Group photo taken in JMU Astronomy Park, 2023-04-01. Click for larger photo.
This Meeting is hosted and sponsored by the Department of Physics & Astronomy at James Madison University with additional funding from the UVA Department of Physics, the VT Department of Physics, and the VT College of Science.
Overview:
The Spring 2023 Meeting of the Chesapeake Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (CSAAPT) will be held semi-virtually on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at James Madison University.
No membership required!
You do not have to be an AAPT or CSAAPT member to attend. We welcome participation of all physics/science teachers and students in the region (DC, DE, MD, VA and neighboring states) as well as anyone interested in physics education, or physics in general.
The semiannual CSAAPT meetings are a great forum to exchange ideas on novel teaching techniques and economical physics demonstrations, and to meet a fascinating cohort of physics education enthusiasts.
This meeting is semi-virtual. The in-person venue is King Hall Rooms 0256 and 0243 at James Madison University. See the Meeting Location page for details. The Meeting will be broadcast on Zoom so that people from afar (both presenters and attendees) can join in.
Lodging Support!
We have limited funds to provide up to $230 in lodging support to high school physics teachers. Please see the Travel and Lodging Info page for details.
Program:
- Featured Talks:
- Dr. Margaret Dominguez (NASA)
Title: Webb and Roman, the present and future of astronomical space telescopes
Abstract: Dr. Margaret Dominguez has worked at NASA for over 13 years as an Optical Engineer. She has worked on the James Webb and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescopes. Webb is an orbiting infrared observatory which will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope. Roman seeks to study galaxies and dark energy. During her talk she will discuss the differences between these telescopes and the importance of physics in their design and operation.
Bio: Dr. Margaret Dominguez is an Optical Engineer and Associate Branch Head of the Optics Branch at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She earned her B.S in Physics from the Universidad de las Americas Puebla in Mexico and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona. Dr. Dominguez has worked supporting the James Webb Space Telescope’s Integrated Science Instrument Module. She is currently the Optical lead for the Grism component of the Wide Field instrument on the Roman Space Telescope. In her spare time, she is a STEM advisory board member at the Children’s Science Center in Fairfax Virginia, a member of the DiscoverE Board of Directors and an ambassador of OPTICA and her hobbies include doing educational outreach to teach mostly elementary and middle school girls about optics and STEM. Margaret is also a jazzercise (dance fitness exercise) instructor.
- Prof. Richard Lindgren (University of Virginia)
Title: Lab Activities in Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics for High School Physics and Physical Science Teachers
Abstract: In this presentation, we will discuss the physics and pedagogy of selected lab and demo activities that have been used over the past years in workshops and courses at the University of Virginia for high school physics and physical science teachers. However, my main purpose is to hand out to teachers hard wired lab activities still available from these studies which are still new and never been used. Still available are electroscope kits, bread board kits with resistors, wires etc., several toolbox E/M kits with over 75 items, multimeters, several laser pointer kits, a few optical bench kits, waterproof cameras, tripods, physics like toys such as a slinky, mirascope, fire syringe, hand boilers, solar dancers, poppers, and dippy ducks. In addition to the kits there are numerous items that do not fit in a particular category such as bar magnets, digital thermometers, mini microphones, bags of resistors of all values, mini transformers, motors, and generators, etc. A list of most items with photos will be posted online. You will have the opportunity to view the list before you arrive. Some selected activities will be demonstrated and discussed hopefully giving you some new ideas. After discussion we will match you up with your first choice that you have previously selected. You may be permitted to select additional items if still available.
- Dr. Margaret Dominguez (NASA)
- Contributed Talks and Demos:
We solicit contributed talks and demos within the following parameters:
- Length should be 15 minutes long including time for Q&A (12-minute talk + 3-minute Q&A).
- Talk topic/demo can be anything pertaining to physics teaching.
- To submit the title and abstract of your talk/demo, please register first and then click on Call for Abstracts in the menu.
- The deadline to submit your title and abstract is midnight of Friday, March 17, 2023
- Contributors of talks/demos will be issued a certificate of presentation.
- Length should be 15 minutes long including time for Q&A (12-minute talk + 3-minute Q&A).
Registration:
- In-person attendance:
- The deadline to register for in-person attendance is midnight of Friday, March 24, 2023. This is so that we have a count of how many people will be physically present one week prior to the Meeting.
- In-person attendees are requested the following registration fees to cover administrative and other costs:
- Instructors/faculty of 2-year and 4-year colleges/universities : $25
- K-12 Instructors, Students, Guests : $15
- 1st-time in-person attendees : $5
- The registration fee is NOT payable upon registration. A link that will let you pay the registration fee online will be emailed to you after the registration deadline.
- The deadline to register for in-person attendance is midnight of Friday, March 24, 2023. This is so that we have a count of how many people will be physically present one week prior to the Meeting.
- Virtual Attendance:
- The deadline to register for virtual attendance is midnight of Friday, March 31, 2023.
- There is no registration fee for virtual (online) attendance.
- Please note that the Zoom link for the meeting will not be made public and will only be emailed to registrants. This is to prevent Zoom bombing.
- The deadline to register for virtual attendance is midnight of Friday, March 31, 2023.
- Certificate of Attendance/Presentation:
- Certificates of attendance/presentation will be issued to both in-person and virtual attendees/presenters.
- If you need a certificate of attendance and/or presentation, please register your name exactly as it should appear on your certificate(s). No nicknames or pseudonyms, please.
- Certificates of attendance/presentation will be issued to both in-person and virtual attendees/presenters.
Deadlines:
- Application for Lodging Support: midnight of Friday, February 24, 2023
- Hotel room-block cutoff date: Tuesday, February 28, 2023
- Submission of talk and demo abstracts: midnight of Friday, March 17, 2023
- Registration for in-person attendance: midnight of Friday, March 24, 2023
- Registration for virtual attendance: midnight of Friday, March 31, 2023
Organizational Committee:
Jason Sterlace (Chair, James Madison University, VA)
Tatsu Takeuchi (CSAAPT President, Virginia Tech, VA)
Muge Karagoz (CSAAPT Vice President, University of Maryland, College Park, MD)
Seth Berkeley (Harrisonburg High School, VA / Virginia Instructors of Physics President)
Stefano Colafranceschi (Eastern Mennonite University, VA)
Rachele Dominguez (Randolph-Macon College, VA)
James Freericks (Georgetown University, DC)
Andrew Jackson (James Madison University, VA)
Elena Kuchina (Virginia Peninsula Community College, VA)
Benjamin Ryan (Spotswood/Broadway High Schools, VA)
Kent Yagi (University of Virginia, VA)
