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SPS and ∑∏∑. ∑∏∑ exists to encourage interest in physics among students at all levels; inductees, or honorees exhibit scholarship and scientific citizenship ∑∏∑ chapters are restricted to colleges and universities of recognized standing that offer a strong physics major.
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SPS and ∑∏∑ • ∑∏∑ exists to encourage interest in physics among students at all levels; inductees, or honorees exhibit scholarship and scientific citizenship • ∑∏∑ chapters are restricted to colleges and universities of recognized standing that offer a strong physics major. • Members are students, faculty and a few others
∑∏∑ was founded at Davidson College, NC. The local society was so successful that a movement for nationalization was started in 1925. By 1968 there were 170 chapters. • Meanwhile AIP instituted its Student Section program in 1950 to help physics clubs on campuses form an affiliation with the professional physics societies. Membership was open to anyone interested in physics.
Both organizations were becoming very popular and competing for membership. • The Society of Physics Students was born on April 22, 1968 when the officials of AIP and ∑∏∑ signed the Articles of Agreement. • Now, when one says SPS one is usually speaking of both organizations. ∑∏∑ is housed within the SPS.
Organization • The organization is described and the activities of officers and chapter members are guided by the constitution of the SPS/ ∑∏∑ • Basic unit is a chapter led by student officers and advised by a faculty member. What you do locally is of the greatest importance.
Chapters in geographic proximity build up a zone. There are 18 zones organized by time zone. We are in zone 17
Zones are represented at the national council of the SPS/∑∏∑ by a student - the Associate Zone Councilor (AZC) and a faculty member -the Zone Councilor(ZC). • AZC’s are up for election every year. ZC positions run for 3 years with a two term limit. • Currently our AZC is Andrea Roma who is a Chemical Engineering major at the University of Washington.
The SPS/∑∏∑ council consists of ZC’s, AZC’s and the Executive Committee. Governing issues are brought to the council for discussion by the Executive Committee. • Members of the executive committee Director of the SPS , the Presidents of the SPS and ∑∏∑, a student member, the CEO of AIP and an historian. • The council meets once a year, usually at the AIP headquarters in College Park, Maryland
How do I make my chapter more active? • Students are looking for something exciting beyond their textbook problems. • A few ideas based on what has worked for us and for some other chapters …
Use these events to purvey some physics Absolute Zero and the Quest for Cold
Things that move and go bang are the greatest!
Story of a ping-pong ball cannon. From SPU to GRCC to BCC …
Interact • Visit or invite a nearby chapter
Outreach • Let students participate in your outreach efforts • “Wow! I have never seen the kids so excited—I actually had some difficulty controlling them, which is rare. Still, it is hard to be tough on them when they are so engaged! They are still talking about it and kids from other classes are coming up to me and asking me if I can arrange for a visit to their classes. We’d definitely like to have your students back as often as they will come, either in my classroom or in other classrooms… you and your students really touched some lives here the other day.” • Most students want to go back and do more outreach after having done one.
Why is outreach important? • Satisfies our mission to be of service to the communities that we are part of • Give students a taste of teaching early in the first two years of college • So as SPS members go judge Science fairs, go to elementary school classrooms, hold a physics demo evening for the community, hold an outreach event at a local school.
How can the national office help you in outreach efforts? • Marsh White Outreach Awards – Several each year up to $300 Seattle Pacific University has won one of these awards in recent years • SOCKS kits (Science Outreach Catalyst Kits) available from the national SPS office. • Blake Lilly Prize Recognition of outreach efforts
Undergraduate Research • The Sigma Pi Sigma Undergraduate Research Award program provides, on the basis of an annual competition among the active Chapters. ONE proposal may be submitted by each SPS Chapter with a budget not exceeding $2000. CWU has won one of these in recent years • Travel stipend, typically $200 each, are offered to help fund an SPS members' travel to a national meeting of an AIP Member Society holding an "SPS Session" co-organized by SPS and the Member Society.
Summer InternshipsInterns are placed in organizations such as NIST, NASA, AIP, AAS, AAPT and APS, in the Washington, DC, area. Interns receive a stipend of $3,700 • Andrea Roma from GRCC and now at the UW won an internship and spent the summer of 2007 in D.C. as an intern with the AIP. Her internship concentrated on aspects of K-12 teacher education and physics outreach. • Several Leadership Awards each worth 2000 each year. Recent winners from our zone include Andrea Roma, Ron Draper from GRCC
Send in chapter reports, update your chapter information • ResourcesSingle best resource is spsnational.org • Awards and Scholarships: Benefits, requirements, examples of proposals, deadlines etc. • Career information, profiles, links to jobs from employers • Online forum - The Nucleus • Publications - JURP, Radiations
Ajay Narayanan Green River Community College anarayanan@greenriver.edu (253)833-9111 Ext. 4351
