2018 Annual Report American Association of Physics Teachers 2018 ANNUAL REPORT EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT Gordon P. Ramsey Loyola University Chicago, IL PRESIDENT-ELECT Mel Sabella Chicago State University Chicago, IL 2018 in Review VICE PRESIDENT Chandralekha Singh University of Pittsburgh P RESIDENT ’ S 2018 R E P ORT Pittsburgh, PA Gordon P. Ramsey ....................1 SECRETARY Wolfgang Christian E XECUTIVE O FFICER ’ S 2018 A NNUA L R E P ORT Davidson College Davidson, NC Beth A. Cunningham..................3 TREASURER Thomas L. O’Kuma G OVERN A NCE C H A N G ES ..................... 5 Lee College Baytown, TX P UBLIC ATIONS . 6 PAST PRESIDENT George Amann Rhinebeck, NY E LECTRONIC C OMMUNIC ATIONS ................ 8 CHAIR OF SECTION REPRESENTATIVES N ATION A L M EETIN G S ...................... 11 Dyan Jones Mercyhurs Univeristy W ORKSHO P S A ND P RO G R A MS ................ 14 Erie, PA VICE CHAIR OF SECTION REPRESENTATIVES 2018 H I G H S CHOOL P HYSICS P HOTO C ONTEST .... 16 David Strum Univeristy of Maine C OLL A BOR ATIVE P ROJECTS .................. 17 Orono, ME AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBERS 2018 A wa RDS A ND G R A NTS ................ 19 Daniel M. Crowe Loudoun Academy of Science Sterlineg VA M EMBERSHI P .......................... 24 Karen Jo Matsler University of Texas-Arlington F UNDR A ISIN G .......................... 25 Arlington, TX Arlisa L. Richardson Chandler-Gilbert Community College C OMMITTEE C ONTRIBUTIONS ................. 28 Mesa, AZ EDITOR 2018 A RE A C OMMITTEES .................. 28 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS Richard H. Price 2018 A DVISORY C OMMITTEES ............... 30 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA EDITOR AAPT S ECTION R E P RESENTATIVES ............. 32 THE PHYSICS TEACHER Gary D. White F IN A NCI A LS ............................ 33 AAPT/George Washington Univ Washington, DC 2018 I N M EMORI A M ..................... 34 EXECUTIVE OFFICER Beth A. Cunningham BOARD GUEST Robert C. Hilborn President’s Report Gordon P. Ramsey trategic Plan: During this year, the Board of Directors approved an update of the Strategic Plan with the following priorities, set by the Board: • Continue to engage and invigorate the vibrant community of physics studentsS and educators by developing programs, products, and services that build on the strengths of physics educators throughout their careers. • Enhance continuing development opportunities by providing support and professional development for physics educators and physics education researchers. • Enrich the field by supporting the diversity of physics students and educators at all levels. This was accomplished as a team effort with the Executive Office, members of the AAPT Staff and other AAPT members. The process consisted of recognizing trends in physics education, formulating tactics to address them, and charting a course for action. This is an ongoing process and we are continuing to identify tasks that support the plan and help move AAPT and physics education forward for our members and the communities of physics educators and learners. To assist in accomplishing these tasks we established a Development Task Force to suggest strategies in fundraising and acquiring resources for these projects. To enable early career physics educators to become more involved in governance, we have established an early career emerging leadership award (ExCEL Award). The ExCEL Task Force, chaired by Nathan Quarderer, has made recommendations regarding the qualifications and selection criteria for the Award. We have already raised enough funds through donations to offer the first Award and begin the process toward endowing the Award. The winner will receive a monetary award, trip to a national meeting and begin a mentoring phase toward leadership. Awards are being accepted via the web page at https://aapt.org/ “This is an ongoing process and we Programs/awards/Early_Career_Emerging_Leader_Award.cfm. are continuing to identify tasks that Member support: In addition, thanks to our 2018 Board member, Dyan support the plan and help move AAPT Jones, we are now offering the option for graduate credit through Mercyhurst and physics education forward for University for participation in various AAPT workshops and activities. As our members and the communities of these activities are announced, there will be information on how to earn this credit. The Board and appointed task forces also reviewed the AAPT Books physics educators and learners.” Program and are working on the electronic publications review. The results of these reviews have the potential to add resources to provide our members with publications that will assist in the classroom and in programs at all levels. Meetings: Thanks to the AAPT meetings staff, Tiffany Hayes and Cerena Cantrell, and the program chair, Mel Sabella, we had two very successful national meetings at San Diego and Washington, DC. The Winter Meeting was joint with the National Society of Hispanic Physicists. The plenaries covered state-of-the-art research in physics and the numerous sessions and workshops were excellent. Advocacy: The Board approved changes to the AAPT Event Participation Code of Conduct for the adjudication process. Information can be found at https://aapt.org/aboutaapt/orga- nization/code_of_conduct.cfm. As an advocate for physics education and educators, we also passed statements on “Fostering Safe and Inclusive Environments” and “Guns in the Classroom” (https://aapt.org/Resources/ policy/index.cfm). AAPT 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 1 In supporting the fostering of safe, inclusive environments that reflect our strategic vision for inclusivity, the Board has created a related policy statement. This emphasizes AAPT’s support for teachers and administrators to create safe, welcoming and inclusive atmospheres that promote learning. We encourage teachers to use pedagogies that emphasize student assets, not deficits. In light of recent violence in schools around the country, these events have elevated the need to keep students safe while attending school. Some legislators and citizens have called for arming teachers in the event of an active shooter in their school. In response, we have passed a policy statement that reflects our view that we strongly oppose arming teachers and professors in classrooms and on campuses. Our feeling is that teachers are in the classroom to teach and foster a comfortable and open environment for learning. Further, possession “AAPT signed on, with 153 other of firearms should be limited to qualified school security officers, who receive societies and universities, to the ongoing training on handling weapons during an emergency of this type. Multi-Society letter to President AAPT signed on, with 153 other societies and universities, to the Multi- Society letter to President Trump on Immigration. Finally, the Board, in Trump on Immigration. Finally, conjunction with the Advocacy Group at AIP, participated in a Congressional the Board, in conjunction with Visit Day in July, prior to SM18 to speak with Congressional staffers on issues the Advocacy Group at AIP, related to physics education. participated in a Congressional Our members are encouraged to make reference to these policy statements when contacting their Congressional representatives regarding these topics. Visit Day in July, prior to SM18 Collaborations and communication: The first AJP articles have been to speak with Congressional translated into Chinese and published in their journal, “College Physics”. staffers on issues related to physics National AAPT provided support for the Ibero-American Physics Olympiad to help increase involvement in the Puerto Rico Section, as part of a section grant. education.” We continue to maintain relations with AIP, PhysTEC, APS and APS FEd through joint grants, projects and activities. The Board has increased our connection with members through Town Hall sessions at summer meetings in addition to assisting the AAPT Staff at the AAPT booth to provide direct contact between members and the Board. I provided quarterly updates in to Board activities in the eNNOUNCER. Fiscal responsibility: One of the key responsibilities of the Board of Directors is to ensure the financial stability and health of the organization. Thanks to our Treasurer, Tom O’Kuma and Chief Financial Officer, Michael Brosnan, the Board was provided with the necessary information to ensure that our finances are sound for the short and long term. I am pleased to say that AAPT is in good financial health and we have established a path to continue this trend. Finally I thank the membership for supporting AAPT and physics education and encourage you to become involved in AAPT governance to keep the positive trend moving forward . Gordon P. Ramsey 2018 AAPT President Executive Officer’s 2018 Annual Report Beth A. Cunningham e have had quite a busy year in 2018. This short report provides a summary of those activities as well as a preview of the work we will do in 2019 and beyond. I am not able to mention all of the Wimportant 2018 activities but this summary should give you a taste of the most visible or important activities that the Executive Office led. One of the most visible activities was the release of the new website. I’m sure that you’ve seen how the website has changed to be more visually appealing and present information in a way that conforms to current best practices. The release isn’t the end of our work on the website. Like many businesses, we continue to improve its functionality. We also made sure that AAPT’s website and membership practices conform to the new European Union privacy laws that went into effect in May. We anticipate that the U.S. will pass similar privacy laws sometime in the near future. A member survey was distributed via email in late 2017 and concluded in early 2018. We learned that our members highly value the three “One of the most visible activities journals they receive as a benefit of membership (The Physics Teacher, American Journal of Physics, and Physics Today). Our K-12 members was the release of the new website.