Graduate Education in Physics: Which Way Forward?
A Conference to Discuss the Status and Future of Graduate Education in Physics
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Conference Held January 31 – February 2, 2008
American Center for Physics
College Park, MD
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The American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers held a conference to address to the status and future of graduate education in physics. The conference participants included department chairs and directors of graduate studies from large and small physics departments in the nation, as well as members of the physics community from industry, funding agencies and professional societies.
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| Texas A&M graduate students, Tracey Wellington and Arlene Ford, and Amber Stuver, post doc at LIGO/Caltech, attended the conference, representing the Forum on Graduate Student Affairs. |
The conference was held at the American Center for Physics in College Park, MD, from Thursday evening (January 31) to Saturday midday (February 2). Keynote speakers included Ken Heller, Past President of AAPT; and Renee Diehl, co-author of the APS/AAPT Joint Report on Graduate Education in Physics.
Topics included the graduate curriculum, preparation for non-academic careers, communication skills and professional development, TA training, ethics, comprehensive exam, departmental climate, advising. Departments were encouraged to share their experiences in the form of posters, and to participate in panel sessions and discussions with colleagues. See posters and other resources.
For information regarding the program, please contact Janet Tate.
The National Science Foundation supported this program under Award No. PHY-0701352.
Attendee Exit Survey: Suggested APS/AAPT Actions Relating to Graduate Education
Download Conference Flyer
List of Suggested Resources
Attendees/Abstracts
PhD Requirement Survey (Excel ®)
Program
| Thursday, January 31 (Marriott Greenbelt Hotel) | |
| 5:30 - 7:00 pm | Registration |
| 7:00 -10:00 pm | Dinner and keynote address (Poster session following dinner) Renee Diehl, Penn State University, APS/AAPT Task Force on Graduate Education |
| Friday, February 1 (American Center for Physics) | |
| 7:15 - 8:00 am | Breakfast |
| 8:00 - 9:00 am | Plenary Addresses Michael Neuschatz, American Institute of Physics, Statistical Research Division Ken Heller, University of Minnesota, Past AAPT President (2006) |
| 9:00 -10:15 am | Panel Session 1: What's wrong (or right) with the status quo in graduate education? Robert Pelcovits, Brown University Thomas Greytak, MIT |
| 10:15 -10:45 am | Break |
| 10:45 -12:00 pm | Breakout Sessions (parallel) Recruiting, Retention and Funding Keivan Stassun, Vanderbilt and Fisk Universities Does the undergraduate curriculum prepare for graduate school? Charlie Holbrow, Colgate University Mentoring and Career Advising Steve Carlip, University of California Davis |
| 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00 - 2:15 pm | Panel Session 2: Preparation for Non-Academic Careers Shirley Chiang, University of California Davis Bijoy Chatterjee, National Semiconductor Venky Venkatesan, Neocera |
| 2:15 -2:45 pm | Break |
| 2:45 - 4:00 pm | Breakout Sessions (parallel) Interdisciplinary Courses Randall Kamien, University of Pennsylvania Naomi Halas, Rice University Communication Skills, Professional Development Sherry Yennello, Texas A&M University Internships, GK-12 Programs Edward van Keuren, Georgetown University |
| 4:00 - 4:15 pm | Break |
| 4:15 - 5:30 pm | Report and Wrap up |
| 5:30 - 6:30 pm | Light reception |
| 6:30 - 7:30 pm | Dinner |
| 7:30 - 9:30 pm | Panel discussion and continued poster session: Where to next? Judy Franz, American Physical Society Michael Thoennessen, AAPT, Michigan State University Michael Neuschatz, American Institute of Physics Statistical Research Division Myles Boylan, Division of Graduate Education, National Science Foundation |
| Saturday, February 2 (American Center for Physics) | |
| 7:15 – 8:00 am | Breakfast |
| 8:00 - 9:15 am | Panel Session 3 Climate and Diversity Margaret Murnane, University of Colorado Boulder Vincent Rodgers, University of Iowa |
| 9:15 -9:45 am | Break |
| 9:45 -11:00 am | Breakout Sessions (parallel) TA Training Ken Heller, University of Minnesota Ethics Awareness Marshall Thomsen, Eastern Michigan University Comprehensive Exam, Time to Degree Hermann Verlinde, Princeton University |
| 11:00 am - 12:30 pm | Report and wrap up |
| 12:30 - 1:30 pm | Lunch |
| 1:30 pm | Adjourn |
Conference Organization
Organizing Committee:- Janet Tate, Oregon State University, APS Committee on Education
- Theodore Hodapp, Director of Education and Diversity, American Physical Society
- Chandralekha Singh, University of Pittsburgh, APS Committee on Education
- Michael Thoennessen, Michigan State University, AAPT Committee on Graduate Education in Physics
- Sue Otwell, APS Education Programs Administrator
- Renee Diehl, Professor of Physics, Penn State University; Member of the Joint APS-AAPT Task Force on Graduate Education in Physics
- Steven Girvin, Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics & Applied Physics; former Director of Graduate Studies, Yale University
- Kenneth Heller, Past President (2006), American Association of Physics Teachers; Professor of Physics, University of Minnesota
- Theodore Hodapp, Director of Education and Diversity, American Physical Society; Professor of Physics, Hamline University.
- John Markert, Professor and Chair of Physics, University of Texas, Austin
- Margaret Murnane, Professor & Assoc. Chair of Graduate Studies of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder; Fellow of JILA
- Horst Stormer, Professor of Physics & Applied Physics, Columbia University, Nobel Laureate & former Director of the Physical Research Laboratory, Bell Laboratories.
