National Mentoring Back Page: Past President's 03│ Rebuilding Trust in Science 05│ Community Conference 06│ APS Chapters Workshop 08│ Address to Members April 2021 • Vol. 30, No. 4 aps.org/apsnews A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL LEADERSHIP MEETING MEETINGS APS Sharpens Focus on Ethical Conduct in Physics April Meeting 2021 Promises BY DAVID BARNSTONE Exciting Online Events BY LEAH POFFENBERGER he APS Council adopted comprehensive guidelines or the second time, the APS at the April Meeting are in Central for scientific integrity and T April Meeting is making Daylight Time. professional conduct in April 2019. its way online from April Before the conference officially But for much of its history, physics F 17 to April 20, exploring physics kicks off on Saturday, April 17, had no formal standards of ethical across the conference theme of several pre-meeting events will behavior. “Quarks 2 Cosmos.” The four-day be offered on Friday, April 16. A “Prior to about 1991, the APS meeting will feature scientific talks special workshop, which requires didn’t have any particular state- and special events sponsored by additional registration, will have ments about ethics,” said Frances 20 APS units and committees. two sessions, one at 11:00 AM and Houle, Chair of the APS Ethics Among the highlights is the Kavli the other at 2:00 PM, to discuss Committee, who provided an Foundation Keynote Plenary, fea- searches for beyond-the-Standard- overview of the committee’s work turing Andrea Ghez, Reinhard Model interactions with precision at the 2021 Annual Leadership Frances Houle Michael Marder Genzel, and Roger Penrose, the measurements. A Q&A session Meeting on February 5. “I think 2020 recipients of the Nobel Prize in it was just assumed everybody Physics. All times listed for events would hold themselves to very Society’s existing ethics statements For the next decade, the APRIL MEETING CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 high standards.” and survey its members about their Society’s work on ethics remained That assumption was chal- experiences, which they described relatively quiet. The APS Panel lenged by two separate, “completely in a 2004 Physics Today article. on Public Affairs (POPA) issued a APRIL MEETING 2021 shocking” instances of data fab- “As we analyzed the data, we handful of statements. Then, in rication in 2002 by scientists at really began to understand that 2016, the American Geophysical Bell Labs and Lawrence Berkeley treatment of people was also a Union published a draft of their quarks cosmos National Laboratory. In response, major issue in physics,” said Houle. ethics guidelines. Houle convened a Task Force on The revelation led to a statement “For the first time, treatment of Ethics with former APS CEO Kate on the treatment of subordinates people, especially harassment, was QAPRIL 17–202 ONLINEC Kirby, then a physicist at the and the formation of a new task elevated to the level of scientific Harvard–Smithsonian Center for force in 2006 focused on incorpo- misconduct held by fabrication, Astrophysics, and other colleagues. rating ethics education into physics The group worked to refine the curricula. ETHICAL CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Advancing Science in a Global and Inclusive Community INDUSTRIAL PHYSICS PLANNED GIVING Taking Your Next Steps: APS Legacy Circle Profile: From Physics Degree to Industry Career Erol Oktay BY DAVID VOSS t some point during their undergraduate program, I attended undergraduate experience, career fairs, not only at my school, lasma physicist Erol Oktay A all physics students will but also at the big engineering knows the importance of have to make a decision about what schools nearby because I knew that P collaboration. Now retired, to do next. This point typically technology companies would not Oktay was for many years involved comes during their senior year be targeting Smith College. After I in one of the world's most complex before receiving their bachelor’s landed my first job, I found oppor- and collaborative endeavors—the degree. Do they attend graduate tunities on LinkedIn by staying International Thermonuclear school or enter the workforce? connected with recruiters. I have Experimental Reactor (ITER) being For insight into how one physicist also kept an up-to-date LinkedIn built in France to prove the fea- made this choice, Dan Pisano, APS profile. Additionally, I have found sibility of fusion as a large-scale Director of Industrial Engagement, great opportunities through pro- and carbon-free source of energy interviewed Audra Macie, Senior fessional networking at different based on the same principle that Audra Macie Principal Engineer at BAE Systems, conferences. powers our Sun and stars. And as a Inc., in Nashua, NH. Audra is an Dan: While in school, there assignments where I was working member of the APS Legacy Circle, Julianne and Erol Oktay early-career physicist who chose to are some classes in which you largely by myself, only providing he values the way physicists can enter the workforce after receiving occasionally work in teams, but work products to one other person; come together to support their her bachelor’s degree in physics in most classes, you are an indi- however, there have also been professional society through the Oktay received his PhD degree and astronomy from Smith College. vidual contributor and complete times when I have spent half my APS planned giving programs. from the University of Michigan in (See the sidebar on p.5 for more assignments working solo. Is the day designing new algorithms “I've been a member of APS 1969 with a thesis on how lasers information about BAE Systems.) working environment in industry with a team in a conference room. for over 50 years,” says Oktay. interact with laboratory plasmas. collaborative? Do you work alone In this case, we have split up the “I decided I should go ahead and After five years of research Dan: How do you find a position or on a team? assignments and worked individu- support the field of plasma physics at Massachusetts Institute of in industry after having been in Audra: Throughout my career, ally on pieces of a larger product. I and fusion. I started talking to Technology and the University school for more than 16 years? I have worked in a variety of have also had opportunities to lead people in the community and of Maryland, he joined the US Audra: When I was looking for roles allowing for collaborative different portions of my programs, decided that the best way would Department of Energy (which was a job during the last year of my and individual work. I have had which has afforded me the oppor- be through APS and the Division then called the Atomic Energy tunity to work collaboratively with of Plasma Physics.” Commission) and worked in the different engineering specialties, Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion subcontractors, and customers. Division until his retirement Dan: In academia, you frequently “I THINK THAT THE PHYSICS in 2011. get the impression that professors COMMUNITY SHOULD BE MORE “My activities in this group can work on what interests them involved program management AWARE OF THE APS LEGACY CIRCLE the most. What is it like working with responsibilities of oversight in industry? Do you get to work on AND THAT THERE ARE QUITE A for fusion programs at Los Alamos projects you like? LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE National Laboratory, the Princeton Audra: In my experience, there Plasma Physics Lab, Oak Ridge THIS KIND OF CONTRIBUTION.” will be assignments you like and National Lab, and General Atomics - EROL OKTAY INDUSTRIAL CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 OKTAY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 2 • April 2021 OKTAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 in San Diego,” he explains. “In The Oktays are members of the addition, I was involved with the APS Legacy Circle, which recognizes International Energy Agency (IEA) donors who support the APS mission and bilateral collaborations with all through this kind of planned giving. major fusion labs in the European By including APS in their estate Union (France, Germany, Belgium, plans, the members create an and Italy), and in UK, South Korea, enduring legacy that will benefit April 6, 1938: Discovery of Teflon Japan, Russia, China, and India. My researchers, educators, students, position for the last five years of and the general public. my government career was Acting Oktay would like to see more Director, ITER and International people involved in the Legacy Circle. he history of science is rife with seren- Division in the Office of Fusion “We also contribute to the Baltimore dipitous discoveries that can profoundly Science.” Symphony Orchestra, and they have T impact our daily lives. That includes the In early 2020, Oktay and his a Legacy Circle that is quite big,” discovery of a novel polymer, later trademarked wife, Prof. Julianne Oktay, estab- he says. “I think that the physics as Teflon, by an American scientist named Roy lished with APS the “International community should be more aware J. Plunkett. Fusion Research on Burning Plasma of the APS Legacy Circle and that Born in Ohio in 1910, Plunkett grew up in Physics Fund,” which supports there are quite a lot of people who poverty and attended Manchester College in students and early career scien- can make this kind of contribution.” Indiana, where his roommate was future Nobel tists at US universities to take part laureate Paul Flory (honored for his contribu- in international workshops and tions to the theory of polymers). Like Flory, For more information about join- Plunkett went on to earn his PhD from Ohio research activities. They have made ing the Legacy Circle, please visit go. State University. His thesis was on the mecha- a multi-year gift to support this aps.org/legacycircle or contact Kevin nism of carbohydrate oxidation.