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APS News July 2019, Vol. 28, No.7

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APS News July 2019, Vol. 28, No.7 Murray Gell-Mann Back Page: Engaging Early 02│ 1929-2019 03│ APS Legacy Circle 05│ Visa Policy Survey 08│ Career Members July 2019 • Vol. 28, No. 7 aps.org/apsnews A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY GOVERNANCE INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS OLYMPIAD New APS Ethics Committee Holds Inaugural Meeting The 2019 U.S. Physics Team Gets BY LEAH POFFENBERGER Ready for Israel n 2002, the physics com- BY LISSIE CONNORS munity was shocked by two fter 10 intense days of were packed with rigorous high-profile cases of data I training at the University of physics lectures, problem-sets, fabrication—the Schön scandal Maryland, five students have labwork, and tests, where the high and controversy surrounding the A been chosen to represent the U.S. school students were tasked with discovery of element 118—spurring at this year’s International Physics digesting college-level material at calls to more effectively confront Olympiad. This July, high school a swift pace. ethical issues in the practice of students Vincent Bian, Sean Chen, “The camp elevates their physics. Then two years later, an Albert Qin, Sanjay Raman, and physics knowledge to a whole new APS task force identified other Edward Lu will compete against level,” remarked Jiajia Dong, the issues in physics beyond faulty teams from 79 countries in Tel Aviv. team’s new academic director and data collection, including poor This traveling team was selected an associate professor at Bucknell treatment of subordinates. from 20 students chosen from University. While this is her first As a result, APS began releasing Frances Houle Michael Marder high schools around the country. year serving as director, Dong has ethics statements over the years to Sitting and laughing together worked with the team for years as promote best practices in physics. Women in Physics, the Committee preservation and protection of at a ceremony on June 7, the team- a coach and as co-director, finding The chair line of the Panel on Public on Scientific Publications, the the scientific record.” mates looked like the closest of it rewarding each year to work Affairs (POPA) at APS has been Committee on Minorities, and Houle’s involvement with ethical friends, even though they had just with the students. traditionally responsible for evalu- the Committee on Education, and issues at APS dates back to the 2004 met a week before. When the final “It’s important for these ating issues of ethics and reviewing six other voting members from a Task Force on Ethics, which she travel team was announced, the students to find community here, ethics statements, but a new Ethics variety of backgrounds. served on alongside Kate Kirby, loudest cheers weren’t coming to study together, and spread the Committee, which convened for the “We tried to draw pretty broadly now CEO of APS. Together they from the crowd, but from their love and joy of physics,” said Dong. first time on June 6, will now lead across APS for stakeholders wrote an article for Physics Today fellow teammates. While the days The training camp is spon- the charge for promoting ethical and expertise, in particular on (November 2004) titled “Ethics were long and challenging, the sored annually by the American practices by APS members. matters that come up in ethics,” and the Welfare of the Physics numerous silly photos displayed Association of Physics Teachers The eleven-member standing says Frances Houle, a member of Profession,” detailing the results at the closing ceremony illustrated (AAPT) along with APS, the committee includes the past chair the committee. “That is, matters that the students had truly enjoyed of POPA and representatives from having to do with treatment of their time. the Committee on the Status of people and having to do with APS ETHICS CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 The team’s days at Maryland OLYMPIAD CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 MEMBERSHIP UNIT PROFILE SEXUAL HARASSMENT Vibrant Networking in the Far West Section APS Joins Consortium Aimed at BY ABIGAIL DOVE Ending Harassment in Science hree thousand members graphical sections have expanded BY LEAH POFFENBERGER strong, the Far West Section to encompass the entire U.S.: In 2018 study by the U.S. (FWS) is the largest geo- addition to FWS these include Four T National Academies of graphical section in APS, forming Corners (4CS), Mid-Atlantic (MAS), Sciences, Engineering, and a home for researchers based in New England (NES), New York State A Medicine revealed the continued California, Nevada, and Hawaii. (NYSS), Northwest (NWS), Ohio- presence of sexual and gender Given the lively academic and Region (OSAPS), Prairie Section harassment in the sciences: More industrial climate in the far west, (PSAPS), Southeastern (SESAPS), than 50 percent of women faculty pooling our resources or knowledge it should come as no surprise that and Texas (TSAPS). and 20 to 50 percent of women or expertise, to develop shared tools FWS is one of the most vibrant geo- FWS chair Patti Sparks (Harvey students have experienced some and resources that we can use— graphical sections in the Society’s Mudd College) characterized form of sexual harassment. that’s the first benefit,” said Monica ranks. involvement in a geographical In response to this report, orga- Plisch, Director of Education and Geographical sections are an section as a valuable form of nizations in the fields of science, Diversity Programs at APS. “The important part of the APS eco- “continuing education” for APS technology, engineering, math- other benefit is to create a network system: In addition to acting as a members. For students, early career ematics, and medicine (STEMM) of organizations that are doing networking platform for physicists researchers, and senior staff alike, Patti Sparks are banding together to combat this work together and can learn in different fields and at different geographical sections foster oppor- of state universities and small this widespread issue. The Societies from each other.” stages of their careers, they also tunities to learn about research at undergraduate-focused institu- Consortium on Sexual Harassment The Consortium was launched provide a vehicle for interactions other institutions and—in contrast tions, which tend to specialize in in STEMM now includes repre- by the American Association for between nearby academic insti- to more discipline-centered mem- areas that don’t require expensive sentatives from more than one the Advancement of Science, the tutions (from small liberal arts bership units like divisions, topical and elaborate equipment. With the hundred organizations, including Association of American Medical colleges to large research univer- groups, and forums—can provide arrival of members from Nevada, APS. Colleges, and the American sities), government laboratories, unique exposure to other areas of FWS has broadened its strength “[The Consortium] is looking Geophysical Union. APS joins the and industry. physics outside of one’s particular in plasma physics, AMO (atomic, at the issue of sexual harassment FWS was established in 2000 field. molecular, and optical physics), very broadly and coming together, CONSORTIUM CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 as the California section—one of This is especially true for FWS: atmospheric science, condensed the first to be founded as part of The section features researchers matter, and high pressure physics. an APS initiative to build a bigger with notable strength in astro- A particular point of pride grassroots presence across the physics, high energy physics, and for FWS is its Annual Meeting— country. Nevada was added to the nuclear physics. In Sparks’ estima- hailed as a kind of “mini-March constituency in 2009, followed by tion, a major reason for this broad Meeting” for APS members in the TM Hawaii in 2013. At present, geo- expertise is the section’s backbone far west part of the country. The FWS Annual Meeting involves plenary sessions with leaders in 2019 GENERAL ELECTION their respective fields along with contributed talks and a poster session. Many of the presenters are undergraduates and graduate CAST YOUR VOTE! students having their first experi- ence of discussing their work at a Voting ends July 31, 2019 go.aps.org/generalelection FAR WEST CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Revised 07/10/19 2 • July 2019 Murray Gell-Mann 1929-2019 THIS MONTH IN BY DANIEL GARISTO urray Gell-Mann, who laid the groundwork Physics History M for modern theoretical particle physics, died May 24 at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 89. July 1915: William Lawrence Bragg Works on In addition to the Nobel Prize in Physics he won in 1969 for “for Sound Ranging for Artillery Detection his contributions and discoveries concerning the classification of uring World War I, it proved difficult for elementary particles and their British forces to pinpoint the location interactions,” Gell-Mann was also D of enemy artillery—at least until the awarded prizes for his environmen- development of a technique called sound ranging, which employed microphones to pick up the talism and humanism. He was an Murray Gell-Mann early member of the independent boom of the heavy guns firing. The leader of advisory group JASON, a member the group that developed it was a newly minted at Caltech. “And he was better than of the National Academy of Science, Nobel Laureate named William Lawrence Bragg. anyone in the world at doing that.” and a Fellow of APS. Born in Adelaide, Australia in 1890, young Gell-Mann had not always “For me as a young physi- William Lawrence came by his passion for science wanted to become a physicist. cist, Murray was both inspiring and math quite naturally, given that his father, Physics was a compromise with and intimidating,” said 2019 APS William Henry Bragg, was a physicist at the his father, who thought engineering President David Gross.
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