Holbrow to head AAPT

The American Association of Physics Teachers, College Park, MD, a non-profit organization of high-school and university teachers of physics, has appointed Dr. Charles H. Holbrow as its new executive officer. Holbrow is currently Visiting Professor in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, where he has been working closely with a group developing new types of microscopy. Trained as a nuclear physicist, he has also done research on and written about physicists who shaped American defense policy in the post-WWII era. “This is an exciting time for physics education and physics teachers,” said Holbrow. “I am pleased to have this wonderful opportunity to work with many dedicated people to improve the teaching of physics and extend it more widely.” Holbrow taught physics for 36 years at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, where he now holds the title of Charles A. Dana Professor Emeritus. Holbrow served as President of the AAPT in 2003; one of his initiatives was to encourage high schools to teach physics in earlier grades .

“AAPT is fortunate to have Charlie Holbrow as our new Executive Officer,” said AAPT President Lila Adair. “He will bring great talents to bear on the improvement of physics education at all school levels. The breadth of his experiences and interests will serve the Association well in our ongoing support of physics education and physics teachers.”

The 11,000 members of AAPT are physics educators from across the United States and in countries around the world. The Association organizes national and regional meetings, publishes journals and other resource materials for physics teachers, holds workshops and conferences to improve the teaching of physics and related sciences, and, in public policy forums across the nation, advocates improvements for physics education and physics teaching.