APS News

August/September 2008 (Volume 17, Number 8)

Workshop Bridges the Worlds of Academia, Science Museums

Collaborations between universities and science museums were the focus of a recent workshop at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Organized by Bo Hammer of the Franklin Institute, the workshop was funded by APS, under the leadership of past president and co-organizer Leo Kadanoff. Spanning May 31 and June 1, the workshop attracted about 45 participants from around the US, as well as a group from Israel.

Many APS members are funded to do outreach as part of their research grants, and seek out their local science center as a potential partner, yet forging a successful collaboration is tricky, according to Hammer. The workshop helped participants identify ways of improving these collaborations.

“The workshop was very successful,” said Hammer. “The participants benefited from the networking and the opportunity to share their expertise and experiences with colleagues.”

To follow up, a series of best practices and recommendations will be compiled so that both sides can better understand the needs of the other. Findings from the workshop will be put on a new APS website as an outreach resource guide. The organizers are also planning a session at the annual meeting of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) this October in Philadelphia, and they plan to propose a session on University/Science Center Collaboration for the 2009 APS March Meeting.

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Editor: Alan Chodos
Staff Writer: Ernie Tretkoff
Contributing Editor: Jennifer Ouellette
Science Writing Intern: Nadia Ramlagan

August/September 2008 (Volume 17, Number 8)

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Articles in this Issue
Franz to Step Down as APS Executive Officer; Search Committee Seeks Her Successor
Physics is for Physicists (and others)
APS Funds 27 Minority Scholars in 2008-2009
Astrowatch Keeps LIGO’s Eyes on the Sky
US Team Wins Five Medals at Hanoi Competition
Team Overcomes Politics to Broadcast Eclipse
Workshop Bridges the Worlds of Academia, Science Museums
REU Experience Can Change People’s Lives
Briefing Explains how Accelerator Can Boost Industry
Making Energy While the Sun Shines
Towson PhysTEC Project Targets Elementary Science Teaching
Science Societies Quiz Congressional Candidates
Letters
Inside the Beltway
The Back Page
Members in the Media
This Month in Physics History
Zero Gravity: The Lighter Side of Science