Meeting Briefs

Spring Section Meetings

Texas Section.

The APS Texas Section held its annual spring meeting March 7-9 at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas and featured a program of general sessions on physics frontiers and innovations, as well as nine hands-on workshops for physics teachers. There were four plenary presentations on the role of Texas physics departments in preparing K-12 teachers; physics education research; atomic coherence effects; and a summary of recent results and prospects from the Fermilab Tevatron. Friday evening's banquet featured a lecture by Joseph Nagyvary of Texas A&M University on the science and art of violin making, followed by a musical performance using a violin manufactured by Nagyvary. Afterwards, participants had the opportunity to see a planetarium show or visit the SFA Observatory.

New England Section.

The APS New England Section held its annual spring meeting at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, organized around the theme of expanding horizons in physics, with a program designed to introduce the audience to physics applications beyond the realm of traditional physics. The two-day program featured several invited lectures on such topics as whether cortical neurons act like transistors; NMR action studies of enzymes and signaling proteins; and Chandra and the X-ray universe. There were also education-oriented lectures on classroom assessment in physics and astronomy, and the impact on the classroom of one teacher's year at Fermilab. Friday evening's banquet featured an after-dinner lecture by Eric Mazur of Harvard University on stopping time.

Ohio Section.

The APS Ohio Section held its annual spring meeting April 12-13 at Youngstown State University in Ohio, organized on the theme of photon induced processes. The program included invited lectures on such topics as manipulating matter with light, as well as a talk by best-selling author Lawrence Krauss on the future of life in an ever-expanding universe. There was also a special "Town Meeting" session on Saturday morning focusing on physics education. Friday evening's reception banquet was held in the renowned Butler Museum of American Art, and featured a performance by a string quartet and a presentation by Tom Cvetkovic, artist/CEO of Chromagem, Inc., a multinational commercial high-volume hologram manufacturer.

New York State Section.

The APS New York State Section held its annual spring meeting April 12-13 at the State University of New York College at Oneonta, focusing on issues related to energy and the environment. Friday afternoon featured a session on alternative energy sources, such as fuel cells, plasmas for fusion energy, inertial confinement fusion research and nuclear power, followed by a banquet and lecture on renewable energy. Saturday's sessions covered such topics as energy-efficient solid state lighting, photovoltaic devices from organic semiconductors, clean coal technology, solar energy, and solar-powered cars.