February 2010 Archives

Fifteen Society of Physics Students (SPS) chapters have received 2010 Marsh W. White Outreach Awards to help fund public outreach projects this year. Marsh W. White Awards are made to SPS chapters "to support projects designed to promote interest in physics among students and the general public."

Funds for the program come from the Sigma Pi Sigma physics honor society, which operates within SPS. The awards, which were first made in 1975, were named in honor of Dr. Marsh W. White for his long years of service to Sigma Pi Sigma and SPS. Dr. White served as Executive Secretary (1930-67), President (1968-70), and Historian (1970-90) of Sigma Pi Sigma.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Park, Maryland, United States, February 19, 2010

The American Association of Physics Teachers announced that Jill A. Marshall has assumed the role of Vice President on the AAPT Executive Board. Dr. Marshall, Associate Professor at the University of Texas, Science and Mathematics Education Group, will serve as Vice President in 2010. She will continue in the Presidential chain as President-Elect in 2011, President in 2012, and Past President in 2013.

Dr. Marshall earned her BS in Physics at Stanford University and her Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Texas, Austin. Before joining the faculty of the University of Texas, she worked as a Research Scientist and Manager at Southwest Research Institute, Associate Professor in the Utah State University Physics Department, and as Assistant Director of the University of Texas Systemic Research Collaborative for Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology. She has been honored with a University of Texas College of Education Dean's Fellowship, a Utah State University College of Science Teacher of the Year and as a USU President's Leadership Council Faculty Member of the Year.

Her prior service in AAPT includes: President Idaho-Utah Section 1999-00, Executive Committee of the Texas Section (VP, President Elect, President, Immediate Past President, Past President) 2005-09; National Nominating Committee 2005-06; Committee on Women in Physics 2006-09; presenter and session organizer at national meetings 1998-to present; and published articles in the American Journal of Physics PER Supplement and The Physics Teacher.

Dr. Marshall has also served on the PhysTEC Advisory Committee (2005-07); PTEC Editorial Board (2008- ); Girl Scouts of Central Texas STEM Advisory Committee (2008- ); University of Texas Physics Department Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Executive Committee (2007- ); Co-PI University of Texas Environmental Science Institute GK-12 Project (2007- ); University Space Research Association Science and Engineering Education Council (1999-02); PI and Co-I for NASA and NSF projects, including Program for Women and Girls, Elementary, Secondary and Informal Science, and CCLI; workshops for students and teachers, (1992- ); KUSU Outreach Utah Science Hour commentator (1997-00).

Of her goals for the term of her leadership, Marshall says, "My vision includes three key elements. First is sound fiscal stewardship. Financial security is not our reason for being, but our primary mission of serving the physics teacher community will not be possible without it. Second is maintaining and preserving the valuable work that we do in AAPT. Archiving the products of meetings, committee work, and other AAPT initiatives, and making them accessible, will ensure that what we do has the maximum impact for years to come. We have an excellent model to follow in the high quality contributions and online accessibility of our journals. Third is teacher preparation and professional development, especially outreach to new physics teachers. The future of our organization ultimately is in their hands. Toward these ends I will apply my time, energy and experience. Most important, I will seek the advice, feedback, and help of my colleagues in AAPT. "

About AAPT
The AAPT is the premier national organization and authority on physics and physical science education --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: Contact Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications, mgardner@aapt.org, (301)209-3306, (301)209-0845 (Fax)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Park, Maryland, United States, February 19, 2010--The American Association of Physics Teachers announced today that Steve L. Shropshire , Professor in the Department of Physics at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, has assumed the role of Member-at-Large Representing Four Year Colleges on the Executive Board.

A long time active member of AAPT, Shropshire earned his B.S. and Ph.D. in Physics at Washington State University. His activity in AAPT has included service on the Committee on Science Education for the Public, Chair (2005 - 2007), member (2004 - 2007, 2009 - present); PTRA Advisory Committee (2006 - present); Workshop Leader, Physics on the Road (2003 - 2005); organized spring 1998 and 2004 meetings of the Idaho- Utah Section; World Year of Physics Committee (2004 - 2005); Rural Regional Coordinator for PTRA (2004 - 2007); Section Representative for Idaho and Utah (1999 - 2006); Idaho-Utah Section, President (1998), Vice President (1997, 2009); Committee on Pre-High School Education, Chair (2001 - 2003), member (1998 - 2003); organized the Demo Show at the 2002 Summer Meeting in Boise, Idaho.

Shropshire was awarded the AAPT Distinguished Service Citation (2008), Idaho Academy of Science Distinguished Science Communicator Award(2007), Idaho State University Achievement Award (2006), Idaho State University Distinguished Public Servant (2006), Salvation Army Community Hero (2003).

He is a member of AAPT, Idaho-Utah Section of AAPT, PIRA, Idaho Science Teachers Association, Idaho Academy of Science for Zone 15 (2006 - present); Director of ISU QuarkNet Center (2004 - present); Higher Education Representative with service on the Board, Idaho Science Teachers Association (2003 - present); Director, ISU Physics Demo Road Show and Teacher Workshop program.

About AAPT
The AAPT is the premier national organization and authority on physics and physical science education --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)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Park, Maryland, United States, February 17, 2010

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) has today announced that David M. Cook, Ph.D. has assumed the role of AAPT President. Cook, who recently retired as Professor of Physics and Philetus E. Sawyer Professor of Science, Lawrence University, will serve as President in 2010 and Past President in 2011.

Cook earned his BS in physics at Rensselaer. Both his AM and Ph.D. in physics were earned at Harvard. While serving on the Physics faculty at Lawrence University, Appleton, WI since 1965 he has taught nearly every undergraduate physics course. His focus, however, has been on computation in the upper-level curriculum. He has served several terms as Physics Department Chair. Additionally, he has served on the Tenure Committee, the Governance Committee, and the Presidential Search Committee at Lawrence.

Since 1985, with support totaling more than $1M for the National Science Foundation, Research Corporation, the W. M. Keck Foundation, and other sources, he has built the Computational Physics Laboratory at Lawrence and guided the design of the computational components of the Lawrence curriculum, including the creation of two courses titled Computational Mechanics and Computational Physics. His self-published text for those courses also contains numerous exercises for other physics courses, and his 1975 text on electromagnetic theory was recently reprinted by Dover.

His AAPT service includes more than four decades of meeting attendance and presentations, membership on the Committee on Computers in Physics Education, and leadership roles.

Recognizing the challenges AAPT faces now and in the future, Cook says, "Both the future of the United States as a leader in science and technology and the strength of the U.S. economy are at risk because too few of our most able young people are preparing for careers in science and engineering. AAPT is already playing an important role in addressing this growing crisis. The current efforts, however, need to be expanded in both intensity and scope. In particular, we need to assess whether the current structure and content of our offerings for prospective scientists are as strong as they can be in preparing students for productive 50-year careers in the 21st century and also whether they are as appealing as they must be to compete successfully with the students' alternatives."

About AAPT: The AAPT is the premier national organization and authority on physics and physical science education --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: Contact Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications, mgardner@aapt.org, (301)209-3306, (301)209-0845 (Fax)
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The groundbreaking for the viewpoint Vista Sidney Wolff took place on February 1, 2010. The vista is on the road to the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile and has a beautiful view of the SOAR and Gemini telescopes and also of the site selected for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). The construction of the vista point is a tribute to Dr. Sidney C. Wolff's leadership in enabling the construction of these world-class facilities on Cerro Pachon high in the Andes mountains. Dr. Wolff served as President of the SOAR Board and first Director of the Gemini Observatory. She is currently President of the LSST Corporation.

Following an 18-month international search. the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) has announced that Evalyn Gates, has been named executive director and chief executive officer of the institution effective May 17, 2010.

This follows an 18-month international search chaired by of the Museum. The Boston firm, Isaacson Miller, provided professional counsel to the search committee.

“Evalyn Gates is the ideal professional to lead The Cleveland Museum of Natural History at this time,” said A. Chace Anderson, president of the museum's board of trustees. “She is a distinguished scientist who understands the importance of generating broad appeal for science at a time when CMNH is looking to reinvent how we present natural history. She also has the proven leadership ability to bring scientists, educators and donors together to make this goal a reality as we begin a major expansion and renovation plan. In addition, she brings strong Cleveland ties that will benefit the Museum, University Circle and the community.”

Gates is currently the assistant director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (KICP) at the University of Chicago, an internationally renowned research center for the study of the structure, composition and evolution of the Universe from the earliest moments of cosmic history to the present. KICP scientists are also engaged in a variety of dynamic education and outreach programs that extend its science into classrooms in Chicago and museums around the world. As part of the leadership team at KICP, Gates has been responsible for the overall management of the center and its key programs, including the prestigious KICP Postdoctoral Research Fellowships. She is also a member of the research faculty in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, with an active program of research in cosmology and particle astrophysics.

Prior to joining KICP, Gates spent seven years in a senior management role at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum. She joined the Adler as the director of astronomy in 1996 at the start of a $40 million dollar renovation and expansion of the museum and was responsible for the creation of new exhibits and shows while also directing the development of three major galleries. In 2001, Gates was named Adler’s vice president for science and education, overseeing the efforts of the Astronomy, History of Astronomy, Education, Show Production and IT Departments.

During her tenure at the Adler, Gates also established one of the first astronomy and astrophysics research groups in a museum setting. The Adler Astronomy Department now includes nine Ph.D. research scientists, several with joint appointments at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. These research positions have strengthened the ties between the institutions and facilitated innovative education and outreach programs that bring current research to students and the general public.

“CMNH is one of the finest natural history museums in the country,” said Gates. “And the opportunity to lead such an outstanding institution as it begins a major transformation is incredibly exciting. Museums have a critical role to play in the effort to improve science education in this country and CMNH, with its expansive definition of natural history and strong foundation of research and collections, is poised to break new ground in extending the role of museums at every level of science education.”

Gates’ book, Einstein’s Telescope: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe was published in 2009 and gives non-scientists a comprehensive look at recent developments that have overturned the understanding of the fundamental nature of the Universe and describes the radical new technique that may lead the way to the next great revolution in science.

She received her PhD in theoretical particle physics from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in 1990, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University before joining the University of Chicago in 1992. She earned a BS in physics from The College of William and Mary and a BS in biomedical engineering from CWRU.

“From the university’s perspective, Evalyn Gates is an outstanding choice to lead The Cleveland Museum of Natural History,” commented Cyrus Taylor, dean of the College of Arts and Science at CWRU and the Adelbert A. Michelson Professor in Physics and Gates’ advisor during her graduate studies at CWRU. “She is a world-class scientist who happens to be a Case Western Reserve alumna. Her leadership at the Museum presents us with an opportunity to deepen the collaborations between the university and the Museum. She is the ideal person to help the Museum explain science to the general public and why it matters.”

Gates was born in Philadelphia and raised in Batavia, New York. Her husband Eric Pelander, a management consultant, is originally from South Euclid, Ohio. They have three grown children and currently reside in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL.

With the introduction of a 3-year cycle among the Asian, European and North American Particle Accelerator Conferences, the Asian Committee for Future Accelerators, ACFA, has decided to award prizes in conjunction with the new series of International Particle Accelerator Conferences when they take place in Asia.