Melba Newell Phillips Medal Presentation to Mary Beth Monroe: The Faces of AAPT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Park, Maryland, United States, January 27, 2010 --The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) will present The Melba Newell Phillips Medal to Mary Beth Monroe, Professor of Physics at Southwest Texas Junior College, at the Ceremonial Session of the Joint APS/AAPT Winter Meeting at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC, on Monday, February 15, 2010 at 1:30 pm.

As a long-time AAPT member, Monroe has served the organization with dedication at the state and national level for more than three decades. She was AAPT Secretary and Chair of the Publications Committee from 2001-2007. Monroe is currently a member of the Committee on the Interests of Senior Physicists and Chair of the Governance Review Committee. She has played a leading role in developing networks among physicists teaching in Two Year Colleges that have led both to increasing involvement of Two Year and Community Colleges in AAPT and to better teaching for the students who study physics in these schools.

Monroe received her B.S. degree in physics from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, and her M.S. in Physics (research field, plasma physics) with a double minor in Junior College Teaching (HEW intern) and Math, 1973. She is a dedicated proponent of quality physics education in Two Year and Community Colleges. She served on the AAPT Executive Board as Member-at-Large Representing Two Year Colleges and as a member of the Committee on Physics in the Two Year College. Additionally, she served as Principal Investigator and Project Director for TYC21 and as Co Principal Investigator for Strategic Programs for Innovations in Undergraduate Physics at Two Year Colleges from 2002-2005.

Regarding her presentation, Monroe says, “In the early planning stages of the AAPT initiative, The Two Year College in the Twenty First Century (TYC21), Jack Hehn, then Associative Executive Officer of AAPT, asked me,'Who is AAPT?’ That question has come to mind often during the last fifteen years. During my presentation I will convey why it is important that we, individually and collectively, as a community of physicists and physics teachers, answer that question.”

About the Award

The Melba Newell Phillips Medal is AAPT’s highest recognition of member leadership and service. It honors Melba Phillips for her leadership and dedicated service to physics education. She was the first woman President of the AAPT and a founder of the Federation of American Scientists. She was a champion of physics education throughout her life. This Award is given only occasionally to subsequent AAPT leaders who display similar achievements and exceptional contributions. The first recipient of the Award was Melba Phillips herself (Emeritus, University of Chicago), in January 1982. The complete list of winners can be found at http://www.aapt.org/Grants/phillips.cfm.

About AAPT

AAPT is an international organization for physics educators, physicists, and industrial scientists--with more than 10,000 members worldwide. Dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching, AAPT provides awards, publications, and programs that encourage practical application of physics principles, support continuing professional development, and reward excellence in physics education. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.

For more information: Contact Marilyn Gardner, Director of Communications, mgardner@aapt.org, (301)209-3306, (301)209-0845 (Fax), www.aapt.org.

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) will present The Melba Newell Phillips Medal to Mary Beth Monroe, Professor of Physics at Southwest Texas Junior College, at the Ceremonial Session of the Joint APS/AAPT Winter Meeting at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC, on Monday, February 15, 2010 at 1:30 pm.