Augustana hosting spring bi-state physics teachers conference

Augustana College will host the next joint spring meeting of the Illinois and Iowa sections of the American Association of Physics Teachers. Slated for April 4-6, the event will include public lectures, plenary sessions, college student research talks and local community features.

Dr. Nathan Frank, Augustana’s chair of physics, engineering, and astronomy, said the joint meeting will bring together faculty from four-year and two-year colleges, high school teachers, high school and college students as well as community members. 

“This is the first time in many years that Augustana has hosted this influential joint meeting,” said Dr. Frank. “We’re excited to support the physics teacher education community by renewing our commitment to striving for the common good of teaching physics at a high level and learning from our fellow educators.”

The meeting’s organizing committee includes Dr. Frank; St. Ambrose University physics and engineering professor Dr. Susa Stonedahl; Black Hawk College physics professor Dr. Doug Davidson; Moline High School teacher Jenna Adams, a 2007 alumna of Augustana’s physics program; and Pleasant Valley High School physics teacher Ian Spangenberg. 

The Illinois Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers was founded in 1937. Its membership includes educators, students and retirees. It is one of the oldest chapters of the American Association of Physics Teachers, having held its first meeting in Rockford. 

The Iowa Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers is located at the University of Iowa. The section was established in 1963 and marked a significant growth in the number of Iowa physics educators actively involved with the national association.

Augustana offers a B.A. in physics, teaching physics and engineering physics. Augustana ranks in the top 10% of small colleges for its number of physics majors and currently enrolls 79 physics and engineering majors. Learn more about physics at Augustana.