AAPT Honors Four

Four scientists whose work has centered on communicating and educating about physics have been recognized for their efforts with awards from the American Association of Physics Teachers. The honors were presented in August at the society’s annual summer meeting, held this year in Salt Lake City, Utah.

John Rigden, an honorary physics professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, is the recipient of the Robert A. Millikan Award. The former education officer at the American Institute of Physics and the former principal investigator on the Introductory University Physics Project, an NSF-funded effort to advance the teaching of introductory physics, Rigden was chosen for his “way of talking about physics that seems accessible and exciting, which is why he makes a great teacher,” according to the society. He received a cash prize of $7500 and a medal.

Wendy L. Freedman, the Crawford H. Greenewalt chair and director of the Observatories of the Carnegie Institute of Washington in Pasadena, California, took home the Klopsteg Memorial Award for bringing “current research to AAPT members, to help keep them up to date on the latest science. They can take that back to their classrooms and their labs,” according to the citation. Freedman received a $7500 cash prize and a certificate.

The Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award went this year to Gary Gladding, physics professor and associate head of the physics department at the University of Illinois in Urbana—Champaign, for his “impact [on physics education] because of his research on how students learn physics, and he is always learning new ways to better the teaching of physics.” Gladding received a $3000 purse and a certificate.

Patrick T. Callahan, a physical science teacher at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey, is this year’s winner of the Excellence in Precollege Physics Teaching Award. Callahan was honored “for his many and innovative contributions to the teaching of physics and the professional growth of physics teachers.” He received a $3000 cash prize and a certificate.