Information
AAPT Summer Meeting Featured Speakers: http://www.aapt.org/Events/SM2007/sm07speakers.cfm
Or Contact Robert Merz, Marketing Manager
media@aapt.org
1-301-209-3307
1-301-209-0845 (Fax)
http://www.aapt.org

American Association of Physics Teacher
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740-3845

Source: AAPT

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WASHINGTON - NASA's new Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Alan Stern has appointed NASA scientist and 2006 Nobel Prize recipient John Mather to lead the Office of the Chief Scientist at Headquarters in Washington. Mather and his staff in the newly created office will be chief advisors to Stern.

"John Mather is a scientist of legendary reputation, technical ability and space science mission experience. His office will provide independent scientific advice to me to guide decision making regarding all aspects of the NASA science program," Stern said.

Office responsibilities will include assisting the associate administrator in setting flight mission and research budget priorities for all NASA science programs. The office will ensure NASA's research programs are scientifically and technologically well founded, are appropriate for their intended applications and achieve a fair and optimal balance between the various scientific disciplines in the directorate. In addition, the office will help develop and enhance discussions with the national and international science community.

In October 2006, Mather and George Smoot of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif., received the Nobel Prize for Physics for their collaborative work in understanding the Big Bang.

Mather joined NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to head the Cosmic Background Explorer Mission as project scientist. He has been a Goddard Fellow since 1994 and currently serves as senior project scientist and chair of the Science Working Group of the James Webb Space Telescope. He will continue this position while taking on his new responsibilities in Washington.

Mather, a recipient of numerous awards, has a bachelor's degree in physics from Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pa., and a doctorate in physics from the University of California, Berkeley.

In addition, Stern named Paul Hertz to direct the newly created Science Policy, Process and Ethics Office. Hertz will ensure NASA's science research programs are conducted with the highest standards and effectiveness in accordance with NASA's principles of science merit, open competition and peer review. He also will be responsible for the solicitation, selection and award processes within the directorate's research program.

"Paul is a talented, energetic, dedicated scientist and public servant who is ideally suited to this key position. I am pleased to have him lead in this important role," Stern added.

Hertz joined the NASA Office of Space Science, Washington, as a senior scientist in 2000. He has held management positions for numerous NASA science projects and programs. Hertz has a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, and a doctorate in astronomy from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. He was an astrophysicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, before joining NASA. He has received numerous honors, including the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award.

NASA's Science Mission Directorate conducts research and scientific programs to observe the Earth, study space weather and explore the solar system and the universe beyond. To achieve these scientific goals, NASA conducts an assortment of grant-based research programs and manages a diverse constellation of spacecraft that carry out missions ranging from small, principal investigator-led missions to large flagship missions.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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