October 2010 Volume 19, No
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October 2010 Volume 19, No. 9 www.aps.org/publications/apsnews Physicist in the Running APS NEWS for Congress A PublicAtion of the AmericAn PhysicAl society • www.APs.org/PublicAtions/APsnews Page 5 Michael Turner Elected Next APS Vice-President Plans Afoot for Topical Group APS members have elected Turner received his PhD from Stan- Laboratory. Currently, Turner is the On the Physics of Climate Michael Turner, current Director ford University. There, he began to Chairman of the Board of the As- During the summer, APS re- two petitions differs in detail, with of the Kavli Institute for Cosmo- explore the connections between pen Center for Physics, a member ceived two independent requests the Callan proposal defining the logical Physics at The University of particle physics and astrophysics of the NRC’s Board on Physics and for the formation of a topical group scope as the physics of “climate and Chicago, as the Society’s next vice- and cosmology. In 1983, he and Astronomy and of the Governing focusing on the physics of climate. the environment”, and the Cohen President. As the newest member Edward W. (Rocky) Kolb created Board of the NAS, and a Director One was presented by APS Fellow petition emphasizing that the topical of the presidential line, Turner will the Theoretical Astrophysics group of the Fermi Research Alliance, Roger Cohen, who had privately group should not be concerned with become APS President in 2013. at Fermilab. Turner also is the re- which manages Fermilab for the circulated a petition to that effect “matters of policy, legislation and By a decisive margin, the voters cipient of an honorary doctorate Department of Energy. and obtained the 200 member sig- regulation”, both expressed a com- also adopted an amendment to the from Michigan State University. “I am pleased, honored and natures needed to bring it to Coun- mon goal (quoting the Cohen peti- APS constitution establishing four humbled,” Turner said, “The APS cil. The other came as an initiative tion) of providing “a mechanism for permanent international councilors. is the premier physics organization of Council itself, which at its April physicists … to learn about and ex- In addition, Pierre Meystre of the in the world, and I am honored that meeting had authorized APS Presi- change views on the science, and to University of Arizona and Haiyan my colleagues think me worthy of dent Curtis Callan to poll the mem- generally advance the physical un- Gao of Duke were elected as gen- this important position. That being bership on their support for such derstanding, of terrestrial climate.”. eral councilors. Lars Bildsten from said, I suddenly have the realization a group; an email petition sent by Since Council would certainly not the Kavli Institute for Theoretical that I have my work cut out for me him to the members of DCP, DBP, approve two separate topical groups Physics at the University of Cali- for the next four years.” DCOMP, DAMOP and DFD in ear- on this topic, the leadership decided fornia Santa Barbara was elected Turner added that he plans on ly August quickly received almost that it would be best to attempt to Chair-elect of the Nominating focusing on a variety of issues dur- 800 signatures. form a “joint” topical group, focus- Committee. ing his tenure. He said that he es- “It’s clear that there is a great ing just on the physics issues inher- Turner assumes office in Janu- pecially wanted to emphasize the deal of enthusiasm among the APS ent in climate science. According to ary of next year, replacing Robert importance of making physics an membership for the formation of a Callan “We wanted to address what Byer of Stanford, who moves up exciting and rewarding career for topical group on the physics of cli- is obviously the core concern of our to become President-elect. At the young people, and to ensure that mate,” said Kate Kirby, APS Execu- members. I also have no problem same time, current President-elect the APS continues to be a strong tive Officer. “There are a number of with leaving the policy issues for Barry Barish of Caltech will suc- advocate for basic research not opportunities for the physics com- another venue: the science is chal- ceed Curtis Callan of Princeton as Michael Turner just in physics, but for science as munity to make substantial contri- lenging enough, and worthy of our APS President. Callan will remain a whole. He also wants to look at butions to science in this area.” undivided attention.” on the APS Council and Executive From 2003 to 2006 Turner led ways to improve workforce diver- Although the language of the PLANS continued on page 4 Board as past-President. the Directorate for Mathemati- sity in the field of physics and con- Turner has been a faculty mem- cal and Physical Sciences at the tinue to emphasize the importance Member Input Needed for Historic Sites ber at the University of Chicago National Science Foundation, and of science to the public. The committee in charge of across the country, with two more since 1980. With training in gen- from 2006 to 2008 he was Chief “The scientific opportunities to- the APS Historic Sites initiative scheduled to be installed by the eral relativity and particle physics, Scientist of the Argonne National ELECTION continued on page 7 is reaching out to the member- end of this year. ship and asking for future site rec- “The basic idea is that phys- ommendations. In doing so, the ics is probably as important as Two Women Chosen as Blewett Scholarship Recipients members of the committee hope anything that has ever happened APS recently announced this von Humboldt Foundation Fellow- there was a clear path for her to to broaden their pool of potential in American history, and people year’s recipients of the M. Hil- ship for her postdoctoral research. follow with her career, but the sites to include places they may really don’t understand it,” said dred Blewett scholarship. Chosen While at a conference in Eu- move proved to be a serious inter- not have otherwise considered. committee chair Ben Bederson, by the Committee on the Status rope, Drichko met Peter Armit- ruption. The initiative, started in 2005, adding the aim was also, “to ed- of Women in Physics, the two age, an assistant professor at Johns “You are changing your life aims to raise public awareness ucate the public of what physics are Natalia Drichko at The Johns Hopkins University. The two start- completely in every possible kind of the importance of physics by has accomplished in America and Hopkins University and Marija ed traveling together and soon fell of way,” Drichko said, “The big commemorating important peo- to give physicists pride in what Nikolic-Jaric at the University of in love. thing was kind of just to find a way ple and landmarks. Already they they have accomplished.” Manitoba. to adjust to everything.” have dedicated plaques at 19 sites SITES continued on page 3 The scholarship is dedicated to A year and a half ago, Drichko helping women who are returning gave birth to her daughter. Even Apker Finalists Meet in Washington to research careers that had been after moving and while caring for interrupted for family or other rea- her child, she continued working sons. The scholarship is a one-year to finish up the projects she had grant, which can be renewed, of up started in Germany. However, tak- to $45,000 for use towards a wide ing care of her new family mem- range of necessities, including ber meant Drichko would have equipment procurement, stipend, to take time away from research. travel, tuition, and dependent care. The whole time she knew that she This is the sixth year the scholar- would return to research; it was al- ship has been awarded. ways just a question of when, not After taking time off to move Natalia Drichko if. half-way around the world and She was fortunate that The start a family, Natalia Drichko has “It’s kind of a romantic story in Johns Hopkins University had a returned to condensed matter re- a way. I was still living in Europe large condensed matter depart- search. and he was living here,” Drichko ment and she would be able to She is originally from Rus- said. carry on research similar to what sia and earned her MSc from St. The two decided to get married she had been doing in Europe. She Photo by Shelly Johnston Petersburg State University in and move to the United States. found the faculty at the University Each year, APS selects two recipients of the Apker Award for outstanding re- 1996 and her PhD from the Ioffe It was a hard decision at first for friendly and helpful, but starting search by an undergraduate. to determine the recipients, a number of finalists are chosen, and then interviewed by the selection committee. this year, the Physico-Technical Institute, also Drichko to leave her research and up from scratch was a huge ef- seven finalists met with the committee in washington on september 3. they in St. Petersburg, in 2002. She move to the other side of the At- fort, and she needed funding to are, left to right: chia wei hsu (wesleyan university); martin blood-forsythe was studying organic conductors lantic. She had only been to the begin. She found information for (haverford college); erik Petigura (uc, berkeley); benjamin good (swarth- and superconductors and traveling United States twice before, once the Blewett scholarship online and more college); Patrick gallagher (stanford university); william throwe (mit); and christopher chudzicki (williams college).