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APS News June 2019, Volume 28, No. 6

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APS News June 2019, Volume 28, No. 6 │ COMPASS Workshop │ APS Members Win │ Goldwater Scholars in │ Back Page: Fighting 02 on Mentoring 03 Franklin Medal 04 Physics and Astronomy 08 Science Denial June 2019 • Vol. 28, No. 6 aps.org/apsnews A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS EDUCATION AND DIVERSITY APS Members Honored for Outstanding Science Second Group of PhysTEC Fellows Policy Advocacy Chosen BY TAWANDA W. JOHNSON BY THOMAS HONE very year, APS honors a select with congressional staffers and crucial. We need to help our politi- he Physics Teacher Education group of members with the executive branch officials on the cians (and the public) understand Coalition (PhysTEC) has E 5 Sigma Physicist Award for topics of scientific mobility and the great benefit fundamental and T selected its second cohort performing outstanding advocacy education policy. applied science brings to society, of PhysTEC Fellows. Teams from that is crucial to maintaining the Regarding the importance and our nation.” five different institutions were rec- strength of the U.S. scientific enter- of science policy, Falcone said, Justin Powell, a graduate ognized as Fellows and will receive prise. And throughout 2018, the “science policy, like other issues teaching assistant at the University support to build and enhance awardees partnered with the APS that the government deals with, of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Shua high school physics teacher edu- Office of Government Affairs (OGA) are generally much more complex Sanchez, a PhD candidate at the cation programs. The PhysTEC to write op-eds and participate in than most of us first imagine, so University of Washington, both Fellows come from Bridgewater meetings that helped advance the we need to provide the relevant authored key op-eds that were State University (BSU), Clemson improve their programs, recogni- Society’s policy goals. data to help decision making.” part of a nationwide campaign by University, Colgate University, The tion from APS and AAPT to help “It is terrific that APS can recog- 2017 APS President Laura the APS OGA concerning student University of Texas Rio Grande build institutional support, con- nize individual efforts to advocate Greene, who also led numerous loans. The effort successfully killed Valley (UTRGV), and the University nections with national leaders in for science, but of course such work meetings with congressional a federal legislative proposal that of Washington Bothell. Each of physics teacher education, and is done in strong collaboration staffers and executive branch offi- would have eliminated loan provi- these institutions showcased a advice on external resources to with OGA, as well as other APS cials, said she was “speechless” sions that are crucial to physics strong desire to grow and improve support physics teacher prepara- members and leadership, so the when she received the award and undergraduates and graduate their physics education programs tion activities. Fellows will also recognition is shared praise for mentioned that “it was really the students. and provided compelling plans receive travel support to attend teamwork,” said APS Physics Policy complementary skills of Roger and “I am honored to be recognized to do so. the national PhysTEC conference Committee Chair Roger Falcone, a me, working with the APS OGA, by APS,” Powell said. “There is an The PhysTEC project will in 2020 and 2021 and will par- physics professor at the University that set the standard.” ever-growing need for scientists support the implementation of ticipate in video conferences to of California in Berkeley and 2018 Greene, who is a physics pro- to be a part of the conversation planned activities at these insti- exchange ideas and updates with APS President. fessor at Florida State University in policy decisions. If we don’t tutions as part of a larger effort the entire cohort. Falcone received the 5 Sigma and chief scientist at the National advocate for policies that help to combat a shortage of quali- Physicist Award for his work with High Magnetic Field Laboratory, fied physics teachers. PhysTEC OGA in leading dozens of meetings added, “Science policy advocacy is ADVOCACY CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 will offer tools and strategies to FELLOWS CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 APRIL MEETING Better Biological Imaging with Nuclear Physics BY LEAH POFFENBERGER TM hysics has long been a con- tributor to medical imaging, 2019 GENERAL ELECTION P dating back to the dis- covery and use of x-rays in 1895. And thanks to nuclear medicine, physics continues to play a role in VOTING OPENS JUNE 17th improving how we are able to see inside the human body. Paul Lecoq (CERN) and Andrew For Vice President Weisenberger (Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory) Frances Hellman Meg Urry presented new ideas for detec- University of California, Yale University Berkeley tors in medical imaging at the 2019 APS April Meeting, as part of the first session sponsored by the APS Topical Group on Medical Physics (GMED). Lecoq proposed For General Councilor a method of increasing positron emission tomography (PET) scan Robert McKeown Kathy Prestridge sensitivity by improving timing Jefferson Laboratory; Los Alamos National College of William Laboratory resolution, and Weisenberger dis- and Mary cussed a number of projects at Jefferson Lab exploring new uses for radioisotopic imaging. Imaging with radioactive For International Councilor nuclear isotopes is a valuable diagnostics technique, often used Ursula Keller Sheila Rowan Single-photon emission CT scans of an awake mouse in motion: (clockwise to detect cancer and investigate ETH Zurich University of from top left) static image, conventional CT scan, smeared image of mouse in Glasgow organ function. These isotopes, motion, and motion-corrected image. IMAGE: JEFFERSON LAB radioactive versions of compounds involved in metabolic processes, interest. PET scans measure gamma collide and annihilate electrons in are injected into the body and con- ray photons that are produced when tissue. Because the compounds are centrate in tumors or organs of positrons emitted by the isotope chosen to bind to specific biomol- For Chair-Elect, Nominating Committee ecules, the bright 3D gamma ray images indicate biological activity. Bill Halperin Maria Spiropulu Lecoq is on a quest to further Northwestern California Institute University of Technology improve PET scanners as part of a team at CERN developing tech- nology that would increase scan sensitivity by a factor of 200. A Voting ends July 31, 2019 go.aps.org/generalelection BIOIMAGING CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Revised 06/10/19 2 • June 2019 COMPASS Points to Effective Mentoring Practices THIS MONTH IN BY LEAH POFFENBERGER Physics History rom April 25 to 27, physics to consider industry options when and chemistry faculty came guiding students towards future F together for a workshop careers. Physics education researcher aimed at improving career men- and Rutgers University professor June 15, 2013: Death of Kenneth Wilson toring for students in the physical Geraldine Cochran presented on sciences. APS, the American culturally-aware mentoring to hase transitions can be found in almost Chemical Society (ACS), and the address equity and inclusion within every aspect of our daily lives, perhaps Research Corporation for Science the physical sciences. P something as simple as ice melting or Advancement (RCSA)’s Cottrell Other speakers and the par- water boiling. But physicists had long puzzled Scholars Collaborative joined ticipating Cottrell Scholars at the over how to calculate the behavior of a system forces for the event, hosted at the COMPASS workshop (sites.trinity. at the critical point in detail until a man named American Center for Physics (ACP) edu/compass/2019-workshop) Kenneth Geddes Wilson created a powerful in College Park, Maryland. challenged attendees to research general theory that could do just that. The Career and Occupational the current professional develop- Born on June 8, 1936, Wilson was the son of a Mentoring for the Professional ment opportunities available to prominent Harvard University chemist, E. Bright Advancement of Science Students their students and create a plan to Wilson. His mother Emily had studied physics (COMPASS) Faculty Workshop improve these programs at their before her marriage. A precocious child, especially paired up 30 early to mid-career respective universities. in mathematics, the young Wilson used to compute faculty members from institutions APS and ACS provided logistics cube roots while waiting for the school bus. He around the country. In 10 sessions support to the conference by finding was bored by his high school classes and skipped over three days attendees received expert speakers, while APS hosted several grades, entering Harvard College at 16. guidance on career mentoring, pro- the workshop at ACP and funding He majored in math, became a collegiate track Kenneth Geddes Wilson moting professional development, came from RCSA. The workshop and field athlete, and worked at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution during the summers. and changing departmental culture was an effort organized by the He received the 1982 Nobel Prize in physics for this Legend has it that he proved one of Freeman at their respective institutions. Cottrell Scholar Collaborative, a work, with the deceptively simple citation, “for Dyson’s conjectures while waiting around for a Crystal Bailey, APS Head of program instituted by RCSA for his theory for critical phenomena in connection computer to finish processing. Career Programs, spoke at the first early career faculty members in with phase transitions.” Wilson attended Caltech for his graduate session about the importance of chemistry, physics, and astronomy He applied a similar approach to his work on the studies, opting to switch his focus from math being an effective career mentor. She to promote innovation in teaching relatively new discipline of quantum field theory, to physics because of its connection to the real emphasized the need for mentors at a university level. which was plagued by mathematical infinities at world. His father recommended he approach the time. His new technique resolved those issues.
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