WASHINGTON -- The National Academy of Sciences today announced the election of 72 new members and 18 foreign associates from 15 countries in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Park, MD, April 27, 2009
The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) announced today that Philip Walker "Bo" Hammer, Ph.D., has joined the National Office as Associate Executive Officer. In this role, Dr. Hammer will work closely with Warren Hein, Executive Officer, to support AAPT's educational programs.
"Bo Hammer brings a unique skill set and knowledge about physics education to AAPT. He is familiar with our programs and the AAPT community and will be a significant addition to AAPT's National Office. I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with such a gifted physics educator," said Dr. Warren Hein, AAPT's Executive Officer.
Dr. Hammer comes to AAPT from his position as Vice President of the Franklin Institute Science Museum's Benjamin Franklin Center, where he was responsible for the international Benjamin Franklin Medals and Bower Awards Programs, the Journal of the Franklin Institute, the Institute's Collections and Library, and its public astronomy programs.
Hammer received his BS in Physics in 1987 from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Oregon in 1991. After being a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Hammer spent the '93-'94 academic year as an American Physical Society (APS) Congressional Science Fellow working on the staff of the Subcommittee on Science in the U.S. House of Representatives.
"Excellence in science education is key to our nation's competitive and intellectual future," said Hammer, "and I am excited to join AAPT as it leads the science community's efforts to improve physics teaching and advance the understanding of physics."
Formerly Director of the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma--The Physics Honor Society, and Assistant Manager of the Education Division of the American Institute of Physics (AIP), Hammer participated in President Clinton's Forum on Science in the Public Interest, served on the American Physical Society (APS) Panel on Public Affairs, and on the U.S. House of Representatives 1997 roundtable on Early Career Scientists. Hammer is past chair of the APS Forum on Physics and Society, currently serves on the APS Council, and is president of the Haddon Heights, NJ, Board of Education. Hammer is well-known in the physics education community for his significant contributions and relationships across the spectrum of science education and science policy.
"We are delighted that Dr. Hammer has agreed to come to AAPT. His efforts will allow us to better serve our members and help us reach our goal of becoming a stronger voice for physics education," said Alex Dickison, AAPT President.
About AAPT: AAPT (www.aapt.org) is the leading organization for physics educators--with more than 10,000 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 Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications
Starting in May 2009, Springer will publish the Journal of Biorheology, the official publication of the Japanese Society of Biorheology. This international, peer-reviewed journal provides a platform for biophysicists, physiologists and materials scientists to exchange and discuss their ideas and scientific research.
The Journal of Biorheology covers the science and application of deformation and flow properties of biological materials, including food materials. The biannual journal includes original articles, brief communications and authoritative review articles and will be published both in print and electronically. Basic science and its applications in the broad field of biorheology will be covered, including the rheology of macromolecules as well as cell, tissue, organ and food rheology. Coverage also includes biorheological analysis of pathological processes and their clinical implications, including basic clinical research on hemodynamics and hemorheology and scientific research between the fields of engineering and medicine.
Editor-in-chief Naoki Sasaki, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, said, "The Journal of Biorheology will publish high-quality articles in this interdisciplinary field on topics dealing with biology, rheology, physiology, medical science, biophysics and food science. Through the association with Springer, the Journal of Biorheology is certain to attract excellent manuscripts by authors from all over the world."
Dr. Dieter Czeschlik, Editorial Director for Life Sciences at Springer, said, "Springer is delighted to welcome the Journal of Birorheology to its portfolio. The journal deals with areas bordering on biology, medicine and materials science and thus touches fields in which Springer is already well positioned. We look forward to working with the Japanese Society of Biorheology to guarantee even better, truly international visibility of their high-quality articles."
Fast publication in Online First™ will provide immediate access to new research results in the Journal of Biorheology on www.springerlink.com, Springer's online information platform. In addition, all authors, via the Springer Open Choice™ program, have the option of publishing their articles using the open access publishing model. Cross Reference Linking and Table of Content Alert services will be fully implemented for the journal.
The Japanese Society of Biorheology (www.biorheology.jp) was established in 1977. The aim of the society is to contribute to the development of biorheology-related fields by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among a wide range of professionals.
Springer (www.springer.com) is a leading global scientific publisher of books and journals, delivering quality content through innovative information products and services. It publishes close to 500 academic and professional society journals. Springer is part of the publishing group Springer Science+Business Media. In the science, technology and medicine (STM) sector, the group publishes around 2,000 journals and more than 6,500 new books a year, as well as the largest STM eBook Collection worldwide. Springer has operations in about 20 countries in Europe, the USA, and Asia, and more than 5,000 employees.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Park, MD, April 20, 2009
Twenty students from across the U.S. have emerged through a rigorous exam process that began last January with approximately 4,000 students who participated in the Fnet=ma exam to become the 2009 U.S. Physics Team. These students will continue to train for the mentally grueling exams and lab tests they'll face at the 40th International Physics Olympiad, held this year July 12-19 in Merida Yucatan, Mexico.
" AAPT is pleased to recognize all of the physics students who participated in the 2009 Physics Team selection process. They are the future of physics and physics education in the United States. The students who qualified for the team have proven to be exceptional scholars. It is AAPT's honor to support their further participation in the International Physics Olympiad," said Dr. Warren Hein, Executive Officer of the American Association of Physics Teachers in College Park, MD, which selects the students and organizes their training.
In preparation for the International Physics Olympiad, the students will spend ten days at a physics training camp at the University of Maryland, College Park, conducting lab experiments, taking exams, and hearing presentations from prominent scientists. At the end of the training camp, five students will be selected to travel to the Mexico for international competition.
The coaches for the 2009 U.S. Physics team are: Paul Stanley, Academic Director/Senior Coach, Warren Turner, Senior Coach/Lab Coach, Andrew Lin, David Jones, and David Fallest are all Coaches.
Last year, the team brought home one silver and four gold medals.
The U.S. Physics Olympiad Program was started in 1986 by AAPT to promote and demonstrate academic excellence. The nine-day international competition brings together pre-university students from more than 60 nations. This year's event is sponsored by the Mexico Ministry of Education, the National Council of Science and Technology, and the Yucatan State Government with the support of the National University of Mexico, the National Polytechnical Institute, the Metropolitan Autonomous University, and the Institute for Scientific and Technological Research of San Luis Potosi. The 2009 International Physics Olympiad is being organized by the Mexican Physical Society, the University of Yucatan, and the Merida Campus of the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnical Institute.
LIST OF EVENTS:
May 16-26 -- Students visit University of Maryland for their intensive training camp.
May 26 -- Five students chosen to represent the US at the international competition.
July 11 -- Students arrive in Merida for the international competition.
July 19 -- The International Competition's final awards given.
MORE ON THE WEB
Main website of the U.S. Physics Team: http://www.aapt.org/olympiad2009/
History of the physics team, including past winners: http://www.aapt.org/Contests/olympiad.cfm
The official website of the International Physics Olympiad: http://ipho2009.smf.mx/home.
About AAPT: AAPT (www.aapt.org) is the leading organization for physics educators--with more than 10,000 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 Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications, mgardner@aapt.org, (301)209-3306, (301)209-0845 (Fax)
College Park, Maryland, United States, March 25, 2009
Distinguished Service Citations are presented to AAPT members in recognition of their exceptional contributions (e.g., committee, section, or editorial work) to physics teaching. The Summer 2009 Citations will be presented during AAPT's Summer Meeting in Ann Arbor, MI.
Alan Gibson is a selfless and tireless warrior in the ongoing war against ignorance, a model educator-citizen, a loyal friend, and an outstanding leader in the MI AAPT as well as the Detroit Metro Area Physics Teacher groups in the past 30 years. He has served for the MI Section Representative, as Vice Chair of the Section Representatives from 2005-2007, as Chair of the Section Representatives from 2007-2009, and as a member of the AAPT Executive Board 2005-2009. Al was in the original PTRA program of 1985 and has been active in the Rural PTRA program. He has served as chair of the International Education Committee and the High School Committee as well as a member of several other committees. In addition to all of his contribution at the local, state, and national levels, Al has served as an ambassador on Physics 'missions' to the Far East."
Al was recognized as a Technology Scholar by Radio Shack. He is recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (1988) and was a finalist for the Michigan Science Teacher of the Year. He has received the highest awards of Outstanding Leadership/Service from the DMAPT and the MI AAPT where they recognized him saying, "Al has inspired thousands of students and teachers by his dedication to his profession. His amazing talents as an educational leader are only surpassed by his humbleness."
David Maiullo is best known for the many public physics demo shows he performs in his community, both in the usual locations (libraries, schools, senior centers, science fairs, etc.) and in the unusual (bars, outdoors before rock bands play, street fairs, Coney Island). These efforts led to his recognition with the Ernest E. McMahon Award for Public Outreach from Rutgers University in 2000 and Rutgers University's President's Staff Excellence in Service award in 2006.
David plays an invaluable role in the preparation of physics teachers in New Jersey and in the greater physics teaching community. He leads workshops for New Jersey teachers and his efforts are integral to the NJAAPT and Rutgers relationship. David was the 2006 recipient of the, NJAAPT Lifetime Achievement Award.
He has served as Past-president and as a member of the Physics Instructional Resource Association (PIRA), an AAPT affiliate, and continues his work at the Summer Meeting with the Lecture Demo Workshop(s), which he led for 5 years. Additionally, David has provided outstanding service as an Apparatus Committee Chair, as well as serving on the committee for years.
Bruce Mason is a faculty member of the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Oklahoma. He received a BA degree in Physics from Oberlin College and MS and PhD degrees from the University of Maryland. He also held a postdoctoral research position at the University of Illinois in condensed matter theory before coming to Oklahoma. In the mid-1990's, Bruce became interested in the potential for technology to engage students in new ways and in the possibility of encouraging faculty to make use of these new tools. Through this interest, he became the founding editor of the MERLOT-Physics resource collection and the director of the ComPADRE Digital Library, a collaboration of the AAPT, APS, AIP, and AAS. ComPADRE is part of the National STEM Digital Library funded by the US National Science Foundation. The editors and staff of the ComPADRE project have developed a network of resource collections to provide, online, resources and information to support communities of instructors and students in physics and astronomy. Bruce serves on the AAPT Publications Committee and the Educational Technologies Committee. He has given numerous workshops, tutorials, and talks at AAPT national and section meetings and at other local, national, and international conferences. Bruce is also the Secretary/Treasurer of the American Physical Society's Forum on Education.
Mary Winn taught high school physics for 30 years (20 of them as Science Department Chair) after earning her BS in physics at Tulane University and her MA in Physics Education at University of South Florida. Mary has been an active Physics Teacher Resource Agent (PTRA) since 1992, regularly gives workshops to high school teachers in her state, and co-authored the PTRA workshop manual "The Role of Demonstrations in Physics."
Mary Co-authored AAPT's popular book, "Teaching Physics for the First Time" and has presented several PTRA workshops on this topic. She has, also, served on the Committee on Minorities in Physics, the Committee on Membership and Benefits, and the Committee on Physics in Pre-High School. Mary has been a member of Florida AAPT for more than 30 years. Additionally she is a mentor for new physics teachers in Hillsborough County, FL.
Perhaps her most unique and respected contribution to AAPT is her heroic work for the annual High School Photo Contest. She has worked tirelessly, promoting and submissions, arranging viewing times, and determining awards each spring since 2001 and her success is easily measured in the growth of the contest from 35 to over 800 photos.
Mel Steinberg, conducted the first training for Comprehensive Conceptual Curriculum Project (C3P) developers in the use of the project he designed and spearheaded called CASTLE. CASTLE a powerful curriculum that helps students and teachers understand electricity in a concrete way. Over the years CASTLE became a cornerstone of the training for the AAPT/PTRA program as well as the C3P workshops. It is one of the most requested AAPT/PTRA teacher workshops. Mel made an overwhelming difference in physics education. (This award will be presented posthumously.)
About AAPT
AAPT is an international organization for physics educators, physicists, and industrial scientists--with more than 10,000 members worldwide. Dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching, AAPT provides awards, publications, and programs that encourage teaching practical application of physics principles, support continuing professional development, and reward excellence in physics education. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.
For more information: Contact Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications, mgardner@aapt.org, (301) 209-3306, (301) 209-0845
(Fax), www.aapt.org.
The producers and host of a radio feature portraying Canada transformed by climate change in 2050 — Jim Lebans, Jim Handman, Zerah Lurie, and Bob McDonald — have won the 2009 Walter Sullivan award. A writer who has reported on space science for more than three decades — J. Kelly Beatty — has won the Robert C. Cowen award.
Neal F. Lane is the 2009 recipient of the Karl T. Compton Medal for Leadership in Physics. The citation reads, "The Karl T. Compton Medal for Leadership in Physics is awarded to Neal F. Lane in recognition of his leadership and service to the physics community and to science; for serving as a model 'civic scientist'; for his advocacy of public understanding of science and technology; and for his championship of scientific research and education. "
