Robert Hilborn Appointed AAPT Senior Physics Fellow

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) has announced that Dr. Robert Hilborn has joined the National Office as Senior Physics Fellow for College and University Programming. In this role, Dr. Hilborn will work closely with physics departments to support educational improvements in undergraduate and graduate physics programs. He will expand upon AAPT’s programs that currently involve department chairs, directors of graduate programs, new professors, and teaching assistants. These programs have recently addressed the inclusion of advanced topics such as general relativity and computational physics in the undergraduate curriculum, the education of teaching assistants, and systemic changes in teaching introductory physics at research universities.

“Bob Hilborn brings to AAPT programs and services a depth of knowledge and experience that have earned him respect and admiration throughout the community,” said Dr. Toufic Hakim, AAPT’s new Executive Officer. “He will help us further our mission of leadership, advocacy, and service for physics education.” Dr. Hilborn has effectively served the AAPT and its members in many ways: as President in 1996, as Chair of the National Task Force on Undergraduate Physics since 1999, as lead facilitator for new faculty workshops, and as an advisor on a number projects funded by the National Science Foundation. He received the AAPT’s Distinguished Service Citation in 1999.

Dr. Hilborn is currently the Amanda and Lisa Cross Professor, at Amherst College (Amherst, Mass.), a former Associate Dean at the college, and former department chair. In January 2007 he will become Research Professor of Physics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Hilborn has authored Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics (Oxford University Press, second ed., 2000) and has conducted research in nonlinear dynamics, atomic physics, and biophysics. He also serves on the writing team for the revision of Active Physics, a ninth-grade “physics first” curriculum.

“The work that Bob does will build on the efforts of Dr. Charles Holbrow, who initiated a string of successful educational workshops for university audiences,” added Dr. Ken Heller, AAPT President, “AAPT is grateful to Charlie for his great vision and efforts. Bob will extend these efforts and we look forward to the impact that they will have on the teaching of physics at our colleges and universities.”