Education Corner

Upcoming National TA Workshop — February 13 Nomination Deadline
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) play a pivotal role in the teaching mission of research universities. However, best practices for preparing/supporting GTAs are not widely known or implemented in many departments. The workshop, “Mobilizing the Forgotten Army: Preparing TAs for Leadership in STEM Education” offers the opportunity for a small group of departmental teams to interact together with colleagues who have expertise in supporting GTAs in physics and chemistry. The workshop, which will be held May 27 - 29, 2015 on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA, is designed for departmental teams consisting of one “mentor/master” TA and one faculty member. Lodging, meals, and registration for a team (one per department, up to about 15 teams) will be covered through a grant from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. The online nomination form and additional information can be found on the TA Workshop page.

Bridge Program Applications Now Open
The mission of the APS Bridge Program (APS-BP) is to strengthen physics in the United States by increasing the number of underrepresented minority students who receive doctoral degrees in physics. The program accepts applications from senior undergraduate physics majors who want to strengthen their applications and improve their chances for success in a graduate program in physics. Underrepresented minorities, including African American, Hispanic American, and Native American U.S. citizens or permanent residents, are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is March 20, 2015. For more information, visit the APS Bridge Program Students page.

2015 Physics Department Chairs Conference
APS and the American Association of Physics Teachers are pleased to announce that the 2015 Physics Department Chairs Conference will be held June 5 - 7, 2015, at the American Center for Physics in College Park, MD. Registration opens in February. Visit the Department Chairs Conferences site for more details.