Cameron Reed Is New Editor of P&S

Barbara G. Levi

Physics and Society has a new editor, who is making his debut with this issue: Cameron Reed of Alma College in Michigan. A native of Toronto, Canada, Reed got a B.Sc. in physics from the University of Waterloo in 1977 and a master’s in theoretical astrophysics from Queen’s University in Ontario in 1979. A desire to learn how astronomers acquire and analyze their data motivated Reed to return to Waterloo for a Ph.D., which he earned in 1984. Because he had developed an early interest in galactic structure, his thesis involved using opticalwavelength photometry and spectroscopy to analyze the lineof- sight distribution of stars in a certain region of the sky. As he was wrapping up his thesis in the fall of 1983, Reed landed a faculty position at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since then he has built up an extensive database of published photometry and spectral information on so-called OB stars and added some data from his own observations. He has published 90 papers and authored a quantum mechanics textbook.

Reed got involved with “physics and society” issues shortly after he moved to Alma College in 1992. While teaching a course in modern physics, he developed a special interest in the Manhattan Project. His research and calculations led to a number of pedagogical papers in journals such as the American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher. By 2002, he was offering an algebra-level generaleducation course for non-science students titled “The Making of the Atomic Bomb.” In December 2007, he published a paper (in AJP) reporting his detailed analysis of the physics of fission weapons originally prepared by Arthur Compton in the fall of 1941.

Reed has been a frequent contributor to the book reviews in P&S since he volunteered to review a book on the Manhattan Project around 2005. The Executive Committee of the Forum on Physics and Society welcomes Cameron Reed to his new post.

This contribution has not been peer refereed. It represents solely the view(s) of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of APS.