Loyola University Chicago

Department of Physics

Minutes for the University of Maryland meeting of the Committee on International Education

Minutes for the University of Maryland meeting
of the Committee on International Education
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Members Present: Ramsey (chair), Alonso, Manos, Moore, Yenicay
Guests Present: Adair, Aubrecht, Amarakoon, Cherner, Chesick, Clark,
Cooksey, DePireux, Dickison, Finn, Fuller, George, Gottlieb, Halpern,
Jossem, Lotze, Nagano, Ogawa, Preese, Sela, Snyder, Sugimoto, Tellez-
Minor, Toda, Van Hise
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The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm on Thursday, August 8, 1996.
Members and friends present introduced themselves, while the database
was passed around to be updated. Members of the Stray Cats who were
present also introduced themselves.
The minutes of the January meeting at Reno were unanimously approved.

CHAIR'S REPORT:

Announcements:
(1) After observing a moment of silence in memory of Nellie Mirelles,
information for donations to the trust fund in her honor was
given: Nellie Mirelles Trust Fund, Texas A & M Univ., Corpus
Christi Advancement office SC210, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus
Christi, TX 78412
(2) For information on donations of:
Health/Medical Physics books-contact: alekhteyar@forum.va.gov
Journals and books-Web: http://www.phy.ohiou.edu/~FIP/FIP.html
Equipment exchange-contact: listserv@ua1vm.ua.edu
(3) Programs I meeting announcements were made
(4) NSF funding for Scandinavian trip: AAPT Executive Officer B. Khoury
helped us finalize the $20,000 NSF grant to help reimburse the
delegates who went to the LFMK conference in Sweden.

Completed projects
(1) Friends database updated; e-mail database created
(2) Created "introduction package" for new members, including the
mission statement, list of continuing projects, AAPT committee
info and former sessions sponsored by the committee.
(3) Completed Fuller Fund list and submitted to B. Sears and B. Fuller.
(4) Created "Workshop Guidelines" for future workshops (see Old
Business
for information)
(5) Initiated and submitted a list of International Conferences
to AAPT -G. Ramsey will keep updated-Appeared in Announcer, p
121.
(6) Mission statement corrected and updated (see Old Business)
(7) Submitted nominations to AAPT Nominating Committee
(8) Sponsored reception for international visitors (see announcements)

Status of continuing projects
(1) Initiated "Contacts Around the World" project - gave status
(2) Initiated contacts for APS/FIP cooperation - L. Baksay - ex officio
G. Ramsey will contact Tom Ratchford, FIP Chair to initiate dialog.
(3) UNESCO status report - briefed on programs in Africa, Asia and
Latin America; more emphasis on global-scale science programs
(4) Welcome letters to international attendees - will continue
(5) Solicited ideas for standing and future sessions (new business)
(6) Initiation of Web page-logistics for committee page (new business)
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REPORTS on Univ. of Maryland Sessions:

Betty Preece:
Cracker Barrel on International Physics Education (16-20 attendees)
Physics Teaching Around the World
The Stray Cats Return (report for Larry Weathers)-huge success!

Members of the Stray Cats:
The members of the team thanked AAPT for the invitation to come
to
Maryland and thanked members and friends of the committee for
Their hospitality.

Gordon Ramsey:
Stray cats: G.R. noted that we will request PTRA materials for
the
members of stray cats as an exchange for ideas which they
provided
us during the meeting.
International Education Reception - very well attended - more planned
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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

R.B. Clark - Inter-American Conference info Bob Clark distributed
information regarding the Inter-American conference in Cordoba,
Argentina from June 30-July 4, 1997. For information: e-mail
maiz@famaf.uncor.edu

A. Dickison - submitted a list of 8 selectees, the first 6 of which
will be offered the complementary AAPT membership from the Fuller fund.
If any of the first six do not respond, the alternates on the list will
be contacted. (see Old Business for information).

M. Alonso - briefed the committee on the Iberoamerican Workshop on the
Teaching of University Physics in Havana, Cuba (January 20-24, 1997).
He also distributed information on the "International Center of Physics
(CIF) in Bogota, Columbia. Marcelo also mentioned that the
International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy has
grants for developing countries to organize scientific meetings. For
information: e-mail crotta@ictp.trieste.it

Herb Gottlieb announced that India is planning an international
conference in 1997 and will give specific information to G. Ramsey to
distribute.
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OLD BUSINESS:

Fuller Fund - G. Ramsey briefed on the program and selection
criteria. Al Menard and Gordon Ramsey constructed complete list of
eligible countries for the Fuller Fund, so that there will be no
ambiguities in selection criteria for candidates to receive a
complementary two year membership in AAPT. This list consists of
developing countries, where it is difficult to establish contact and
involvement with the AAPT and its activities. The AAPT treasurer
administers the fund. All nominations should be submitted to the
treasurer for consideration. The selection is done randomly from the
list of eligible candidates. The selectees must then notify AAPT of
their acceptance.

Workshop guidelines
In response to committee-sponsored workshop leaders (C. Worner and E.
Martinez), Al Menard drafted a set of guidelines for workshops at AAPT
meetings. A copy was passed out and there was general approval of the
content. These will be submitted to the AAPT Executive Board to
consider possible use by other committees who sponsor workshops.

International conference announcements
A revised copy of the list of International conferences was
distributed. It was decided that the best ways to disseminate this
information were through the AAPT Announcer (submitted to Michele
Chovan at AAPT) and via the Web page established by the committee.

Final version of Mission Statement
Everyone present received a copy of the committee mission statement.
There was a suggestion by G. Aubrecht to delete the phrase delineating
various teaching levels. The committee agreed and the final version of
the statement was unanimously approved.
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NEW BUSINESS:

AAPT Winter meeting in Phoenix, January, 1997:

1. Sponsored sessions:
a. Highlights of international conferences in 1996 - G. Aubrecht,
chair (Invited and contributed)
b. Highlights of the LFMK conference in Sweden - G. Ramsey, chair
(Invited)
c. Physics Conferences around the World: Individual reports - B.
Preece (For those papers not included in the above sessions).
(Invited and contributed)

2. Joint reception (with High School, Pre-High School, Minority
committees). This is meant for international and local visitors, who do
not normally attend AAPT meetings, to meet members and AAPT staff.

3. Note: Abstract deadline is September 13 for both invited and
contributed papers.

Joint APS/AAPT meeting in Washington, DC in April, 1997:
At this point, there are no proposed sessions to be sponsored by our
committee at the joint meeting.

AAPT Summer meeting in Denver, August, 1997:

1. Sponsored session: Progress in International Physics Teaching
(Poster). This will facilitate international participation, but is also
meant for national contributions as well.

2. Invited and contributed abstract deadline: April 7, 1997; call for
papers deadline: January 17, 1997 (March Announcer).

Comments on AAPT meeting structure and timing:

The only comment from the committee regarded the timing of the
meetings.
The Board should keep high school teachers in mind when setting dates
for meetings. Some teachers do not finish until mid-June while others
start the year in mid-August, depending on geographical location. Many
college teachers seemed to prefer early January dates, while high
school teachers favor either alternating January dates or weeks
including the Martin Luther King holiday.

Potential Plenary Speakers for AAPT meetings:

Suggestions for international plenary and evening session speakers at
future AAPT meetings: they could be teaching or research oriented, if
the topic is of suitable interest to the general membership. Various
members submitted names for possible future AAPT meetings. George Marx
is the overwhelming favorite for an upcoming meeting. The other names
have been submitted to the executive board for future consideration.
(thanks to: M. Alonso, J. Fitzgibbons, H. Manos and A. Menard).
George Marx - Eotvos University, Hungary
Archie Fox - Scotland
Brian Woolnaugh - Oxford Science Teaching Center
Svein Sjoberg - University of Oslo
Eduardo Posada - Int. Center for Th. Physics, Bogota
Walter Stuhrner - Max Planck Institute (Exp. Medicine)
Lenart Samulson - Sweden

Web page:

The AAPT executive office is seeking feedback on ways that the staff
can
be of additional service to the committees. Our committee strongly
favors establishment of a "committee web page". Items which could be
posted include: upcoming sponsored sessions at AAPT meetings, call for
papers, committee member list, international meeting list and
information on teaching programs sponsored by international centers for
science. A sub-committee, consisting of G. Ramsey, G. Aubrecht and C.
Moore, will set up a Web page for the committee. The server will likely
be at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Ideas for future sessions:
a) The committee discussed poster sessions involving
international
members and friends of AAPT along with US teachers who are
involved in international teaching projects. For international
participants, the language and logistics problems are less
severe.
b) Other "standing" session topics similar to our "Physics
Teaching Around the World" series were discussed. (US teachers
abroad and International Teachers).
c) M. Alonso suggested a "History of Physics Around the World"
series, in which successive sessions would focus on different
areas of the world and their contributions to physics.
These will be considered in planning sessions for Denver and future
meetings.

Nominations for new members of the committee:
The chair took nomination forms for submission to the Nominations
Committee. Members and friends of the committee voiced a general
consensus that G. Ramsey should remain as chair for the 1997 calendar
year. He agreed to serve for another year in this capacity.

Other Committee Business:

H. Manos briefed the committee on the LFMK conference in Linkoping,
Sweden, from 25 July to 3 August, immediately prior to the AAPT summer
meeting. This meeting included participants from the USA, Denmark and
the other Scandinavian countries, and was part of a reciprocal
invitation involving the AAPT and the Danish APT. He reported that the
conference exceeded all expectations. Further reports will be made at
the session in Phoenix.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
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Submitted by G. Ramsey