August/September 2000 NEWS Volume 9, No. 8 A Publication of The American Physical Society http://www.aps.org/apsnews APS Selects 15 New Minority Scholarship Recipients The APS has awarded Campaign- cosmic rays as they interact with of the nucleon. These collaborations for-Physics-sponsored Corporate Antarctic ice at the South Pole. all provide valuable opportunities for 2000-2001 Minority Scholarship Recipients Minority Scholarships to 26 stu- According to David Besson, Dyer’s Broadnax to gain hands-on experi- New: Renewed: dents who are majoring or planning research advisor, the experiment ence in physics research in tandem Elliot George Aguilar David Allen Algoso to major in physics. Since its incep- detects these rays through simple radio with his studies. David Hector Ayala Michael E. Boctor tion in 1980, the program has antennae frozen into the icecap. These Corporate Scholar Laura Lopez, Jeremy Phillippe Broadnax Elizabeth Rose Fernandez helped more than 265 minority stu- antennae measure the radio pulse who will be attending MIT this fall, Rosa E. Cardenas Xerxes Lopez-Yglesias dents pursue physics degrees. Of the produced by neutrinos and enable recalls being introduced to the won- Joel Christopher Corbo Adam Edward Orin 53 applicants, 15 new scholars and scientists to reconstruct the trajectory ders of astronomy as a fifth grader Amado Gabriel DeHoyas Elizabeth A. Robbins 11 renewal scholars were selected. and energy of the neutrino. on a school retreat to Wisconsin. “I Ryan Dyer Ricardo Enrique Rojas Each new scholarship consists of The potential of superstring was so fascinated by the vastness of Stephen Andrew Elliff Aaron Thaddeus Santos Diana Grijalva Joao Da Silva Rego Sosa $2000, which may be renewed once, theory to fulfill Einstein’s dream of space and the beauty of the sky that Laura Ann Lopez Martha-Helene Stapleton and each renewal scholarship con- unifying the fundamental forces I began to read about topics in as- Daniel Ricardo Lowe Natalia Toro sists of $3000. through extensions into higher di- tronomy and stargaze on my own,” William Francis Walker Merrick New Corporate Scholar Ryan mensions of hyperspace is what she says, an interest which eventu- Benjamin Isaac Rapoport Dyer, a sophomore of Potawatomi cemented Corporate Scholar Jeremy ally led to the desire to understand Richard Louis Rivero and Choctaw descent, says he plans Broadnax’s desire to study physics, the physical laws governing the be- Reginald Dillard Madison Smith to major in physics because “Physics along with the possible existence of havior of celestial objects. She took is the science that explains all other wormholes in the galaxy. He is cur- an astronomy class at Harvard Uni- Physics, and is supported by funds historically Black, Hispanic or Na- sciences,” and hopes to eventually rently attending Abilene Christian versity during the summer of her allocated from the APS Campaign for tive American enrollment. After have a career as an experimental University in Texas, which over the junior year of high school, and also Physics. Scholarships are awarded to being selected, each scholar is physicist. Simultaneously taking last three years, has played a signifi- shadowed a physicist and electrical en- African-American, Hispanic Ameri- matched with an accomplished classes at Haskell Indian Nations cant role in research collaborations gineer on the job at Fermilab to learn can and Native American students physicist to act as a mentor. For appli- University and the University of at both Brookhaven and Fermilab to about job possibilities in this area; she who are high school seniors, col- cations for the 2001-2002 competition, Kansas, Dyer has also found time to study the structure of the nucleon hopes to be an astrophysicist one day. lege freshmen or sophomores. contact Arlene Modeste Knowles at work on KU’s Radio Ice Cerenkov and its excited states. This year ACU The APS scholarship program The selection committee especially [email protected]. Information can be Experiment (RICE), which seeks to will join the PHENIX collaboration at operates under the auspices of the encourages applications from stu- found at http://www.aps.org/educ/ study high-energy neutrinos in RHIC to study the gluon structure APS Committee on Minorities in dents enrolled in institutions with com/index. INSIDE THE BELTWAY Dresselhaus Assumes DOE Post New Look for A Washington Analysis APS News The American Physical Society has a new logo, and we liked it so Congressional Science Budget: much that we incorporated it into a new banner for APS News, which Still Time for Last-Minute Action debuts at the top of this page. We have made a subtler change By Michael S. Lubell, APS Director of Public Affairs as well, adopting a five-column format instead of the previous four “Alabama casts twenty-four recent polls, are education, Social columns. votes for Underwood!” That’s how Security and Medicare. But the The columns will be a bit the roll call began at the Democratic odds are nil that Congress and the narrower, but this will allow us to National Convention. The year was White House will deal substan- fit more stories on a given page. 1924, and Senator Oscar W. tively with any of them. We hope you approve, and we Underwood was Alabama’s favor- Instead, both political parties are expect to hear from you if you don’t ite son. For 102 ballots, the pressing their separate versions of Mildred S. Dresselhaus, Institute Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics at (email: [email protected]). convention remained deadlocked, a “Patient’s Bill of Rights” and pre- MIT, and a former President of APS, was sworn in on August 7 as the Director of until John W. Davis of West Virginia scription drug reform, with little the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Administering the oath was DOE —Alan Chodos, Editor emerged as the compromise can- hope of agreement. And both are Secretary Bill Richardson, while the new Director’s husband, Gene (center), looked on. didate. Several months later, Davis hyping tax cuts and defense spend- went down to a resounding defeat ing, with Democrats arguing for at the hands of Calvin Coolidge. smaller changes and Republicans New Task Force Increases Awareness Those were the days was when pushing for bigger ones. HIGHLIGHTS conventions meant something, These are some of the wedge is- of Physicists with Disabilities when the results were in doubt, and sues, which each party is seeking families listened raptly to the radio to turn to its own electoral benefit. Most APS members who attend Specifically, the Task Force on to find out whom the parties would And with both houses of Congress scientific meetings rarely give more Physicists with Disabilities is select as their standard bearers. now up for grabs, each party is than a passing thought to how they charged with examining steps Today, the presidential candi- pursuing even the smallest poten- would cope with negotiating the that the APS could take to help dates are chosen months before the tial advantage. multiple parallel sessions and ac- physicists with disabilities func- conventions, making the quadren- On such a political landscape, cess amenities if their mobility, tion effectively as professional ©2000 Paul Dlugokencky nial extravaganzas little more than it’s no surprise that science has sight, or hearing was impaired. To scientists, and to recommend Physicist/Mountaineer infomercials, carefully crafted to set slipped below the horizon. The help rectify that oversight, the APS changes in Society policies and Summits World’s the stage for the upcoming elec- good news, so far on Capitol Hill, has formed a special task force to procedures that are needed to 3 Highest Peak tions. The same can be said for is that neither party is gunning for discuss ways in which the Society achieve this goal. In addition, it INTERNATIONAL DESK most of the activity in Washington it. The bad news is that neither can better meet the needs of its dis- will also suggest actions that APS Fosters Closer Ties with in a presidential election year. Cam- party is touting it. abled members, through increased could be taken by others within 6 Physicists in Cuba and Africa paign politics and posturing The budget process began last awareness of the unique difficulties the physicists community, and swamp any wisp of policy making. February with great expectations they face, as well as possible seek to publicize these sugges- THE BACK PAGE Consider what’s been happen- for science. The President submit- intersociety cooperation to facilitate tions widely. A final report will Senator John F. Kerry on 8 National Missle Defense. ing this year. High on the issues list ted a request that featured major the participation of disabled physi- be prepared and presented to the for Harry and Louise, according to See BELTWAY on page 2 cists at conferences and meetings. See TASK FORCE on page 3 2 August/September 2000 NEWS World’s Top Science Students This Month in Physics History Gather for 2000 ISEF September 1905: Einstein’s Most Famous Formula Some of the nation’s top high for a physics project in which he was honored school physics students were in- developed a theory to in physics for Although several renowned cluded in this year’s prize recipients mathematically explain the energy his project en- scientists published papers bear- at the annual Intel International in atoms, entitled “Discrete titled, “Violin ing on the theory of special Science and Engineering Fair Electron Density Theory Finite Bridge: Will relativity prior to 1900 — in- (ISEF), part of Intel’s multimillion Tensor Solutions to Schrödinger’s the Stradivarius cluding Maxwell, Lorentz and dollar Innovation in Education ini- Equation.” Douglas was also one of Legend Con- Henri Poincaré — 1905 is gen- tiative to help realize the five students to receive a high- tinue?” erally recognized as the birth possibilities of science and technol- performance mobile computer for Each year year of special relativity.