October 2008 Volume 17, No. 9 www.aps.org/publications/apsnews

21st Century Campaign Nears Goal APS NEWS and Needs Your Support! A Publication of the American Physical Society • www.aps.org/publications/apsnews (See insert)

Energy Efficiency Crucial to Achieving Energy Security Members Elect Barry Barish and Reducing Global Warming, States APS Report as next APS Vice-President Tapping wasted energy from miles per gallon mileage for cars needs because they require sig- APS members have elected in physics from the University of inefficient automobiles, homes and and other light-duty vehicles by nificant scientific and engineering Barry Barish, Linde Professor of California, Berkeley. He joined businesses is equivalent to discov- 2030 and the elimination of energy breakthroughs in several critical Physics Emeritus at Caltech, as the faculty at Caltech in 1963. ering a hidden energy reserve that from fossil fuels in new residential areas. the Society’s next vice president. Among his noteworthy experi- will help the United States improve buildings by 2020. The study also calls on Congress Barish will assume the office in ments were those performed at its energy security and reduce glob- and the White House to increase January 2009. At the same time, Fermilab using high-energy neu- al warming, an APS study panel has spending on research and develop- Curtis Callan of trino collisions to concluded. ment of next-generation building Princeton Univer- reveal the quark Their report, Energy Future: technologies, training scientists sity will become substructure of Think Efficiency, states that the key who work on building technologies president-elect, and the nucleon. In the to unlocking the efficiency poten- and supporting associated national Cherry Murray of 1980s, Barish initi- tial is developing policies that will laboratory, university and private- Lawrence Liver- ated an internation- put technology into the marketplace sector research programs. Addition- more National Lab- al effort to build a and developing new technologies ally, it recommends that lawmak- oratory will serve sophisticated un- through applied and basic research ers develop policies that address a as APS president derground detector

in the public and private sectors. HOWAMERICA CANLOOK WITHIN TO wide-array of market barriers that for 2009, succeed- (MACRO) in Italy ACHIEVEENERGYSECURITYAND REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING The study panel concluded that discourage consumers from adopt- ing 2008 APS pres- in the emerging increased energy efficiency, par- ing investment in energy-efficient ident Arthur Bien- field of particle as- Barry Barish ticularly in the transportation and technologies, especially in the high- enstock of Stanford trophysics. Barish building sectors, will help eliminate ly fragmented building sector. University. Barish became Principal US reliance on foreign oil and re- It also states that the federal The American people need lead- will be president-elect in 2010, Investigator of the Laser Inter- duce greenhouse gas emissions that government should broaden its re- ership from the Congress and the and will serve as APS president ferometer Gravitational Wave contribute to global warming. search, development and demon- next president on this issue, said in 2011. Observatory (LIGO) project in Most recommendations address- stration programs, particularly in Nobel Laureate Burton Richter, In other election results, Kate 1994 and served as Director of ing high fuel costs focus on either the areas of batteries for conven- chair of the study committee and Kirby of the Harvard-Smithso- the LIGO Laboratory from 1997 increasing the supply of oil or find- tional hybrid vehicles, plug-in hy- director emeritus of the Stanford nian Center for Astrophysics was to 2005. He is currently the Di- ing a substitute fuel, but the APS re- brids and battery electric vehicles. Linear Accelerator Center. Both selected as the new chair-elect of rector of the Global Design Ef- port offers a practical roadmap with The report credits automakers for Senators McCain and Obama have the APS Nominating Commit- fort for the International Linear short-term and longer-term solu- devoting resources to the devel- outlined plans for improving en- tee, which has the responsibility Collider (ILC). In October 2002, tions for reducing demand through opment of hydrogen fuel cell and ergy efficiency and defining the im- of selecting a slate of candidates Barish was nominated to the cost-effective efficiencies that find plug-in hybrid vehicles, but con- portant role new technologies will each year to run for APS office. National Science Board, which public and political acceptance. cludes that they are not a solution play in our energy future. The next Nergis Mavalvala, a professor of oversees the National Science The report provides a path to 50 to the nation’s short-term energy REPORT continued on page 5 physics at MIT, and Jorge Pullin, Foundation (NSF) and advises Horace Hearne Chair in Theo- the President and the Congress retical Physics at the Louisiana on policy issues related to sci- LHC Start Up was a Long Time Coming State University, were elected as ence, engineering, and educa- By Kate McAlpine the accelerator ring on general councilors. tion. September 10th, and Barish earned his PhD in 1963 ELECTIONS continued on page 7 Kate McAlpine is a science collisions are expected writer with the ATLAS collabora- before the year is out. Three Women Receive Blewett tion at CERN and a former sci- If you think of the ence writing intern at APS. She project as a mara- Scholarships in 2008 has recently received a lot of thon, I’ve been run- By Nadia Ramlagan attention for her video, “Large ning alongside for the Hadron Rap” (Check it out on last mile. Work on the Three women have been se- YouTube). Here she gives her LHC started in the lected by the APS Committee on impressions of the startup of the early 1980s, and of- the Status of Women in Physics LHC and the months leading up ficial planning began as the recipients of this year’s M. to it. in 1984–five years be- Hildred Blewett Scholarship: Ya After more than two decades fore its predecessor in Li of Hampton University, Fir- of planning, over a decade of the tunnel, the Large Courtesy of CERN ouzeh Sabri of the University of digging and building, the Large Electron-Positron col- Lowering of the final element YE( -1) of the Compact Memphis, and Janice Guikema Hadron Collider and its detec- lider, had even start- Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector into its underground of Johns Hopkins University. The experimental cavern tors are finally complete. The ed up. But from late Blewett scholarship is a one year first beam of protons ran through October last year, I LHC continued on page 4 award of up to $45,000 that is in- Ya Li tended to enable women scientists love reading all kinds of scientific to return to physics research after articles. Being a scientist has al- Four APS Members Receive National Medal of Science having to interrupt their careers ways been my dream, ever since I Four APS members are among vania, Charles Slichter of the Uni- energy generation from fusion, for family reasons. Recipients can was a child,” Li says. the recipients of the 2007 Na- versity of Illinois, Urbana-Cham- dating of artifacts, and nuclear use the funds for expenses related In 2003 she moved to Jeffer- tional Medal of Science, and one paign, and David Wineland of the medicine.” to child care, salary, and travel, son Lab in Virginia to work on APS member is among the recipi- National Institute of Standards Slichter was cited “for estab- equipment, and tuition fees. her dissertation, studying dual- ents of the 2007 National Medal and Technology received the 2007 lishing nuclear magnetic reso- Born in Wenzhou, China, Ya ity in meson electroproduction. of Technology. The awards honor National Medal of Science. nance as a powerful tool to reveal Li received her undergraduate “The most exciting thing about the nation’s top scientists and in- El-Sayed was cited “for his the fundamental properties of degree in physics and masters de- Jefferson Lab is that they have a novators. contributions to our understand- molecules, liquids and solids, en- gree in condensed matter physics high luminosity electron beam, President Bush presented the ing of the electronic and catalytic abling the development of numer- from Tongji University in Shang- which is great for studying the medals in a ceremony at the properties of nanostructures and ous modern technologies.” hai. She then came to the United structure of matter on the nucleon White House on September 29. nanomaterials.” Wineland was cited “for his States and received another mas- scale,” Li explains. After stopping APS members Mostafa El- Ajzenberg-Selove was cited outstanding leadership in the sci- ters degree from the University of her career for a few years, she is Sayed of Georgia Institute of “for her contributions in nuclear ence of laser cooling and manipu- Houston. currently resuming her graduate Technology, Fay Ajzenberg-Sel- physics that have advanced re- lation of ions, that have had mul- “I have always been good at studies at the nearby Hampton ove of the University of Pennsyl- search into applications including MEDAL continued on page 7 mathematics and physics, and I BLEWETT continued on page 6 2 • October 2008 APS NEWS

Members This Month in Physics History in the Media “It’s not a stable black hole that “If all the molecules of air in the could swallow the universe. It’s un- room where you’re sitting would October 1958: Physicist Invents First Video Game stable, so it explodes right away.” suddenly cross to one side, you n October 1958, Physicist William Higinboth- represented by just two lines, one representing the Yongsheng Gao, California would not have any air to breathe. State University, Fresno, on the am created what is thought to be the first video ground and a one representing the net. The ball was This probability is not zero. It is in I possibility of the LHC producing game. It was a very simple tennis game, similar just a dot that bounced back and forth. Players also the 10 to the minus-25 range.” black holes, The Fresno Bee, Au- to the classic 1970s video game Pong, and it was had to keep score for themselves. gust 5, 2008 Greg Landsberg, Brown Uni- quite a hit at a Brookhaven National Laboratory The game circuitry was fairly simple, using versity, The New York Times, Au- open house. mostly resistors, capacitors and relays, though it “We don’t want this to be anoth- gust 23, 2008 Higinbotham was born on October 25, 1910 in did use transistors for the fast switching needed er Lee Harvey Oswald case where Bridgeport, CT and grew up in Caledonia, NY. when the ball was in play. the public says it is never solved to “If I had, I would have never got He graduated from Williams College in 1932, Visitors loved it. It quickly became the most their satisfaction.” tenure.” and then went to graduate school in physics at Cor- popular exhibit, with people standing in long lines Rush Holt, on the anthrax in- Ronald Mallett, University of nell University. At Cornell as a graduate student he to get a chance to play. vestigation, Los Angeles Times, Connecticut, on why he didn’t ini- worked as an electronics technician. In 1941, he The first version, used in the 1958 visitor’s day, August 8, 2008 tially tell his colleagues he wanted joined the MIT Radiation Lab, where he worked had an oscilloscope with a tiny display, only five “I sent them because I thought to build a time machine, East Hart- on cathode ray tube displays for radar systems. In inches in diameter. The next year, Higinbotham 1943 he moved to Los Alamos to work on elec- improved it with a larger display screen. He also everything was quiet over there, ford Gazette, August 22, 2008 life was nice.” tronics for a timing system for the atomic bomb. added another feature: the game could now simu- Vasily Dzhordzhadze, Brookhaven “Besides the scientific implica- In 1948 he joined Brookhaven National late stronger or weaker gravity, so visitors could National Laboratory, on sending his tions, this kind of search has reper- Laboratory’s instrumen- play tennis on the moon, children to visit Georgia this summer, cussions in the way humanity per- tation group. He served Earth or Jupiter. Newsday, August 20, 2008 ceives its place in the cosmos.” as head of that group from After two years, Tennis 1951 to 1968. for Two was retired. The Paolo Gondolo, University of “We’re a group of people from During that time, in Oc- oscilloscope and computer Utah, on the Sloan Digital Sky Sur- all over the world–many religions tober Brookhaven held an- were taken for other uses, and attitudes. It is essential for sci- vey, Salt Lake Tribune, August 27, nual visitors’ days, during and Higinbotham designed entists to participate in this and try 2008 which thousands of people a new visitor’s day display to help the Catholic Church, advise would come tour the lab. that showed cosmic rays them on their policies. .” “This was just a hobby that got out of control.” Higinbotham was respon- passing through a spark Charles Townes, University of sible for creating an exhibit chamber. Robert Grober, Yale Univer- California, Berkeley, on the Pontifi- to show off the instrumen- Higinbotham, who had cal Academy of Sciences, Discover, sity, on a golf gadget he invented, tation division’s work. already patented 20 inventions, didn’t think his ten- August 18, 2008 the Hartford Courant, September Most of the existing exhibits were rather dull. nis game was particularly innovative. Although he “The bottom line is it’s a won- 2, 2008 Higinbotham thought he could better capture visi- saw that the Brookhaven visitors liked the game, derful experiment, but it needs to “Consider if you would have a tors’ interest by creating an interactive demonstra- he had no idea how popular video games would tion. He later recalled in a magazine interview that later become. Even had he had the foresight to pat- be approached carefully, or you go great model to predict the quirks of out of business.” he had thought “it might liven up the place to have ent the game, since he worked at a government lab, the world’s economy–would you Fred Dylla, American Institute a game that people could play, and which would the federal government would have owned the pat- of Physics, on open access journals, go and publish it?” convey the message that our scientific endeavors ent, so he wouldn’t have made any money from it. The Boston Globe, August 21, 2008 Sabine Hossenfelder, Perim- have relevance for society.” “It never occurred to me that I was doing anything eter Institute, on open science, Live The instrumentation group had a small analog very exciting. The long line of people I though was “Amazingly, there are no tricks Science, September 2, 2008 computer that could display various curves, in- not because this was so great but because all the involved. What you have here is cluding the path of a bouncing ball, on an oscillo- rest of the things were so dull,” he once said. one of the most efficient human “I know personally a number of scope. It took Higinbotham only a couple of hours Tennis for Two was more or less forgotten for movements ever conceived.” people who’ve received the award. to conceive the idea of a tennis game, and only a some time. In 1964 Sanders Associates received Michael Feld, MIT, on breaking To be part of that list of which they few days to put together the basic pieces. Having the first patent for a video game. Magnavox bought boards with karate chops, Discov- are members is a thrill.” worked on displays for radar systems and many the patent and produced video game systems be- er, August 2008 Charles Slichter, University of other electronic devices, Higinbotham had no trou- ginning in the early 1970s. Competitors wanting to “We like to think that we are re- Illinois, on winning the National ble designing the simple game display. break the Magnavox patent found out about Higin- writing our children’s science text- Medal of Science, News Gazette, Higinbotham made some drawings, and blue- botham’s earlier video game and he was called to books. In the same way that Galileo August 27, 2008 prints were drawn up. Technician Robert Dvorak testify, but the case was settled out of court. Hig- revolutionized our thinking about spent about two weeks building the device. After a inbotham only became well known as the inventor our place in the universe, we hope “We have no problem with that little debugging, the first video game was ready for of the video game after an article appeared in Cre- our discoveries will give us new process.” its debut. They called the game Tennis for Two. ative Computing magazine in 1982. insight into mankind’s place in the Susan Coppersmith, Univer- Players could turn a knob to adjust the angle of Higinbotham’s main interest throughout most of universe.” sity of Wisconsin, Madison, on the the ball, and push a button to hit the ball towards his career was not video games, but nuclear arms Michael Barnett, Lawrence physics department undergoing a the other player. As long as they pressed the button control. He helped found the Federation of Ameri- Berkeley National Laboratory, The when the ball was in their court, players couldn’t can Scientists and served as its first chairman and Title IX review, The Capital Times, Newshour with Jim Lehrer online, actually miss the ball, but if they hit it at the wrong executive secretary. Higinbotham died in Novem- September 3, 2008 August 8, 2008 time or hit it at the wrong angle, the ball wouldn’t ber 1994, more famous for his video game than his “Improv has got to be more dif- “The Higgs is an important make it over the net. Balls that hit the ground work on nonproliferation. ficult than doing physics. You have component if it’s there. It’s not go- would bounce like a real tennis ball. When the ball Further reading: http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/ to think in milliseconds.” ing to create world peace or solve went off the court or into the net, players hit a reset history/higinbotham.asp the energy crisis, but it will help us Robert Stanek, Argonne Nation- button to start the next round. Flatow, Ira. They All Laughed... from light bulbs Tennis for Two had none of the fancy graphics to lasers: the fascinating stories behind the great understand the world we live in.” al Laboratory, on an improv com- video games use today. The cathode ray tube dis- inventions that have changed our lives. HarperCol- Robert Roser, Fermilab, Kane edy workshop at CERN, The Wall play simply showed a side view of a tennis court lins, 1993. County Chronicle, August 9, 2008 Street Journal, September 4, 2008

Series II, Vol. 17, No. 09 For Nonmembers–Circulation and Fulfillment Division, Treasurer on International Physics), Philip “Bo” Hammer, (Forum October 2008 American Institute of Physics, Suite 1NO1, 2 Huntington Joseph W.Serene*, Georgetown University on Physics and Society), Steven Rolston (Laser Science), APS NEWS Quadrangle, Melville, NY 11747-4502. Allow at least Leonard Feldman* (Materials), Akif Balantekin* (Nucle- © 2008 The American Physical Society Editor-in-Chief 6 weeks advance notice. For address changes, please Gene Sprouse*, Stony Brook University (on leave) ar), Janet Conrad (Particles & Fields), Ronald Ruth send both the old and new addresses, and, if possible, (Physics of Beams), David Hammer (Plasma), Scott Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 include a mailing label from a recent issue. Requests Past-President Milner (Polymer Physics), Paul Wolf (Ohio Section), Leo P. Kadanoff*, University of Chicago Editor•...... Alan Chodos from subscribers for missing issues will be honored Heather Galloway (Texas Section), without charge only if received within 6 months of the Staff Writer...... Ernie Tretkoff General Councillors ADVISORS Contributing Editor ...... Jennifer Ouellette issue’s actual date of publication. Periodical Postage Paid Robert Austin, Christina Back*, Marcela Carena, Eliza- Art Director and Special Publications Manager...... Kerry G. Johnson at College Park, MD and at additional mailing offices. beth Beise, Katherine Freese, Wendell Hill*, Ann Orel*, Representatives from Other Societies Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Postmaster: Send address changes to APS News, Mem- Richart Slusher*, Fred Dylla, AIP; Lila Adair, AAPT Proofreader...... Edward Lee bership Department, American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844. International Councillor Science Writing Intern ...... Nadia Ramlagan Sabayasachi Bhattacharya International Advisors Francisco Ramos Gómez, Mexican Physical Society APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, ed to: Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College APS COUNCIL 2008 Chair, Nominating Committee Shelly Page, Canadian Association of Physicists monthly, except the August/September issue, by the Park, MD 20740-3844, E-mail: [email protected]. Philip Phillips President Staff Representatives American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Arthur Bienenstock*, Stanford University Alan Chodos, Associate Executive Officer; Amy Flatten lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It con- Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publi- Miles Klein tains news of the Society and of its Divisions,Topical cation delivered by Periodical Mail. Members residing President-Elect Director of International Affairs; Ted Hodapp, Director Groups, Sections and Forums; advance information on abroad may receive airfreight delivery for a fee of $15. Cherry Murray*, Lawrence Livermore National Labora- Division, Forum and Section Councillors of Education and Diversity; Michael Lubell, Director, meetings of the Society; and reports to the Society by its Nonmembers: Subscription rates are available at http:// tory Charles Dermer (Astrophysics), P. Julienne (Atomic, Public Affairs; Dan Kulp, Editorial Director; Christine Molecular & Optical Physics) Robert Eisenberg (Bio- Giaccone, Director, Journal Operations; Michael committees and task forces, as well as opinions. librarians.aps.org/institutional.html. Vice-President logical), Charles S. Parmenter (Chemical), Arthur Stephens, Controller and Assistant Treasurer Curtis G.Callan, Jr.*, Princeton University Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- Subscription orders, renewals and address changes Epstein (Condensed Matter Physics), David Landau ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- should be addressed as follows: For APS Members– Executive Officer (Computational), James Brasseur (Fluid Dynamics), Pe- Administrator for Governing Committees dress and daytime telephone number. The APS reserves Membership Department, American Physical Society, Judy R. Franz*, University of Alabama, Huntsville ter Zimmerman* (Forum on Education), Amber Stuver Ken Cole the right to select and to edit for length or clarity. All One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844, (on leave) (Forum on Graduate Student Affairs) Roger Stuewer correspondence regarding APS News should be direct- [email protected]. (Forum on History of Physics), Stefan Zolner (Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics), David Ernst* (Forum * Members of the APS Executive Board APS NEWS October 2008 • 3

Washington Dispatch A bi‑monthly update from the APS Office of Public Affairs

ISSUE: Science Research Budgets As of September 12, the APS News filing deadline, neither the House nor the Senate had moved any Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations bills to UK Faces Science Funding Challenges the respective floors.W ith Congress scheduled to recess on September By John Womersley 26, leaders in both chambers were preparing to put the federal government on a Continuing Resolution (CR) that would keep almost all During the past six months, I’ve particle physics and astronomy and of the most visible of these deci- agencies funded at FY 2008 levels. The Democratic House leadership seen something I never thought the other for national laboratories sions was to cease to participate in indicated, moreover, that it was loath to schedule a post-election lame- I would: stories about science on and facilities. In autumn 2007, the the International Linear Collider duck session at this time. Should Congress not return for any further the front pages and op-ed pages of government announced its fund- (though in fact we are maintaining business in November or December, the FY 2009 CR would extend major British newspapers, and sci- ing for STFC for 2008-2011. Once support for generic electron col- until February or March. What action the new 111th Congress would entists interviewed on prime time various mandatory commitments lider work at a reduced level). We take on FY 2009 appropriations remains murky and will almost certainly BBC current affairs programmes. have been taken out (increased initiated a programmatic review of depend on the outcome of the November elections. As a result, Federal The only problem is that these sto- support for university researchers, all of our ongoing projects and fa- agencies have been making plans for budgets that would remain level ries have all been about funding depreciation costs on fixed assets, cilities in order to potentially repri- for at least the first 6 months of the new fiscal year. shortfalls, cuts to grants and poten- and so on) the budget is roughly oritise them within a more tightly Although the CR will keep most federal activities operating at FY 2008 tial cessation of support for promi- flat cash (“flat-flat” in US terms) constrained budget. This review levels, the White House has signaled that it might look favorably on nent projects. And this is happening for the next three years. By STFC’s was carried out by our science ad- a limited number of exceptions. Science could fall into that category, despite a government which claims calculation, this leaves it £80M visory panels, who did an excel- since it has strong bipartisan support. Several prominent congressional to strongly support science. What is short of what it needs for its “core” lent job in very difficult circum- Democrats have said that they believe that an additional fiscal stimulus going on? activities and £120M short of what stances. As may be imagined, the is necessary to keep the nation’s economy afloat. It is unclear whether Most scientific research in the would be needed to have enough research community was not at all the Administration and Congress will be able to strike a deal that includes UK is funded through research headroom to start new projects. In pleased with the overall situation waivers in the FY 2009 CR, and if so, what those waivers would be. councils, which receive their mon- a total three-year budget of £1.9 and in particular felt that decisions ey from government on a three-year billion, such shortfalls might seem were being made without sufficient ISSUE: Nuclear Weapons Policy cycle. Particle and nuclear physics, manageable, but STFC carries large community input, so a subsequent The APS Panel on Public Affairs (POPA), in cooperation with the astronomy, space, and large facili- commitments to international sub- phase was added in which an open American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and ties for the physical and life sci- scriptions (CERN, ESO, ESA and consultation was conducted and ad Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is issuing an unclassified report titled Nuclear Weapons in 21st Century US National ences like synchrotrons and neutron so on) and to projects that can’t be hoc panels of researchers were con- Security. The project is based on four workshops covering four areas: sources, are all funded through the renegotiated easily. vened in each subject area to make Technical, International, Military, and Integration. Each workshop has Science and Technology Facilities STFC’s Council (its govern- suggestions on alternative ways to had strong participation of physicists working in the relevant issue areas. Council (STFC). STFC was cre- ing body) therefore made some prioritise projects. This process has The report can be downloaded from the APS website: http://www.aps. ated in 2007 by merging two for- strategic decisions to withdraw or concluded and the results have been org/policy/reports/popa-reports/index.cfm. mer councils, one responsible for limit involvement in projects. One FUNDING continued on page 7

ISSUE: POPA Activities At the October meeting of the APS Panel on Public Affairs, the committee Agreement Lets APS Members Provide Expertise to Industry will be going over the following agenda items: One company is looking for in- perts will be notified of industrial TekScout clients additional ex- • Review of first items sent in via the new POPA Report novative technologies to reduce the challenges in physics and applied pert resources in the disciplines Suggestion box (see below), moisture content of coal. Another physics. A list of current challeng- of physics and applied physics • A proposed future POPA Report from the Energy and company seeks better rust removal es is on the TekScout web page and further expands our base of Environment subcommittee, chemicals. Still other companies (www.tekscout.com); more details TekExperts,” stated Edward Weis- • Draft statements on diversity and civic engagement of scientists. need technologies for polymer op- on the challenges are available to berg, Vice President of UTEK and tical devices, platinum-free cata- registered experts. Experts who be- General Manager of TekScout in a The POPA Report Suggestion Box is where APS members are lysts for fuel cells, and construction lieve they can provide the needed press release. encouraged to suggest potential future POPA studies. Submitted suggestions will be directed to the relevant POPA subcommittee for materials and technologies that en- expertise can send in a response, “Part of APS’s mission is to discussion. Please note, while POPA welcomes member input, it may hance energy efficiency and safety. and those selected to work on the encourage the advancement of sci- not be able to pursue, or respond to, every suggestion. The Suggestion Rather than develop these tech- posted challenges receive payment ence and science education. We Box can be found at: http://www.aps.org/policy/reports/popa-reports/ nologies in house, these companies for their work. Each company of- believe that the opportunity for our suggestions. can turn to TekScout, an online net- fers experts a fee and sets a time- members to solve challenges on work that brings together scientists line for completion. As of October TekScout will provide an addition- ISSUE: Washington Office Media Update and engineers to solve R&D chal- 1, 2008, the registration fee for al forum for our members to carry The Cincinnati Enquirer published an editorial on August 31 regarding lenges posted by corporations that APS members is $50. TekScout is out this effort,” stated APS Execu- maintaining the country’s competitive edge by investing in basic seek outside expertise. a service of UTEK, an innovation tive Officer Judy Franz. research and retaining high-tech jobs. The editorial was the result of APS members may have the services company. As reported in the October, efforts of the Task Force on the Future of American Innovation and the expertise to find solutions to some Through this open innovation 2006 APS News, APS also has Semiconductor Industry Association. of these challenges. APS has re- process, TekScout can help com- an agreement with Fortnight So- cently signed an agreement with panies develop products faster and lutions, another company that Log on to the APS Public Affairs web site (http://www.aps.org/ TekScout that allows APS mem- less expensively than they could do matches experts with compa- bers to sign up as experts at a 50% using only internal resources. nies needing outside assistance. public_affairs) for more information. discount. Registered TekScout ex- “Our alliance with APS brings (www.fortnightsolutions.com) Physicist Tilts at Diploma Mills In early July, a woman named gree for the bargain price of $4400, and that’s how I felt about this,” the same tarred brush. tion Opportunity Act” bill currently Dixie Randock was sentenced with an additional $900 price re- says Gollin about his decision to Fed up and angry–“I’ve never being developed by the House and to three years in prison for her duction if he paid for them there begin tracking and collecting ma- had people come after me like that Senate contains 15 pages of legisla- role in operating a notorious di- and then. terial about diploma mills onto a before,” he says–Gollin went on the tion related to controlling the spread ploma mill. The sentencing was Gollin admits that at first, he central website hosted by his uni- warpath, writing an 80-page analy- of diploma mills. For instance, it the culmination of a six-year cru- found the concept amusing, a clas- versity. He is very careful to em- sis and sending it to the Federal seeks stricter rules on which schools sade begun by particle physicist sic example of caveat emptor (“let phasize that this is not a “hobby”: it Trade Commission, hoping it would can be considered accredited by re- George Gollin, a professor at the the buyer beware”). But then he is a professional activity that fulfills become the basis of a civil suit for quiring their accreditors to be rec- University of Illinois, Urbana- began looking into the various op- UI’s requirement for faculty public fraud, and ultimately shut down St. ognized by the U.S. Department of Champaign. Randock’s operation erations more closely, and was service. Regis University and another diplo- Education and/or the Council for sold fake degrees online, many of alarmed to find that the degrees be- There is good reason for this ma mill called American Coastline Higher Education Accreditation. which were issued under the name ing bought and sold included those caution: he has paid a price for his University. That didn’t happen, but There is also language tighten- St. Regis University. certifying clinical expertise, such dedication to the cause, exposing the attorney general in Washington ing the accreditation requirements Gollin’s quest began innocently as forensic psychology, oncology, himself to attacks by the very same state began a criminal investigation on schools whose degrees can be enough, with his irritation at the plastic surgery, even orthopaedic diploma mill operators he was when Gollin informed her that St. massive amounts of SPAM from surgery. Furthermore, some foreign working to shut down. Threaten- Regis operated out of Randock’s used by government employees for various diploma mills that be- individuals were using the diploma ing correspondence was sent to UI, real estate office in Spokane. Ran- employment and promotion. The gan clogging the computers in his mills to acquire fake credentials which initially asked Gollin to take dock and seven others–including bill also calls for the establishment lab and instructional classrooms for H-1B visa applications, making down the material, before reversing her husband and daughter–were of a federal task force to make rec- in 2002. He called the number, it an issue of national security. Far its decision a year later. The same indicted in 2005. Sentencing should ommendations on how to more se- “mostly because I wanted to yell at from merely being an entertaining group also attacked Gollin person- be complete for all the defendants riously address the problem of di- someone, because it was really in- diversion, the fake degrees were ally, spreading vicious rumors about by the end of September. ploma mills. Gollin admits there is tensely annoying.” The person who potentially harmful. his own academic credentials and One other good thing emerged no way to predict how much of this returned his call offered to sell him “Having knowledge sometimes personal morality, even attempting from Gollin’s dedicated pursuit of will survive in the final version of a bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD de- carries with it an ethical obligation, to smear his wife and daughter with diploma mills: the “Higher Educa- the bill. But it’s a start. 4 • October 2008 APS NEWS

Mission Relevance Enhances Army Research Impact Letters In his July 2008 Back Page ar- technological advances needed mean the ARO programs are not ticle, Leo Kadanoff makes a com- to make our soldiers safer and truly basic in nature. For example, pelling case regarding the decline more effective. ARO receives ARO Physics programs currently Overselling Science Causes Problems in the nation’s basic research ca- very strong support in this mis- include research on quantum in- I appreciated Ron Hira’s fail professionally, it leaves a huge pacity, and he recommends a cor- sion from all levels within the formation science, meta-materials thoughtful Back Page in the Au- impression on family, friends, and rective response that emphasizes Army and DoD, ranging from its and transformation optics, ultra- gust/September 2008 edition of the larger community. When this education as well as enhanced parent organization, the Army cold quantum degenerate gases, APS News. It does seem to ac- happens repeatedly over 4 decades, research support. He argues this Research Laboratory, to the high- the physics of strongly correlated curately capture my experiences it can create an anti-science cul- decline has cut across both the pri- est levels within the Pentagon. In matter, novel quantum phases and and those of my colleagues, and tural bias that is difficult to erase. I vate and public sectors, and cites fact, thanks to recent efforts by quantum phase transitions, and it quantifies the issues regarding know talented recent PhD’s in the as an example of the decline of DoD Secretary Gates and his Of- behavior at interfaces. Another in- STEM supply and demand. physical sciences in their 30s and government support the 50th An- fice of Defense Research and En- dication of ARO’s ongoing com- His comment “to date, our pol- 40s who are either vastly underem- niversary Symposium of the Army gineering, and with the support of icy discussion about the implica- ployed or unemployed in 2008, so mitment to basic research is that, Research Office (ARO), held in the Army and other services, the so far this decade, nine individuals tions of globalization has relied too the issue still remains. June 2001, from which Kadanoff President has submitted a budget heavily on interests of companies I have been grateful for my lim- have won Nobel Prizes involving understood that ARO would no to Congress that includes a very research ARO supported prior to and universities rather than being ited success in science and engi- significant increase in the DoD longer support basic research. As their getting the awards. based on any data-driven analysis” neering, and for the opportunity to the Director of ARO, I can state basic research funding for FY09. Scientific advances produced was very apt. I recall a very similar contribute to the human endeavor in categorically that is not the case. It is also worth noting that the Of- by ARO-funded research, often statement made in 1990 by an MIT/ a unique and positive way through Throughout its 57-year history fice of the Deputy Assistant Secre- supported in concert with other University of Illinois PhD physi- scientific discovery and innovation ARO has consistently championed tary of the Army for Research and agencies, will result in revolution- cist. By the way, this friend left sci- for 25 years. However, at age 49 I basic research, producing many Technology is supporting a large ary advances in Army capabilities ence and engineering in his 40s and definitely question whether the sac- scientific advances that profoundly number of STEM education ini- ranging from fundamentally new never returned, as far as I know. rifices were worth it, and wonder impacted technical innovations for tiatives to help educate the future In my opinion, the oversell- how much longer I will survive (or the Army in particular, and the na- high-tech workforce for the Army types of sensors, to ultra-secure ing of the sciences as a profession should survive) in science and tech- tion in general. If anything, ARO and the nation at large. communications, to very light- over the past 4 decades has been nology. is now even more vigilant than ARO’s purview includes es- weight, strong and multifunctional the primary problem for science ever in maintaining its focus on sentially all of the physical, en- materials. The impact on civil- in this country. When the best and Rich Holmes highly innovative basic research, gineering, life, and computer ian technology is also very sig- brightest go into science and then Cannon Park, CA to a large extent for the reasons science disciplines. It should be nificant. Although ARO’s invest- stated by Kadanoff–there has been understood that ARO doesn’t sup- ments in basic research programs LHC continued from page 1 a significant erosion of the - over port all sub-disciplines within a are constrained by Army mission saw many of the last pieces set the caverns. The most impres- all national support of long-term, given discipline because of our relevance, it is precisely this rel- into place in the experimental sive “lowering” that I saw was high-risk basic research–so ARO’s Army mission. For example, ARO evance that accounts for these halls. I visited the detector cav- the last slice of CMS, a 1430 ton contribution to this national im- doesn’t currently fund any proj- programs’ extraordinary impact erns, guiding journalists around disk of iron and particle detec- perative is even more critical. ects in elementary particle physics on the nation's economy and our CERN, and listened in on con- tors, 52 feet tall. Starting shortly ARO’s mission has always because the probable Army impact quality of life. versations about the progress of after 6:00 a.m., the equipment been to identify, create, fund, and is low compared to other possible construction as well as the dis- didn’t complete its 300-foot manage fundamental basic re- investments. This focus on mis- David Skatrud coveries that physicists hope to journey until about 5:30 that eve- search programs that lead to key sion relevant research does not Research Triangle Park, NC find in the data to come. ning. Although the years of prepa- That day, I guided a film crew The Whole 8.23 Meters ration might make it seem like working on an artistic documen- In his stimulating Back Page immigration of high tech workers,” absurd situation that presently pre- teams were taking their time, it tary. The director, Peter Mettler, article “APS, Physics: Aspira- fails to mention that these workers vails in which students on the track quickly becomes apparent that was surprised that the descent tions and Goals” {APS News, July would come from countries that are team run distances in meters, while most of the physicists are putting was so slow–barely noticeable as 2008], Leo Kadanoff discusses all on the metric system, which has students on the football team run in long hours. I came to work, we looked on. Looking toward some various proposals to arrest the consequently given those work- distances in yards. Or, as a mother having realized too late that it the Alps that night, reflecting on decline in American science, such ers a better scientific “head start” recently informed me, her son’s was a CERN holiday, the day af- the day, he compared the descent as given in the report, Rising Above than our own, thereby resulting length was measured in inches, but ter LHC start-up. To my surprise, to the speed at which the moon the Gathering Storm. However, in a shortage. In any case, to help the circumference of his head was it seemed that at least a third of seems to rise. nowhere in the list of the report’s arouse the American people, and measured in centimeters! Although the usual population was also at While cavern security re- suggestions is there any mention eventually Congress to the need we have come a long way from the work. quired an access card, helmet, of the need for the United States for such a conversion, for some scientific accomplishments of the Pawel de Barbaro, a Polish and closed-toed shoes during that to convert to the metric system. At years I have been advocating that St. Louis Exposition of 1904, we physicist in CMS (one of the January lowering, I was receiv- present this nation is joined with our high schools, colleges, and still have a long way to go. Nearly major LHC detectors) employed ing sideways looks for not wear- Liberia and Myanmar as being the universities convert their football 10 meters in fact. by the University of Rochester, ing safety boots by the time I fin- only nations left on the planet not fields from one hundred yards to pointed out, “From the construc- ished as a guide in April, even on on the metric system! The support one hundred meters. Having done Frank R. Tangherlini tion point of view, I think it only the well-traced visitor pathways. in the “Gathering Storm” for “more this, one would no longer have the San Diego, CA makes sense to build the detector By the end of May, they had ac- right. We’re building a very com- tivated the retina scanners, glow- plex detector, and we’re building ing blue in the access gates. it for first time, so unpredictable One of my favorite analogies problems are bound to appear.” for building the LHC came from Lyn Evans, LHC Project The Lighter Side of Science Michael Schmitt, of the Universi- Leader, often remarks that the ty of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. accelerator “is its own proto- Collyer Captures Caption Contest He thought of it as a car, “built type.” In the April APS News, we in- in pieces by amateurs around the In one of my favorite posts vited readers to submit a physics- world.” Having brought all the from US LHC blogger Monica related caption for this cartoon Dunford, a post-doc at the Uni- pieces to one place and assem- drawn by APS News cartoonist versity of Chicago, she compares bled the machine, “we’ll turn the Paul Dlugokencky. We then nar- working on ATLAS (another key and see if it starts.” rowed the field down to five final- major LHC detector) to a train- Luckily, it has. At 10:26 ists, and asked readers to vote for ing exercise, in which she had to on the morning of September their favorite. Now the votes are negotiate a difficult trail–running 10th, the LHC beam physicists in. as fast as she could with a team- breathed their sighs of relief or Hundreds of people voted. The mate pursuing her. Looking back shouted their cheers as the first winner is Robert Collyer of Baton could result in a stumble, and she bunch of protons went full-circle Rouge, LA, who submitted the would lose more time. The four in the 27-kilometer ring. The de- caption, “Partway through their main detectors all needed to be tectors received what seemed, argument, Mary realizes that Al- ready before the LHC, or at the after the months of relatively in- bert does not understand the grav- very least, before the other three frequent cosmic rays, a blast of ity of the situation.” detectors. It’s not really possible data from the single beam hitting “I honestly entered on a lark,” to look back and see how close what little particle debris remains Collyer said upon hearing he had the others are to completion, so in the vacuum of the beam pipe. won. “I thought it was funny.” everyone works as hard and fast With a couple of months to refine Collyer will receive a print of as they can to avoid coming in calibrations on the detectors and the cartoon signed by the artist, as last. the accelerator itself, everyone at well as a copy of the book Phys- I followed the race by watch- CERN is looking forward to the ics in the 20th Century and an ing pieces of hardware entering collisions to follow. APS tee shirt. APS NEWS October 2008 • 5

He’s havin’ a ball at Ball By Alaina G. Levine Carl Gelderloos never stops problem-solving and project man- cites the recent win by Ball to build sion,” says Carl. His team merged press his creativity and bring simpli- smiling. Is this Boulder-based PhD agement analysis, a distinct creative a sensor to be used on NASA’s Ori- state-of-the-art focal plane, laser fication to any project, a talent and a physicist in the middle of a per- eye, and an intense mathematical on spacecraft. Orion is the spacecraft optic, and electronics capabilities passion he realized when he was first petual Rocky Mountain high? Or approach that quite possibly only that is slated to replace the Space into a compact system that met the drawn to physics. perhaps he’s so cheery because he a physicist could obtain, hone, and Shuttle as NASA’s vehicle for trans- low mass and power requirements Carl, who is now 41, originally has the privilege of doing exactly love to employ. His role “involves porting astronauts to low Earth orbit of the mission. What resulted was a became entranced by physics after what he loves to do everyday as a bridging the gap between what is and beyond. The sensor, a flash LI- 3-D imaging system that output data “seeing how simply and elegantly a business development leader at Ball scientifically interesting and what is at video rates, and the algorithms to huge variety of natural phenomena Aerospace & Technologies Corpo- technically possible,” Carl explains. compute the spacecraft’s bearing and could be interpreted using just a few ration. His work has led directly to He has to determine the project’s sci- relative position. simple equations and simple math- the design, development, and launch entific needs and then set everything “By combining capabilities ematical relationships,” he recalls. of spacecraft and space-based ex- up in advance to ensure Ball can sat- uniquely and creatively, we’ve leap- “The simplicity and the elegance of periments, so one thing is clear: Carl isfy them. This may involve work- frogged existing sensors and created it was what really drew me in.” Gelderloos is having a ball working ing with academic and industrial re- a system that enables new capabili- He received his bachelor’s de- for Ball. searchers outside of the company, or ties and missions for NASA. Being gree in physics from Hope College To the outside observer, Carl’s setting up research and development able to harness our team’s creativ- in Holland, MI in 1989, and his PhD job may seem simple: as Deputy Di- centers that will solve the scientific ity, developing a plan for producing in nuclear physics from University rector of Ball’s Advanced Systems problems needed to launch and run and proving it out, and ultimately at Stony Brook in 1994. After a post- group, Civil & Operational Space the mission. creating an affordable product that doctoral appointment at the Uni- Division, he is tasked with respond- On the other hand, he also has enables autonomous rendezvous versity of Colorado at Boulder, he ing to NASA requests for proposals to identify, analyze, and solve all and docking in space is incredibly worked for Hughes Space & Com- for various space missions. He is a the business problems associated rewarding and exciting,” states Carl. munications, and joined Ball Aero- project manager, so he diagnoses with the mission. This involves cost Now the next stage is to find other space in 2001. what NASA’s requirements are for analysis, supply chain identification DAR (Light Detection and Rang- ways of using and applying the tech- His assignments at Ball reflect a a particular mission, identifies what and management, human resource ing), will be the primary instrument nology. veritable rainbow of space-related resources Ball has and needs to solve allocation and training, and various used to guide the spacecraft to au- Carl’s work is on the “front end,” projects. He participated in the de- the problem, aligns those resources other business-related issues. For tonomous rendezvous and docking, as he interacts directly with the cus- sign of a mission to Jupiter to ex- with the goal, calculates the costs of each project, he directly oversees 10- to both the International Space Sta- tomer, so while he helps launch plore its moons, developed an earth the project, and crafts the proposal to 15 people, but he is indirectly work- tion and future lunar spacecraft. Ball’s participation in a mission, he science project that involved remote articulate Ball’s unique value propo- ing with hundreds, both internal and “We’ve been developing the tech- often does not play a detailed role sensing in the atmosphere, and de- sition for the mission. external to Ball, and often juggles nologies internally for several years, later on as the project unfolds. But signed avionics innovations that Being a business development many projects and teams at once. but this was the first opportunity we what he loves most about his work control launch vehicles. pro requires experience in complex As an example of his work, Carl had to propose it for a NASA mis- is his ability and opportunity to ex- BALL continued on page 7

REPORT continued from page 1 president of the United States will breakthroughs in several areas. plied research programs within the ing of social science is needed. serious way than it currently does. have an opportunity to be the first in Buildings Department of Energy has been far Government Action: Executive •Smart growth policies in plan- history to lay the necessary ground- •To achieve the 2030 zero energy from ideal. Congress should peri- •DOE should fully comply with ning urban and transportation infra- work to reduce energy use among building goal for commercial build- odically review the Energy Fron- the 2005 Energy Policy Act man- structure can contribute to energy Americans. ings, the federal government should tiers Research Centers program to date to improve the coordination efficiency by reducing vehicle miles Among its other key findings and create a research, development and between its basic and applied re- ensure that basic research related to traveled (VMT) by 10 to 30 percent recommendations based on the 12- demonstration program that makes energy efficiency receives adequate search activities. by 2030 compared to business as month study are: integrated design and operation of attention. •Long-term applied research, usual. Transportation buildings standard practice. •Estimating the long-term ef- whether it is general or strategic in •The federal government should •Green building rating systems fects of transportation infrastructure nature, often is the orphan child of For a full copy of the APS report adopt new standards for light-duty should give energy efficiency the on transportation demand should science and technology program- Energy Future: Think Efficiency and vehicles that average 50 miles per highest priority and require reporting become a required component of ming. DOE must take steps now to related materials, including video gallon or more by 2030. of energy consumption data. the transportation planning process, fold long-term applied research into and photographs, go to http://www. •Vehicle weight can be signifi- •The federal government should and to that end, a better understand- its scientific programming in a more aps.org/energyefficiencyreport/. cantly reduced through design and establish a comprehensive program new materials without compromis- of efficiency standards and labeling ing safety. Vehicle weight reduc- for appliances that are cost-effec- This Time It’s For Real tions of 20 percent, for example, tive and technologically feasible. A achieved by greater use of high- streamlined procedure is needed to strength steel, aluminum and com- avoid delays in releasing the stan- posite materials, would improve dards. fuel economy by approximately •States should be encouraged to 14 percent while reducing traffic in- create demand-side, utility manage- juries and fatalities. ment programs. •Plug-in hybrids require more •Energy standards for buildings efficient and more durable batteries, should be implemented nationwide. able to withstand deep discharges •Longer-term applied research that are not yet in commercial large- opportunities include advanced ven- scale production. Given the techni- tilation, advanced windows, thermo- cal difficulties, plug-in hybrids will dynamic cycles and ultra-thin insu- not replace the standard American lators. family car in the near term. Government Action: Legislative •Improvements in the US elec- •Congress should appropriate tric grid must be made in order to and the White House should ap- handle charging of electric vehicles prove for the U.S. Department of if daytime charging is to occur on Energy's (DOE) Office of Science a large scale or when the market funds that are consistent with the penetration of electric vehicles be- spending profiles specified in the comes significant. 2005 Energy Policy Act and the •Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles 2007 America COMPETES Act. Photo by Brian Mosley (FCVs) are not a short-term solu- •Congressional oversight com- Former APS President and Nobel Laureate Burton Richter tells the assembled media that this time the energy crisis is for real, and that dealing with it involves a serious commitment to energy efficiency. He spoke at the National Press Club on Septem- tion to our oil needs, but rather a mittees should ensure that DOE ber 16 at the unveiling of the APS Energy Efficiency Report (see accompanying story), for which he served as Chair of the long-term option requiring funda- fulfills its obligation. Historically, Study Group. Also addressing the media on this occasion were Study Group vice-Chair David Goldston (left), and APS Direc- tor of Public Affairs Michael Lubell (center). mental science and engineering coordination among basic and ap- Focus on

Focus on

6 • October 2008 APS NEWS

BLEWETT continued from page 1

University and working on a new was halted after her husband was peared like a good option for ocus on experiment for her dissertation. offered a position near Memphis, balancing career and family, she “In the past four years our Tennessee. Shortly afterward, she accepted a half time lecturer posi- family has grown rapidly. Three relocated to Memphis with her tion in physics at Texas A&M. “I new babies came into our lives. It young son Kian. There she ac- enjoyed teaching, but I missed re- was wonderful. My first child is cepted a teaching position in the search even more. I found that af- Topical Group on Magnetism and its Applications Jacob, who is 3. My second child department of physics at the Uni- ter my teaching duties and caring is Owen, who is 2. And we have a versity of Memphis, where she is for my baby I had little time for By Nadia Ramlagan GMR was for read sensors in little girl, Yealiya who is 3 months pursuing a research career. fruitful research,” she says. hard drives. Nowadays hard old,” Li says. In this day and age, early-ca- Guikema cites her PhD advisor erhaps tantamount to the P drive read sensors use TMR, Her husband Tim is the co- reer women scientists are experi- Kathryn Moler as a prime mentor, attention, growth, and inter- (tunneling magnetoresistance), chief of operations at Jefferson encing less discrimination as soci- inspiration, and influence. “I was est the APS Topical Group on using these new materials and Lab. His job requires him to take etal norms and expectations shift, actually her first graduate student, Magnetism and its Applica- most IPODS actually use flash unregulated rotational shifts need- and as more women choose to en- so she definitely was a great ex- tions (GMAG) has experienced memory,” says Butler. ed to keep the lab’s accelerator ter scientific fields. “I have to say ample for me, being a woman in over the past decade, last year’s Currently, magnetic oxide re- running 24 hours a day 7 days a that I’ve never been discriminated physics and very successful, and 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics search has been receiving a lot week. With no family in the area, against during my education. As while I was there she had twins. I went to Albert Fert of France of attention. “In fact, the larg- it is difficult to arrange child care a young single woman, I never think it was really good for me to and Peter Grunberg of Ger- est number of papers we get at for their three young children. felt anyone hold me back. No one see someone at a place like Stan- many, for their (independent) APS are on magnetic oxides,” “I was really overwhelmed by pushed me through either, but I’ve ford having kids and doing it all, discovery of giant magnetore- Butler notes. Magnetic oxides this situation and so I look 2 years never felt any discrimination. I’ve having a successful career and sistance (GMR). “The March (and to a lesser extent sulfides) leave from research, I didn’t fin- been treated as an equal, which is meeting was a lot of fun, we generate lots of exciting phe- ish my PhD thesis work. But I re- fantastic,” says Sabri. sponsored a special reception nomena. “It’s interesting for ally wanted to go back to physics; However, she points out that, and lecture to honor the Nobel the theorists because they are I didn’t want to take too long of “I did definitely sense a notice- Laureates and had a huge audi- ionic materials, so the atoms all a leave to keep me from coming able change in people after I had Focusence. Bothon Grunberg andTopic Fert Groupsback,” she says. a child. It seems like when em- know where they want to be (in were able to attend. They gave contrast to metals where you Li received plenty of support ployers or colleagues find out you a successful lecture to GMAG Topiccan have almostGroups amorphous or from Hampton professors to re- have a young child, they automat- people,” says GMAG chair fine microcrystalline samples). turn to physics. Her current PhD ically prepare themselves for you William Butler. In the oxides you have the pos- advisor, Cynthia Keppel, told her to not be productive.” Giant magnetoresistance is about the Blewett scholarship and “I think that people, potential Focus on Topicitive and negative atoms want Groups- the change in the electrical re- encouraged her to apply. employers, whoever they are, they ing to arrange themselves in a sistance of a metallic magnetic Li remarks, “There are a lot have to try and eliminate those particular structure, and that multilayer that occurs when an of women working in the lab and things and judge you based on makes things a little simpler to Janice Guikema external magnetic field aligns studying science. Women are very your capabilities and knowledge, think about from a geometric the moments in different lay- active in physics. But from my not your family life. Because if lab,” she reflects. point of view,” says Butler. ers. The discovery has radically own situation I can see obstacles you are someone who wants to In January of 2008, her hus- Magnetic oxide materials transformed methods of retriev- for women to focus on research get the job done, you will,” she band received a faculty position allow researchers to generate ing data from hard disks, im- or teaching, especially when they says. at Johns Hopkins University. what is called a spin filter ef- proved magnetic sensors, and have children.” Born in New Jersey, Janice There, Guikema negotiated a half- fect, in which tunneling occurs spawned the development of a Firouzeh Sabri was born in Guikema received her undergrad- time research position with Hop- through two magnetic layers whole new field of electronics Tehran, Iran. She received her uate degree in physics from Cor- kins faculty. She applied for the that are insulators. The relative called “spintronics.” undergraduate degree in physics nell University and her PhD from Blewett scholarship seeking more orientation of these layers can “Things seem to be coming from Swansea University, Wales Stanford University, where she freedom to follow her research have a huge effect on the tun- along every few years”, notes and her PhD from the Cavendish used a scanning magnetic micro- interests. The scholarship will en- Butler. In 1995 there was the neling current. “These materi- scope to study vortices in high- able her to work more hours and discovery of about 10% tunnel- als are also of extreme interest temperature superconductors. hire one or two undergraduates. ing magnetoresistance (TMR) because they are very difficult She is currently a postdoc in the “I’m realizing now that in at room temperature by Ter- to understand. The ordinary experimental condensed matter terms of your whole life and ca- unobu Miyazaki at Tokyo Uni- tools of band structure that physics group at Johns Hopkins reer, having a baby is a short versity and Jagadeesh Moodera we use are not always reliable University. time period. That’s partly why at MIT. The following year in when you apply them to these Her research during the schol- I stepped back, because I don’t 1996, John Slonczewski and materials, because of the strong arship year will focus on the want to miss out on my kid. It’s Luc Berger independently pre- electron correlation”, Butler properties and applications of better not to be overwhelmed and dicted the phenomena of spin says. graphene, a single sheet of carbon feel pulled in all directions. It’s GMAG continues to play torque, a sort of converse to Firouzeh Sabri atoms that flakes off of graphite. better to have a balance, even GMR. “In GMR the relative an important role at the APS Since it was discovered a few if that means not publishing as orientation of the magnetic March Meeting. This year, laboratory at University of Cam- years ago, graphene has been many papers, as long as you’re moment in two layers will in- magnetism-related papers ac- bridge, UK, where she worked on at the forefront of experimental still moving forward. And that’s fluence the current that goes counted for 14% (839 papers) gallium arsenide metal insulator physics research, mainly because what I am trying to do,” she says. through it. In spin torque, the of the March Meeting total, semiconductor transistors. of its novel electronic, optical and M. Hildred Blewett was a par- spin-polarized current can in- similar to the previous year. “I’ve always enjoyed physics; mechanical properties. The mate- ticle accelerator physicist whose fluence the relative orientation The group also sponsors stu- originally I wanted to be an as- rial is also free of defects (hardly dedication to physics prompted of the moment, and you can ac- dent dissertation awards, a tronaut. That dream had to sort of ever missing a carbon atom), to her to leave almost all of her tually apply a current that will $500 prize and an invited talk go on the backburner, although all which makes designing very money to APS after her death in cause the orientation of the mo- at the March Meeting. “We also the way into the end of my under- small, stable, graphene structures 2004, at age 93. Her intent was ments to switch,” explains But- give awards for outreach. This graduate degree I still had great at room temperatures feasible. to help women overcome some ler. year we funded a graduate stu- hopes for it,” she says. She plans to fabricate a Hall of the many obstacles they face In 2001, very high TMR was dent who has developed a pro- Currently, Sabri’s research is probe sensor out of graphene, to in the field by providing financial predicted for magnesium oxide gram that’s been going out and focused on materials science at determine if the material is sensi- assistance in the form of scholar- and cobalt iron. This was ob- engaging students at local mid- the University of Memphis, Ten- tive enough to rival materials cur- ships. Born in Canada, Blewett served experimentally in 2004, dle schools and high schools in nessee. Her work funded by the rently used to make Hall probes. began her career at General Elec- and researchers were able to science and magnetism activi- Blewett scholarship will involve In addition, she will also use scan- tric (GE) in Schenectady, New demonstrate about 1,000% ties,” says Butler. As part of its studying the UV degradation of ning probe microscopy to study York in the 1940s, a time when TMR, a huge advancement public outreach effort, GMAG two types of materials. She plans the local behavior of the charge women physicists were scarce. from the 10% in 1995. Even partially funds an Outreach to determine the extent of damage carriers in graphene. While at GE, Blewett devel- more recently, there has been Program (MINT-SOUP), which and how the mechanical strength “My goal is to add to new oped a method of controlling a huge investment in these new purchases kits for magnetism and stability of the materials are knowledge about graphene and smoke pollution from factory materials to make spin torque- demos designed for high school compromised by UV radiation. to exploit its properties for some chimneys. In 1947 she moved to switched magnetic random ac- and middle school students. “What is interesting is that the useful devices,” Guikema ex- Brookhaven National Laboratory, cess memory. “The largest ap- GMAG was founded in 1997 amount of UV radiation damage plains. where she and her then husband plication of spintronics so far by David Giles, the first chair. on these materials is pretty strong, Along with her husband Seth, John Blewett were among the has been to the read sensor for “David was really active in and the process of this damage Guikema held a postdoc at Cor- original team members. Blewett hard drives. There was a lot of working to get the group rec- remains poorly understood,” she nell University. They moved to later worked at Argonne National publicity talk about GMR and ognized. All of the past chairs explains. Texas A&M University in 2005 Laboratory, and then at CERN the IPod connected with the have done a good job, and this Sabri was previously a post- when her husband got a faculty in Switzerland. She retired from 2007 Nobel Prize because the has been reflected in our grow- doc at the University of Florida, job there. Their son David was CERN in 1977 and relocated to first important application of ing membership,” says Butler. Gainesville when her research born in 2006. Since teaching ap- Vancouver. APS NEWS October 2008 • 7

ANNOUNCEMENT

FUNDING continued from page 3 Now Appearing in RMP: announced on our website (www. years to repair. The second is that a science community is not yet com- the situation will not fundamentally Recently Posted Reviews and stfc.ac.uk). STFC has implemented science case is not a business case. fortable with such choices and of- shift, and the next funding settle- Colloquia a restructuring plan which will see STFC Council did not question the ten almost seems happier to see ment may be even less pleasant. You will find the following in significant reductions in its labora- science case for the Linear Col- these decisions made by politicians, The good news, at least in the UK, the online edition of tory staff and tight squeezes on fa- lider; they questioned the wisdom though this may change as familiar- is that the media have demonstrated Reviews of Modern Physics cility spending. Partly in response of investing in R&D towards it, ity grows. at an interest in science and its sup- to the unhappiness caused by re- given their assessment of its fund- The last and most important http://rmp.aps.org port and a willingness to devote re- duced funding, the government has ing model, construction start, and lesson is that when bad things hap- Quarkonia and their transitions instituted a review of physics which indeed its overall likelihood of go- pen to funding, there is a strong sources to the story. This is a great will look at such things as the sus- ing ahead. tendency to look for an immediate opportunity. To take advantage of Estia Eichten, Stephen God- it will require the research commu- frey, Hanna Mahlke and tainability of support for university The third lesson is that even cause. It is assumed that one bad Jonathan L. Rosner physics departments. While some when the overall climate for sci- decision, or one person’s poor per- nity and funding agencies to move Quarkonium spectroscopy are hoping that this review will re- ence seems good, one cannot as- formance, is responsible, and if that past recent strong disagreements, has celebrated a great resur- sult in additional funding becoming sume that everyone will gain. person were just to be replaced, all and it will require talking about the gence in the past few years. available, we have been told pub- Governments do set priorities and would be fine. I don’t subscribe to science opportunities we are pursu- Transitions between quarko- licly that this will not happen. sometimes these priorities reflect this view–I believe that when bad ing as well as the ones that we re- nium states (bound states of While tempers are still high and public policy considerations as things happen to funding it usually gretfully are not able to. If we can’t QQ, with the heavy quark Q=b the consequences are still playing well as science. In fact, one of the means that an underlying climate or c) shed light on aspects of do this, and do this together, we out, I think there are already a num- difficulties STFC has faced is that exists in which funding for that quantum chromodynamics, the will all deserve whatever happens ber of lessons to be drawn from all it must now make priority choices area of research is not seen as be- theory of strong interactions, this. The first is that a research pro- of its own–between support for ing as important as other ways the to us. in both the perturbative and nonperturbative regimes. New gramme can be squeezed, but the light sources and for particle phys- money could be spent. Changing John Womersley is Director of Science Programmes for the Sci- information on such states and process is very painful and damag- ics, for example–that used to be this underlying climate is much their transitions and theoretical ing. Relationships were frayed over the domain of government when harder work, and will take much ence and Technology Facilities implications are discussed. the past six months which may take they were funded separately. The longer, but unless it can be done Council.

BALL continued from page 5 ELECTIONS continued from page 1 Carl playfully hints that “there related to how much he categorizes are plenty of opportunities where himself as a physicist. “I am very honored that my Theoretical Atomic, Molecular havior of macroscopic objects. you have to choose to either laugh Yet, “physics has been a won- colleagues have chosen me to and Optical Physics (ITAMP) at In her candidate’s statement or cry” in his profession, and true derful career choice for me. I began become the next vice president Harvard. Kirby’s research inter- she identified four important is- to his jovial nature, is more than studying physics with no thought of of the APS,” said Barish. “I plan ests focus on the calculation of sues she wants to work on as an happy to reveal an experience that what the employment picture was; to work vigorously on the many atomic and molecular processes APS councilor: science funding– epitomizes this mantra. While a it was from a perspective of pure challenges facing our field, in- important in astrophysics and at- both for research and education; post-doc, he was collaborating with enjoyment,” he says. “I found it in- cluding: improving funding for mospheric physics. She has both the role of physics and physicists a potential future employer and bor- tellectually fascinating and that was research in the physical sciences, served on and chaired numerous in shaping our society; the dearth rowed some of his lab equipment to sufficient in and of itself. Studying broadening participation in our APS committees. of women and under-represented do a measurement. The experiment physics opened lots of doors…In science and improving opportu- was taking place inside a large elec- industry I have been able to par- nities for international partner- tromagnet that was turned off. ticipate in projects and do things ships.” “Somehow in the middle of the and play with very, very large toys In his candidate’s statement, night, somebody threw a switch and to an extent I never dreamed possi- Barish pointed to the “erosion the electromagnet came on,” Carl ble. From my perspective I haven’t of support for physics research” describes, chuckling. “There was found a downside (to studying as one of the central issues fac- enough iron in the experiment to physics) yet.” ing APS. “We all understand the accelerate it A LOT and it smashed No wonder. Considering Ball is importance of a great country be- into little tiny pieces. That was the Kate Kirby Nergis Mavalvala Jorge Pullin the 15th largest employer of physi- ing at the forefront of basic sci- end of the experiment. I gathered ence and the various ways our cists in the US (according to the the pieces together into a box, and work impacts society,” he said in In her candidate’s statement, minorities in physics; mentorship American Institute of Physics), showed up the next day for the in- his statement. “Many of us have she said that “the American and recognition of physicists in Carl has undoubtedly been able to formal job interview with the guy’s been actively working over the Physical Society serves its mem- the early stages of their careers. reap the rewards of the company’s experimental apparatus in shards.” past few years, epitomized by bership in a number of important Pullin’s research interests cen- philosophy that allows physicists to “It was certainly a tough start to the “Gathering Storm” report, ways, including: organizing meet- ter on theoretical gravitational focus their skills in many different the interview,” Carl jokes, and al- to make the case for increasing ings for physicists, maintaining physics, both in its classical and though it ended up not working out, roles. Carl contributes by seeking support for the physical sciences an outstanding series of journals quantum aspects, including the “in retrospect it was pretty funny.” out and hiring physicists at all lev- in the US. Just when we thought for publication of physics re- application of numerical tech- After his post-doc he consid- els. we had won that battle, we have search, educating and informing niques. He received his doctorate ered a career in academia, but for- In the end, Carl’s attraction to suffered a major setback in the government and the public on is- in physics from the Balseiro In- tuitously had an opportunity to look physics and to his work at Ball is FY08 Omnibus Bill. As a result, sues involving physics, and culti- stitute in Argentina in 1989. He is at industry. “My realization was that about simplicity, creativity, and fun. we must redouble our efforts, in vating a positive image regarding now the Horace Hearne Chair in I could study a lot of the same prob- Carl himself is a simple guy. He order to get us back on track to the study of physics and the im- Theoretical Physics at the Louisi- lems in industry (as in academia) likes space, he likes physics, and be able to push the frontiers of portance of support to maintain a ana State University. He recently with a different approach, but often- he likes how he can use his scien- our science, develop new tech- vital physics research enterprise.” served as the chair of the APS times with a much larger budget” tific training to simplify and solve nologies, pursue international co- With the nominating committee, Topical Group in Gravitation. he says. “It was an epiphany for me business and technical problems for operation and train the next gen- Kirby will work to recruit “an ex- He has also served as associate that the supposed confines of a ca- his customers. With goals that can eration of scientists.” cellent and diverse slate of candi- director of Penn State’s Center reer in industry were much less than be simply achieved with a physics Barish has a special interest dates” to serve in APS leadership for Gravitational Physics and Ge- I supposed.” platform, can you blame him for in international collaboration in positions and on its numerous ometry and as co-director of the Lately, however, he only occa- smiling all the time? physics. “Such collaborations are committees. Horace Hearne Jr. Institute for sionally does physics calculations. Copyright, 2008, Alaina G. good for science and have prov- Mavalvala received her PhD Theoretical Physics at Louisiana He quips that the length of time Levine. Alaina G. Levine can be en to be a powerful way to bring in 1997 from MIT. After a post- State. between doing integrals, which has contacted through www.alaina- nations together on a working doc at Caltech, in 2002 she joined “Physics is clearly in a golden increased over time, is inversely levine.com. level,” he said in his candidate’s the faculty at MIT. She works on age. More than ever we can make statement. “It is crucial that we experimental gravitational wave predictions that are experimental- MEDAL continued from page 1 take into account cultural and po- detection and precision measure- ly verified over a wider and deep- tiple applications in modern phys- manufacturing of smaller, faster and litical differences in establishing ment at the quantum limit. She er range of physical phenomena ics.” more efficient microelectronic com- such collaborations and that we has been involved in experimental from the subatomic to the cos- In addition, APS ponents. learn how we can make commit- activities within the LIGO Labo- mos. In spite of this intellectual member C. Grant Will- The National Sci- ments that are firm and meaning- ratory over the past fifteen years, bonanza, funding for the field, son of the University ence Foundation ad- ful.” including design and implemen- enthusiasm for it in the general of Texas at Austin was ministers the National Kirby, a theoretical atomic and tation of interferometric sensing public and attraction of young among the recipients Medal of Science, molecular physicist, received her and control systems, commission- talent to physics continue to be of the 2007 National which was established PhD from the University of Chi- ing of the initial LIGO detectors, three outstanding challenges that Medal of Technology. by Congress for the cago in 1972. She is currently a study of quantum effects in future affect the work of all physicists,” He created novel litho- White House in 1959. professor at the Harvard-Smith- GW detectors, use of squeezed he said in his candidate’s state- graphic imaging ma- The National Medal of sonian Center for Astrophysics quantum states of light to en- ment. As a councillor he plans to terials and techniques Image courtesy of the Technology was es- (CFA). In 2001 she was appoint- hance GW detector performance, help APS deal with those chal- that have enabled the National Science Foundation tablished in 1980. ed Director of the Institute for and measurement of quantum be- lenges. 8 • October 2008 APS NEWS The Back Page

hat is the best way to recruit minority students who did not look perfect on paper. This may Winto a PhD program and to maximize the num- Recruiting and Retaining Minorities translate into “they may not be the perfect stu- ber of such students who succeed at obtaining a PhD? dent and may need some assistance to move The observations in this article are gained from many into Your PhD Program through the system.” Not all undergraduate de- years of experience. They are not a result of any grees provide an adequate background to sur- study; they are things learned through trial and error. By David J. Ernst vive your program’s course requirements. For Moreover, much that is put forward here is relevant these students, the program must be willing to recruiting and retaining students in general. My to allow the student to fill in background. Re- personal experience is one that had a focus on domestic member, the goal is the long term success of the student, minorities as well as students from Latin America. not instant production of research for an advisor. If you re- This article is also not directed toward the top few elite cruited the student, it is your responsibility to make sure institutions, although many of the thoughts here could pos- the student takes appropriate courses sibly be useful to them. The very elite institutions already Another common situation is simply that the student is receive an adequate number of applications from students not good at juggling the academic demands along with the who, on paper, look absolutely excellent. The question then demands of life in general. Some assistance in managing is how to select the “best” when the evidence to distinguish the everyday situation they face is sometimes needed. The between perfect applicants is very limited. Here, the inter- students may require very hands-on proactive mentoring. est is in a Research I institution that wants to increase the This is not easy to provide. First, it takes time. Second, stu- number of high-quality students applying, in how to identi- dents, in general, are not comfortable telling faculty about fy the “best,” and then in how to retain as many as possible their problems. Sometimes, the faculty must take the lead all the way through to receiving a PhD. and poke their nose into the student’s life in order to sniff Before starting the process of recruiting and admitting, out the existence of a problem. The missing skills may not one must define what one means by “best”. Simply hav- be academic. The skills that teach them how to navigate ing the computer rank the students by grades, by general the graduate program, are also those that will help them GRE’s, by physics GRE scores, or a combination of these, succeed afterwards. The students must be made aware that does not yield my definition of best students, if the best they too have entered into a contract. Their commitment students are defined as those who will complete the PhD is to work hard, to listen to advice, and to learn not only degree and then be the most successful both in and outside physics but to learn how better to succeed. of academia. Full weight must be given to success outside tend these meetings, get a booth at these meetings. Can an individual have an impact and succeed in pur- of academia where the majority of your students are head- Will that be sufficient? No. You need to meet and ac- suing such a program? First, you should honestly exam- ed; a student who gets rich in industry and donates money tively engage with the students at the meetings. Get in- ine the graduate program and the attitude and atmosphere back to your department is indeed a great success. My ex- volved, be a judge, organize a session, and definitely par- at your institution. If your department runs a sink or swim perience tells me quite clearly that numbers are not a very ticipate in all the mentoring activities that are organized at graduate program and is happy with the present split be- reliable indicator of this long term view of success. these meetings. Get involved in the organizations them- tween sinkers and swimmers, you probably should start The students of interest here are not the students who selves, since the recruiter who is on the inside has an ad- with an effort to change the attitude within the department. have the very high numbers, are energetic, curious, hard- vantage over the recruiter from the outside. You also need Since the goal is to improve the quality and throughput of working, likable, and work well with others. Most depart- to attend each year. Meeting them more than once can have your graduate program, a cohort of like-minded faculty ments admit students who are less than perfect in some as- a significant effect. should be possible. Personally, this worked for me on the pect and nobody bats a thousand in only selecting students There are two APS meetings that now have special un- individual level for twenty-five years. The level of success who do ultimately receive a PhD. The question is how do dergraduate student programs, the Nuclear Division meet- was roughly a student per year. To work at this level, a vast you determine, in the real world, who are the best to ad- ing and the April Meeting. There are two section meetings, majority of the students did not do their thesis with me. No mit and how do you increase your efficiency by increas- the meeting of the Southeastern Section of the American rewards from the university were expected nor were they ing your success rate? Given the need for US citizens by Physical Society (SESAPS) and the Texas Section of the forthcoming. Being done at the one-on-one year-by-year some industries and labs, and given the declining interest American Physical Society (TSAPS) that have strong in- level, I don’t believe I would have been even able to ar- within the US in science and engineering, all should be volvement of NSBP and NSHP in their organization. Any ticulate all that was involved. interested in identifying and recruiting the “best” students meeting with undergraduate participation is good for re- About five years ago, the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters to from among a pool whose size is insufficient to meet our cruiting. Be sure to give recruiting some priority, be a PhD Bridge Program was started (see http://www.van- national needs. judge, get involved. Don’t give your “to be famous paper” derbilt.edu/gradschool/bridge). This program is based on You wish to recruit minority students into your pro- and not take the time to search out students and let them the thoughts put forward above. It has the advantage that gram. What is the first thing you should do? You have to know what your program has to offer. Don’t wait for the the students do not have to make the transition from their go out and meet the students. Minorities in the US are, students to come to you; do your best to seek out the stu- bachelor’s program to the Research I graduate PhD pro- on average, much more people oriented than the average dents. gram, but can start in the Master’s program at Fisk Univer- American. They rely on personal contact, on knowing the You must also recruit for the entire department. Far too sity and then end up in the Vanderbilt PhD program. The people with whom they work. I learned quickly while liv- often, faculty are looking only for the student who will transition is thus first to a small, friendly, personal Mas- ing in Mexico that to do business with someone, you first work with them. If all faculty recruit for the entire depart- ter’s program and then to the Vanderbilt PhD program that sat down and had a coffee or a beer and learned about the ment, the probability becomes large that a student with an is, in my opinion, more student-oriented than most, with an person and their family. This holds true, to some extent, for interest in your work will be identified by someone and intense mentoring program to help along the way. the US Hispanic community and for the US African-Amer- then you become the proactive, personal recruiter. Having a formal program in place has many advan- ican community. Personal relationships are very important Now that you have met students and they have applied tages. The recruiting is done by a group, the mentoring is to people in a community where you rely heavily on each for your program, how do you decide whom to admit? I done by a group. Having a program means we were able to other. Given this culture, it is most important that the re- am not able to describe in a quantitative way those things get support–real money, tuition waivers, staff support from cruiter go out, meet, and get to know the student. Sending that influence me to support a student for admission. Great the universities involved. Originally, the program got ex- out posters, e-mails, and other impersonal efforts are good work habits, curiosity, an ability to work in a group situ- tra money added to grants whose focus was research. Once but will prove insufficient. ation, and communication skills are some of the things to in place and with a track record, the program can become In the US, it is possible to meet a large fraction of the look for in addition to having the mental ability to work on the focus of a grant while continuing to be a positive ad- minority students interested in a PhD in physics, astrono- complex problems. I, and my partners at Fisk and Vander- dition to a number of other grants. Money is needed for a my, and related fields. First, the number of such students bilt, rely on intuition, on spotting a combination of traits program, and money helps gain support from your fellow is unfortunately pretty small. The US is producing only in the students that convince us that the student can and faculty and the administration. Having your university not tens of PhD’s each year who are African-American or His- will succeed. It is difficult to convince physicists of some- only support the program but feature it and brag about it panic. Second, there are two meetings each year where thing that is so unscientific, but, having done the experi- also helps the program succeed. The success of this pro- many of the likely students will be in attendance. These ment over many years and many students, the results prove gram is due to its two present directors, Professor Keivan are the Annual Meeting of the Society for Chicanos and that a careful use of one’s intuition can be quite reliable. Stassun with a principal appointment at Vanderbilt Univer- Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and the Joint An- The student needs to be one whose numbers might not in- sity, and Professor Arnold Burger, with a principal appoint- nual Meeting of the National Society of Black Physicists dicate that the student will succeed. Those you find with ment at Fisk University. The Fisk/Vanderbilt crew would (NSBP) and the National Society of Hispanic Physicists great numbers don’t really need any extra support. Fight gladly work with and help anyone who might be interested (NSHP). Both of these meetings are very student-oriented. to get this student admitted and when the student’s perfor- in a similar effort. However, NSHP is very active in the organization of the mance far exceeds the expectation predicted by numbers, David Ernst is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy meetings so that physics students will find a full program you have made the first significant step. Do tell the student at Vanderbilt University; an Adjunct Professor at Fisk of interest to them. that they are breaking new ground and that they are laying University; the President and a co-founder of the Nation- The NSBP/NSHP meeting is an interesting combination a path for others. Let the subsequent students know that al Society of Hispanic Physicists; and a Co-Chair of the of a professional society, a research focused meeting, and a they are maintaining a precedent and that their success is Division of Nuclear and Particle Physics of the National meeting for students with many student support activities. very important to you and the department. The challenge Society of Black Physicists. He is also the Chair-Elect, It has the advantage of being a physics meeting, with phys- and the realization that they are a part of something larger Southeastern Section of the APS, a member of the Council ics very broadly defined to include astronomy, geophysics, is a great motivator. and the Executive Board of the APS, and a member of the acoustics, optics, etc, in addition to the traditional physics Some students will enter the system and move on quite Liaison Committee for Underrepresented Minorities of the subdisciplines. If you wish to meet minority students, at- smoothly on their own. But you have identified students American Institute of Physics.

APS News welcomes and encourages letters and submissions from its members responding to these and other issues. Responses may be sent to: [email protected]