WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 – The Optical Society of America (OSA) Foundation is pleased to announce the renaming of OSA's Engineering Excellence Award to the Paul F. Forman Engineering Excellence Award. The new name honors the contributions to optical engineering by the late Paul Forman, co-founder of Zygo Corporation and OSA fellow. The award is also being expanded to include a financial stipend, made possible by a $50,000 pledge from Zygo Corporation. The OSA Foundation will also launch a fundraising campaign in support of the award.
"The OSA Foundation is honored to support a campaign to build an endowment in Paul's memory," said Gary Bjorklund, OSA Foundation Board chair.
Forman, who passed away Nov. 17, received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Rochester in 1956. After graduation, he began work as an optical engineer at Perkin Elmer. While there, he worked with Carl Zanoni and Sol Laufer, with whom, in 1970, he co-founded Zygo Corporation, a company that manufactures and distributes high-end optical systems and components for metrology and end-user applications. He remained at Zygo until his retirement in 1993 and served as chairman emeritus thereafter.
Throughout his career Forman was the recipient of many awards, including OSA's Edwin H. Land Medal for pioneering entrepreneurial creativity that has had a major public impact, NASA’s Apollo Achievement Award for the retroreflector array used on the first lunar landing and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society for Precision Engineering. He was an active member of OSA for 52 years and served the Society in several capacities, including two terms on the OSA Board of Directors, first as Science and Engineering Council chair in 1990-1991 and again as Director at Large from 1997-1999. He also organized one of OSA’s initial cultivation events, which in part lead to the creation of the OSA Foundation.
"Paul's contributions to the field of optical engineering – in both the research and business arenas – spanned more than 50 years," said Thomas Baer, OSA vice president. "It is our honor to recognize his legacy of industry achievements and his instrumental role in the establishment of this award by naming it after him."
Championing the development of the Engineering Excellence Award during his tenure as chair of the OSA Science and Engineering Council, Forman was a voice for the optical engineering community. With his support, the Engineering Excellence Award was established in 1989 to increase the visibility of optical engineers. This annual award recognizes technical achievements in optical engineering by an individual or team. Nominations are solicited in: products, engineering publication, process, software, patents, engineering education, contributions to society, engineering management and furthering public appreciation of optical engineering. The award is presented each fall during the OSA Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics. A list of past awardees can be found at: http://www.osa.org/aboutosa/awards/osaawards/awardsdesc/engineeringexcellence/default.aspx.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A high-resolution photo of Paul Forman is available upon request. Contact Angela Stark, astark@osa.org or 202.416.1443.
About the OSA Foundation
The OSA Foundation was established in 2002 to support philanthropic activities that help further the Optical Society of America’s mission by concentrating its efforts on programs that advance youth science education, provide optics and photonics education to underserved populations, provide career and professional development resources and support OSA's Awards and Honors program. The grants funded by the OSA Foundation are made possible by the generous donations of its supporters as well as the dollar-for-dollar match by OSA. The Foundation is exempt from US federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is a public charity. To learn more about the OSA Foundation or to find out how to donate, please visit www.osa-foundation.org or email foundation@osa.org.
About OSA
Uniting more than 70,000 professionals from 134 countries, the Optical Society of America (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
As the holiday season approaches, much attention will be spent on ways to go green for the holidays. Leading the charge is the usage of LEDs (light emitting diodes) instead of traditional lights for holiday light displays. From the National Christmas Tree in Washington to the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball in New York, many of the nation's beloved holiday landmarks are going green with LED illumination.
New advancements in “smart” LEDs promise to reduce lighting energy consumption up to 90 percent. LEDs also offer longer life spans. An LED can last up to 100,000 hours, resulting in more than 10 years of continuous use, compared to 1,000 hours for an incandescent bulb and 10,000 hours for fluorescent bulbs.
LEDs are semiconductor devices that give off light when electricity excites atoms and releases photons. Unlike incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, LEDs do not give off much heat, use less electricity to produce light and are more efficient at producing visible light. Optics and photonics research and development continue to make LEDs even more efficient.
Experts from the Optical Society of America (OSA) are available to discuss the science and trends behind this cutting-edge technology being used during the holiday season and increasingly in new ways throughout the year to conserve energy. To speak with an expert, please contact Colleen Morrison at 202.416.1437 or cmorri@osa.org.
Quick LED Facts:
-- National holiday savings: The nation could save as much as 3,400 kilowatt-hours or $375 million by switching to LED holiday lights.
-- Energy savings: LEDs could reduce electricity consumption for lighting by up to 90 percent.
-- Cost savings: By 2025, LEDs could save $30 billion per year by cutting U.S. energy consumption for lighting in half.
-- Longer life spans: An LED can last up to 100,000 hours - more than 10 years of continuous use (compared to 1,000 hours for an incandescent bulb and 10,000 hours for fluorescent bulbs).--- Efficiency potential: LEDs are at least 10 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs and twice as efficient as fluorescent bulbs.
College Park, Maryland, United States, November 27, 2007
The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT; http://www.aapt.org) announced today that Vera Rubin, Ph.D., has been selected to receive The Richtmyer Memorial Award. Rubin, Senior Fellow of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, received the Award for outstanding contributions to physics and effectively communicating those contributions to physics educators.
The Richtmyer Award will be presented to Dr. Rubin at a Ceremonial Session of the AAPT Winter Meeting at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday, January 22, 2008. Following the presentation, Dr. Rubin will then deliver her keynote address titled “Rotating Galaxies and Dark Matter.”
Ken Heller, Chairman, AAPT Awards Committee, said, “Dr. Rubin’s work is a beacon in the in the search for the fundamental physics underlying our universe. Her astronomical measurements demonstrate an insight for important problems and a dedication to precise measurement that is a model for aspiring scientists. Two of her early research results, the distribution of galaxies in the universe and the motion of stars in galaxies opened the door to arguably the most important topics of current physics research, the nature of dark matter and the evolution of the universe.”
“Dr. Rubin’s contributions to our knowledge of the universe, both seen and unseen, have transformed our understanding and posed new challenges still unresolved today; and her impact magnified by the many students she has inspired going all the way back to 1965 when she became the first woman to conduct research at the Palomar Observatory. We honor these achievements, which we believe go hand in hand,” stated Toufic Hakim, AAPT’s Executive Officer.
Dr. Rubin is an observational astronomer whose studies of the motions of visible matter in galaxies lead to the discovery of dark matter. She is a graduate of Vassar College, Cornell University, and Georgetown University. After 10 years as a researcher and faculty member at Georgetown, she moved to the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1965 where she is now a Senior Fellow.
She has received many prestigious awards including the National Medal of Science in 1993 and the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1996. She has also received honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Smith College, among others. Dr. Rubin is also active in communicating her science to students and teachers and in encouraging and supporting women in science.
Regarding the award, Rubin stated, “As a young scientist, I believed that most of my satisfactions in science would be inner satisfactions. But through the years, I have experienced much joy from interactions with others: scientists, teachers, students, and the interested public. That makes the honor of receiving the Richtmyer Memorial Award from AAPT very special, because of my high regard for both the AAPT and for the previous scientists who have been honored with this award.”
About the Award
The Richtmyer Memorial Award is given annually in memory of Floyd K. Richtmyer, distinguished physicist, teacher and administrator. Professor Richtmyer was one of the founders of AAPT and served as its president. As a teacher, author, research worker and dean, he was the guide for many young physicists who became leaders of American science and has had a wide influence on the development of physics in the United States. The award has been given annually since 1941 to a person who has made outstanding contributions to physics and effectively communicated those contributions to physics educators.
The previous awardee was Alex Filippenko. Past recipients of the Richtmyer Award include Arthur H. Compton, Enrico Fermi, Philip Morrison, and Steven Chu.
The complete list of winners can be found at http://www.aapt.org/Grants/richtmyer.cfm.
About AAPT
AAPT is the leading organization for physics educators—with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Its mission is to enhance the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.
For More Information
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 Teachers
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740-3845
Source: AAPT (http://www.aapt.org)
The value of mentoring in developing the scientists of the future was at front and center with the latest Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), a program supported and administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF).The winners of the 2006 competition -- comprising 10 individuals and one organization and representing a number of scientific disciplines -- were announced at the White House on Nov. 16.
Since 1996, these awards have been made annually to recognize the critical importance of mentors in the academic and personal development of students and colleagues who are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Each year's awardees add to a widening network of outstanding mentors in the United States, so that tomorrow's scientists and engineers can better reflect the nation's diverse population.
Awards are made to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding and sustained mentoring and guidance to a significant number of underrepresented students at the K-12, undergraduate, or graduate education level; or organizations that, through their programming, have enabled a substantial number of students who are traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields to pursue and complete relevant degree programs. Nominations are made by colleagues, administrators and students from the nominee's organization, which must be eligible to be a NSF award grantee.
Beyond being honored at a White House ceremony, awardees receive a grant of $10,000 to continue and advance their mentoring work. To date, 178 individuals and organizations have been recognized through PAESMEM. A list of the 2006 winners follows.
David B. Allison, professor of biostatistics and nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, operates broad and interdisciplinary scientific programs that include statistical genetics, clinical nutrition research, genomics, obesity and longevity. Underrepresented trainees are attracted to Allison's academic research areas because of the high visibility of the subject matter and because of the disproportionate prevalence of obesity and related co-morbidities currently evidenced in the African American community as compared to other ethnic groups. Beyond his professional accomplishments and scientific leadership in his field, Allison has mentored 64 scientists, the majority of them from underrepresented groups.
Juan F. Arratia, is director and principal investigator for the Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) project at Universidad Metropolitana (Puerto Rico). MIE is a program funded by NSF and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which, over the past 11 years, has demonstrated successful strategies for recruiting underrepresented minority students to science and engineering fields and supporting their successful completion of science degrees. At Universidad Metropolitana, Arratia has recruited unprecedented numbers of Hispanic students into STEM fields; increased the retention of STEM majors from the freshman to sophomore year; and given these students comprehensive career advising. Among the help he has provided to more than 500 undergraduate Hispanic STEM students and more than 1800 pre-college Hispanic students is providing them with summer research experiences in the U.S. and abroad.
Frances A. Draughon is professor and co-director of the Food Safety Center of Excellence at the University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture. She was nominated for the award for demonstrating a sustained commitment to mentoring young scientists for more than 20 years, and has also mentored and trained women and other minorities to take leadership roles in the fields of science, engineering and mathematics. Draughon's activities include recruiting and hiring undergraduate and graduate women and minority students to work in the laboratory to increase their interest in research and to acquire the skills to conduct their own research projects; and introducing them to key professionals in the field of food microbiology and food safety at professional meetings.
Jonathan F. K. Earle is associate dean for student affairs and associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Florida. He has participated in the University of Florida Minority Mentor Program for the past 18 years, and has started new mentoring programs in the college of engineering to attract and retain pre-college students and undergraduates in the field of engineering. Among these, the Successful Transition through Enhanced Preparation for Undergraduate Programs (STEPUP), a transition program for entering minority engineering undergraduate students, became the model for a university-wide program established to address the needs of incoming African-American freshmen across the campus.
Ricardo B. Jacquez, professor of civil engineering at New Mexico State University, has mentored and served as a role model for hundreds of students for more than two decades. As Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) director at New Mexico State, he has earned a reputation for providing new research activities for community college students, and for giving high school students from underrepresented groups reasons to aspire to STEM study in their postsecondary education. Jacquez has had a role in building professional learning community partnerships in K-12, community colleges and undergraduate and graduate programs. He involves students in research, develops their critical thinking and communications skills, and exposes them to activities and experiences that contribute to their workforce readiness or preparation for graduate studies. Since New Mexico LSAMP's inception in 1993, STEM degree awards have increased from 253 in l992-93 to 580 in 2003-04. Over the same period, the percentage of baccalaureate degrees awarded to underrepresented students has increased from 24 percent to 42 percent.
George C. Lee is Samuel Capen Professor of Engineering, and former dean of the school of engineering and applied sciences at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY). He has internationally recognized scholarship and leadership in multidisciplinary earthquake engineering, and is a leader in providing and sustaining educational opportunities in engineering. For nearly 40 years his mentoring efforts have led to thousands of underrepresented high school students in the greater Buffalo area being exposed to engineering and science. Once underrepresented students are enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Lee continues mentoring to encourage student success during the undergraduate engineering experience. Lee has also served as the principal advisor for a large number of underrepresented graduate students. He was the principal founding member of BEAM, Buffalo Area Engineering Awareness for Minorities, an organization whose membership draws on Omega Psi Phi, a black professional men's' national fraternity, and the Buffalo City Schools in addition to the SUNY Buffalo population. Lee has designed, developed and obtained funding for a wide variety of highly effective mentoring programs, including research internships for students in grades 5-12 and their teachers; community programs; and leadership training programs.
Saundra Y. McGuire, associate dean for University College at Louisiana State University, has been mentoring students since she was a teaching assistant (TA) in her first year of graduate school. Early on, as an undergraduate starting college, she experienced a lack of preparedness for a chemistry class. With the help of another student, she was tutored and made an "A" in the course. Subsequently, she realized that her success in chemistry had depended upon understanding fundamental concepts. As a TA for an introductory chemistry course, she helped her students develop a conceptual framework for the material. Since then, her 35-year academic career has been focused on mentoring and teaching others how to mentor and how to learn. McGuire has authored at least five publications on mentoring minority students in science and has presented those papers at a variety of Chemical and Physics society conferences. The publications include resource and study guides for faculty and students.
Joe Omojola, dean at the College of Science at Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO) is well-recognized on campus and in the Gulf area, having committed himself to the instruction and mentoring of students many years ago. He has had success in developing both undergraduate and graduate students as a part of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) and other programs. He has helped lead SUNO's math and physics program over the last decade, and has been a positive force in the New Orleans area public school system. Following the disruption brought about by Hurricane Katrina, he has been seeking to build mentor support at area elementary schools. Given the depth of infrastructural damage, tangled governance systems, continuing chaos and losses caused by the storm, he is moving ahead to fill one of the all-too-many critical voids that confront the remaining citizens of New Orleans.
Gayle R. Slaughter, assistant dean for graduate education at Baylor College of Medicine, pioneered the college's Summer Medical Research and Training (SMART) program, which has enrolled between 80-100 students each summer over the past 16 years. During that time, 439 underrepresented minority students have participated. Slaughter has been a leader in Baylor's College of Medicine's (BCM) success in recruiting and retaining graduate students, especially from underrepresented groups, and her work with the SMART program has more than tripled the number of minority Ph.D. students achieving success at BCM. Overall, she has mentored more than 500 minority students. Slaughter has also established collaborations with the United Negro College Fund to increase interest in molecular biology among K-12 students.
Judith A. Todd, professor of engineering science and mechanics at Pennsylvania State University, has a track record in mentoring women engineers at all levels in their careers. Todd is P. B. Breneman Department Head Chair of Engineering Science and Mechanics, the first female engineering department chair at Penn State. Beyond her mentoring of individual students and faculty, Todd has been an administrator at another major technical institution, and has developed and implemented several programs to institute gender equity and salary parity. At Penn State, she has engaged the university's senior leadership in institutionalizing her "Strategic Pathways to Equity and Leadership (SPEL): Preparing for the Professoriate" program. It requires mentoring aspiring and current faculty members about the importance of the search, recruitment, advancement opportunities, recognition, and promotion and tenure practices, as leadership opportunities in their careers. Penn State now ranks second nationally in the numbers of women faculty in engineering.
The Ecological Society of America (ESA) anchors its initiatives and programs in a holistic and co-mentoring approach to developing the diversity of its national membership. ESA is the nation's leading professional society of ecologists, representing more than 9200 scientists, educators, researchers, policymakers, and managers from the U.S. and more than 80 other nations. ESA's Strategies for Ecology, Education, Development and Sustainability (SEEDS) program is designed to stimulate and nurture the interest of underrepresented students by providing a full spectrum of mentoring and learning opportunities including group field trips, undergraduate research, and travel to ESA annual meetings, where students are mentored. A decade ago, ESA created the SEEDS program to strategically plant resources and support to minority serving institutions to vastly improve the numbers of minorities in ecology. ESA's diversity initiatives impact not only the students and faculty but the overall profession as the organization has identified diversity as critical for advancing science. Today, the organization has grown to include 32 ecology chapters on campuses nationwide; has developed seven new ecology-related courses, minors or majors on campuses where ecology was, in some cases not offered at all previously; and has sponsored nine field trips involving more than 146 students. The minority membership of ESA has doubled since 1996 as a result of the concerted efforts of SEEDS.
-NSF-
College Park, Maryland, United States, November 19, 2007
The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT; http://www.aapt.org) announced today that The Melba Newell Phillips Medal has been awarded to Judy R. Franz, Ph.D., Executive Officer of the American Physical Society (APS), in recognition of her creative leadership and dedicated service that have resulted in exceptional contributions within AAPT.
The Medal will be presented to Dr. Franz at a Ceremonial Session of the AAPT Winter Meeting at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday, January 22, 2008.
Ken Heller, Chairman, AAPT Awards Committee, said, “Dr. Franz has been an unstinting contributor to all of the functions of the AAPT. Her leadership in the governance and direction of AAPT has had a lasting effect on the organization. She has been especially important in forging a productive relationship between the AAPT and the APS to further the goals of physics education. In her dedication to physics education and the AAPT, Judy Franz exemplifies the deep connection between physics, physicists, and physics education that characterized Melba Phillips.”
“Judy has served physics education consistently throughout her career, as a professor and as a leader both nationally and around the world. She pursues with vigor and tenacity the goals of promoting effective physics teaching and research, increasing the visibility and impact of physics and physicists within the larger society, and attracting women and minorities to the field. As a colleague, I have developed the highest respect for her dedication and effectiveness,” stated Toufic Hakim, AAPT’s Executive Officer.
Dr. Franz is a condensed matter physicist and educator who has contributed a lifetime of service to the AAPT. She has been influential in guiding the policies and direction of AAPT and served as its President in 1990. Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in forging closer relations between AAPT and APS on issues of education. For example, she was the first chair of the joint College - High School Interaction Committee in 1983 and helped organized the first Physics Department Chairs meeting which is still co-sponsored by AAPT and APS. She was a professor of physics at Indiana University, Bloomington, West Virginia University, and the University of Alabama, Huntsville. She is currently the Executive Officer of APS. In her position as Executive Officer, she is actively involved in the education, outreach, diversity, public affairs, and international programs of the APS.
In addition to her work within AAPT and at APS, Franz is the Secretary General of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the international organization of physicists with over 50 member countries.
She is currently a member of the Governing Board and Executive Committee of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and is a representative to the US National Committee to UNESCO. In the past, she has served on the AAAS Council, as well as advisory committees for the Department of Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Office of Naval Research, and NSF.
Dr. Franz received her B.A. degree in physics from Cornell University and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is a fellow of APS, AAAS, and the American Association for Women in Science.
Regarding the award, Franz stated, “I was amazed and delighted to learn that I would receive the Melba Phillips Award. I was inspired to major in physics by my introductory physics course at Cornell University taught by then-AAPT-President-to-be Don Holcomb. Since then I have worked to interest and excite young people about physics. I am grateful to the AAPT for its deep and continuing commitment to promoting excellence in the teaching of our fascinating discipline!”
About the Award
The Melba Newell Phillips Medal honors Melba Phillips for her leadership and dedicated service to physics education. She was the first woman President of the AAPT and a founder of the Federation of American Scientists. Professor Phillips’ research was in nuclear physics, and she served on the faculty of Brooklyn College and the University of Chicago. She was a champion of physics education throughout her life. This Award is given only occasionally to subsequent AAPT leaders who display similar achievements and exceptional contributions. The first recipient of the Award was Melba Phillips herself (Emeritus, University of Chicago), in January 1982.
The previous award went to Clifford Swartz. Other recipients include Robert B. Clark, H. Richard Crane, and E. Leonard Jossem.
The complete list of winners can be found at http://www.aapt.org/Grants/phillips.cfm.
About AAPT
AAPT is the leading organization for physics educators-with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Its mission is to enhance the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.
For More Information
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 Teachers
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740-3845
Source: AAPT (http://www.aapt.org)
AAPT-
STRENGTHENING PHYSICS EDUCATION
SUPPORTING PHYSICS EDUCATORS
···································································
ROBERT E. MERZ
Marketing Manager
American Association of Physics Teachers
One Physics Ellipse
College Park MD 20740-3845
301-209-3307 (Direct)
301-209-0845 (Fax)
rmerz@aapt.org
http://www.aapt.org ( http://www.aapt.org/ )
College Park, Maryland, United States, November 19, 2007
The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT; http://www.aapt.org) announced today that the Oersted Medal has been awarded to Mildred S. Dresselhaus, Ph.D., MIT Institute Professor of Physics and Electrical Engineering, in recognition of her outstanding, widespread, and lasting impact on the teaching of physics.
The Oersted Medal will be presented to Dr. Dresselhaus at a Ceremonial Session of the AAPT Winter Meeting at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday, January 22, 2008. Following the presentation, Dr. Dresselhaus will then deliver her keynote address titled “Expanding the Audience for Physics Education.”
Ken Heller, Chairman, AAPT Awards Committee, said, “Dr. Dresselhaus is dynamo in her support of physics in all of its aspects. Her research is on the cutting edge of materials physics and currently focuses on nanoscience. She has led some of the largest and most important scientific organizations in the United States. Most importantly, she was an early leader in pointing out the necessity for expanding opportunities in science and engineering to women and other underrepresented populations. Her leadership by words and deeds has had a profound influence on advancing this important issue.”
“It is difficult to believe how Millie can fit all her activities in one lifetime! In addition to her research and public service, she has maintained a great sensitivity and commitment to her teaching and physics education. She continues to be an encouraging influence on aspiring scientists and engineers. That aspect of her life alone is worthy of our high respect and admiration.” stated Toufic Hakim, AAPT’s Executive Officer.
Professor Dresselhaus is a native of New York City, where she attended public schools completing her high school education at Hunter College High School. She began her higher education at Hunter College in New York City and received a Fulbright Fellowship to attend the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University (1951-52). Dresselhaus received her master's degree at Radcliffe College (1953) and her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago (1958). She began her MIT career at the Lincoln Laboratory.
A leader in promoting opportunities for women in science and engineering, Dresselhaus received a Carnegie Foundation grant in 1973 to encourage women's study of traditionally male dominated fields, such as physics. In 1973, she was appointed to The Abby Rockefeller Mauze chair, an Institute-wide chair, endowed in support of the scholarship of women in science and engineering.
Dresselhaus, who chaired numerous national studies and directed the Science Office of the U.S. Department of Energy, is currently the Chair of the Governing Board of the American Institute of Physics. She has received many prestigious awards, including the National Medal of Science, the Buckley Condensed Matter Prize (2008) from the American Physical Society, and the Compton Medal from the American Institute of Physics. She has 24 honorary doctorates, is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, a Foreign Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences of India and also Brazil, and the 2007 North American Laureate L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science.
Regarding the award, Dresselhaus stated, “I was truly surprised to be chosen for the Oersted Medal in view of the list of stellar past recipients. Now that I have been selected for the 2008 recipient of this award, I am further inspired to bring the love and appreciation of physics to new audiences.”
About the Award
The Oersted Medal is named for Hans Christian Oersted (1777-1851), a Danish physicist who, in the course of creating a demonstration for teaching his class, discovered that electric currents caused a magnetic field. This was a crucial step in establishing the theory of electromagnetism so important in building modern technology and modern physics. The award was established by AAPT in 1936 and is given annually to a person who has had outstanding, widespread, and lasting impact on the teaching of physics.
The previous Oersted award went to Carl Wieman. Other recipients include Arnold Arons, Hans Bethe, and Richard Feynman.
The complete list of winners can be found at http://www.aapt.org/Grants/oersted.cfm.
About AAPT
AAPT is the leading organization for physics educators-with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Its mission is to enhance the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.
For More Information
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 Teachers
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740-3845
Source: AAPT (http://www.aapt.org)
AAPT-
STRENGTHENING PHYSICS EDUCATION
SUPPORTING PHYSICS EDUCATORS
···································································
ROBERT E. MERZ
Marketing Manager
American Association of Physics Teachers
One Physics Ellipse
College Park MD 20740-3845
301-209-3307 (Direct)
301-209-0845 (Fax)
rmerz@aapt.org
http://www.aapt.org ( http://www.aapt.org/ )
Anil Bhardwaj, Head of the Planetary Sciences Branch at Space Physics Laboratory of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum, India, has been awarded Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the year 2007 in the discipline "Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences" for pioneering contributions in the field of Planetary and Space Science.
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prize, the most coveted national recognition for scientists and engineers below 45 years of age, is given by the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for outstanding contributions to the field of Science and Technology. In addition to other scientific contributions, the CSIR in particular cites Bhardwaj for his fundamental contributions and creative ideas to elucidate X‑ray emissions from the planetary bodies in the solar system, and intensive international collaborative research.
The prize comprises of a citation, a plague, and a cash award of Rs. 2,00,000 (Rupees Two Hundred Thousand) and will be given by the Honorable Prime Minister of India at a formal function.
Kenneth F. Kelton, who directs the Laboratory for Materials Physics Research at Washington University in St Loius, will become WUTSL's first Arthur Holly Compton Professor in Arts & Sciences. He was also recently appointed chair of WUTSL's physics department.
Kelton is an expert in nucleation (see Physics Today July 2003), which is the most common way that physical systems change from one phase to another — such as the formation of a crystal from a liquid — and is a governing process in nearly all phase transformations. He was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2005. "Most physicists are either experimenters or theorists, but usually not both," says Patrick C. Gibbons, a physics colleague. "Ken is an exception in that he has done theoretical work and computer simulations of nucleation and growth processes, usually in amorphous metal alloys that are beginning to crystallize during heat treatments." More information can be found at the universities newpaper
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The American Association of Physics Teachers announced today that Warren W. Hein, PhD, Chief Academic Officer for AAPT, has been awarded the distinction of a 2007 Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). This esteemed honor is bestowed upon Dr. Hein by his peers for his outstanding contributions to K-16 education, for sustained and exemplary leadership in the physics education community, and for national advocacy of professional development for all teachers.
Regarding the 2007 AAAS Fellow, Dr. Hein stated, “I am pleased to be recognized by AAAS for my efforts on behalf of physics education and my work with the physics education community. I truly believe that members of our physics education community are at the leading edge of efforts to improve science teaching k-16.” Dr. Hein is currently on leave from AAPT working as a Program Officer at the National Science Foundation (NSF).
“The work of Dr. Hein has enabled a number of important projects and initiatives that have helped markedly advance physics teaching and learning at various levels. His contributions exemplify our ideal of excellence and commitment to physics education,” stated Toufic Hakim, AAPT Executive Officer.
Bernard V. Khoury, AAPT Executive Officer Emeritus, said, “Dr. Hein has been a leader in the physics education community. His talents include a wonderful combination of pedagogical knowledge and administrative skills, and he has used these to serve teachers and students at all school levels."
AAAS has awarded the distinction of Fellow to 471of its members this year. These individuals have been elevated to this rank because of their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. New Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and (or) blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin on Saturday, February 16, 2008, at the Fellows Forum during the 2008 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston.
The tradition of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. Currently, members can be considered for the rank of Fellow if nominated by the Steering Group of their respective sections (which are noted on the Fellows list), by three Fellows, or by the association's Chief Executive Officer. Each Steering Group then reviews the nominations of individuals within its respective section and forwards a final list to the AAAS Council.
The AAAS Council votes on the final aggregate list. The Council is the policymaking body of the Association, chaired by the President, and consisting of the members of the Board of Directors, the retiring section Chairs, delegates from each electorate and each regional division, and two delegates from the National Academy of Science.
About AAPT
AAPT is the leading organization for physics educators—with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Our mission is to advance the greater good through physics teaching. 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
Contact Robert Merz, Marketing Manager
media@aapt.org
1-301-209-3307
1-301-209-0845 (Fax)
The SPS National Council recently adopted "Future Faces of Physics" as the theme for the 2007-08 academic year. With this theme, the council aims to raise visibility and focus on issues of student diversity in physics. A thematic logo has been created to promote diversity, and the SPS national office is developing diversity workshops and quiz show games for use at zone and chapter meetings.
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