News and Announcements Support Excellence in Physics Education and Honor a Teacher The Excellence in Physics Education Award has been approved by the APS and the Forum on Education has started a fundraising campaign to endow this award. Not only will your donation help establish this Award, but any contribution over $100 can be designated to honor a teacher or mentor who has been influential in your professional training. A letter will be sent by the APS to the honoree or the honoree’s family informing them of your gift. The establishment of an APS education award is long overdue. There is no other APS award that recognizes and honors physics education. The Excellence in Physics Education Award will recognize and honor a team or group of individuals (such as a collaboration), or exceptionally a single individual, who have exhibited a sustained commitment to excellence in physics education. Such a commitment may be evidenced by, but not restricted to, such accomplishments as:
The Excellence in Physics Education Award campaign has already raised $30,000 of our $100,000 goal. In addition, the Forum’s Executive Committee will match up to $30,000 in contributions from APS members so your contribution is doubly important. With your help, we can endow the Award in 2005 and the first award can be given in 2006. After our goal has been met, an Excellence in Physics Education Award of $5,000 will be given annually. A pledge form is on the last page of this newsletter. Additional information, including downloadable and electronic pledge forms are available on the Forum’s web page: http://www.aps.org/units/fed/ Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request. Activity Based Physics Faculty Institutes Are you interested in making learning in your introductory physics courses more active? 2-year college, 4-year college and university faculty are invited to attend one of the NSF-sponsored Activity Based Physics Faculty Institutes to be held at the University of Oregon and Dickinson College the next four summers. While the deadline for applications for the June, 2005 institutes at Oregon has passed, it is not too early to consider attending June, 2006 at Dickinson College in Central Pennsylvania, or June, 2007 at Oregon. These one week Institutes will encourage faculty to use active learning strategies and computer-based tools and curricula--based on physics education research--in their introductory physics courses by 1) giving them hands-on experience with the materials in the Activity Based Physics Suite, 2) assisting them with modifying those materials for use in their own courses, and 3) providing continued follow-up support for the five years of this project. The institutes will be taught by Priscilla Laws (Dickinson College), David Sokoloff (University of Oregon), Ronald Thornton (Tufts University) and Patrick Cooney (Millersville University). Faculty from doctoral/research universities and from institutions that serve under-prepared and under-represented populations, are especially encouraged to apply. Expenses on campus will be paid, and travel grants are available for those who demonstrate need. For more information, please visit our web site: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sokoloff/physcourse.htm. If you are interested in applying for Summer, 2006, please send an e-mail to jgarrett@uoregon.edu, and you will be informed by e-mail when the 2006 application form is available online. New APS Director of Education and Outreach |