American Physical Society
The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of knowledge of physics.[1] It publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the prestigious Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than twenty science meetings each year. It is a member society of the American Institute of Physics.[2] Since January 2021, it is led by chief executive officer Jonathan Bagger.[3]
Not to be confused with the American Physical Society which was absorbed by the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh in 1796.Abbreviation
APS
May 20, 1899
Scientific
To advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics
- American Center for Physics
College Park, Maryland, United States
50,000
The American Physical Society publishes 17 international research journals and an open-access online news and commentary website Physics.[7]
All members of APS receive the monthly publication Physics Today, published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).[8]
Programs[edit]
Physics Teacher Education Coalition[edit]
The Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) is a joint project of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers, which helps universities transform their physics teacher education programs into national models. PhysTEC-supported sites develop their physics teacher preparation programs by implementing a set of key components that project leaders have identified as critical to success in physics teacher preparation. The broader coalition is a national network of institutions committed to developing and promoting excellence in physics and physical science teacher preparation.[13]
Bridge program[edit]
The APS Bridge Program aims to increase the number of underrepresented minority students that earn doctoral degrees in physics. The program names doctoral and master's degree-granting institutions as Bridge Sites and awards them National Science Foundation funding to prepare post-baccalaureate students for doctoral studies through additional coursework, mentoring, research, application coaching, and GRE preparation.[14]
Scholarship for Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors[edit]
Formerly called the APS Corporate Sponsored Scholarship Program for Minority Undergraduate Students Who Major in Physics, this scholarship was established in 1980 with the goal of increasing the number of underrepresented minorities receiving bachelor's degrees in physics. The program provides funding and mentoring to talented students.[15]
Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics[edit]
APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics are three-day regional conferences for undergraduate physics majors. The conferences aim to help undergraduate women continue in physics by providing them with the opportunity to experience a professional conference, information about graduate school and professions in physics, and access to other women in physics of all ages with whom they can share experiences, advice, and ideas.[16]
Career center[edit]
The APS Careers in Physics website is a gateway for physicists, students, and physics enthusiasts to obtain information about physics jobs and careers. APS Careers in Physics has an award-winning job board, offers professional development advice through its website and blog, and provides links to workshops, grants, and career resources.[17]
New faculty workshop[edit]
APS co-sponsors a set of workshops for new physics and astronomy faculty with the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Astronomical Society. These workshops reach nearly half of all new physics and astronomy faculty, and introduce them to current pedagogical practices, results of physics education research, and time management skills to help them begin and improve their academic careers.[18]
CSWP/COM site visits[edit]
The APS has had a long-standing interest in improving the climate in physics departments for underrepresented minorities and women. The Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) and the Committee on Minorities (COM) both sponsor site visit programs to universities as well as national labs.[19] [20]
Education conferences[edit]
APS is a leading voice for physics education and the society sponsors a variety of conferences dedicating to helping physics education leaders stay on top of the trends in the field. Conferences include the annual Physics Department Chair Conference, a Graduate Education in Physics Conference, and a Distance Education & Online Learning in Physics Workshop. [21]
Physics outreach[edit]
The APS physics outreach program focuses on "Communicating the excitement and importance of physics to everyone." As part of this effort, it maintains an educational website, PhysicsCentral; offers grants to help APS members develop educational programs; and runs the Historic Physics Sites Initiative, which identifies and commemorates important historic physics sites in the United States.[22]
