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In Memoriam: Edmund C. Zingu

NSBP Headquarters - noemail@nsbp.org — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:15:00 GMT

Professor Edmund Zingu served on the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP) Council from 1999 to 2006, and was President of the SAIP from 2003 to 2004. He was in fact the first black President in the history of the SAIP[1].

He played crucial leadership roles in many projects, particularly in physics related development issues. He was Vice President of the IUPAP, and Chair of the C13 Commission on Physics for Development. He was primarily responsible for bringing to South Africa the iconic ‘Physics for Sustainable Development’ conference in 2005[2] as a part of the International Year of Physics. This conference cast a distinct spotlight on physics as an instrument for development in Africa.

We would like to specifically mention his tremendous contribution to two extremely important projects of the Institute. The first was the highly successful Shaping the Future of Physics, where he contributed to the design of the project and also served as chair of the Management and Policy Committee that oversaw the international review in 2003.

The Shaping the Future of Physics in South Africa report was written by a body designated as the ‘International Panel’ or IP. The IP was composed of M. A. Hellberg (convenor), M. Ducloy, K. Bharuth-Ram, K. Evans-Lutterodt, I. Gledhill, G. X. Tessema, A.W. Wolfendale, and S. J Gates. The report has served exceedingly well as a national strategy and planning document for the South African physics community in a manner that none of its authors had foreseen in terms of its scope, duration or effectiveness.

Dr. Zingu’s management of the entire Shaping process was a marvelous testament of his dedication to the health of the physics field in South Africa. His skills as a manager of personnel were on direct display in the assembly of the IP. He advocated for selection of representatives from South Africa (Bharuth-Ram, Gledhill, and Hellberg), from Europe (Ducloy, and Wolfendale), and the USA (Evans-Lutterodt, Gates, and Tessema) as a reflection of his understanding of the global nature of the interactions required for physics to thrive in South Africa in the new millennium. He also saw to it that the IP was assembled in such a way as to be a final executive part of the process that lived up to his high expectation and vision.

The Shaping Report is among the greatest of tributes to Dr. Zingu as it continues almost a decade later to have a substantial impact on thinking about South African physics. The report challenged all of the stake-holding communities to plan on multiple levels. Projects like the projects like the SAIP Executive Office, National Institute for Theoretical Physics (NiTheP), South African National Research Network (SANReN), SA-CERN, and SKA-Africa have become a reality. The report called also for the possibility of other ‘flagship’ projects such as a South African synchrotron, to drive the large scale development of the field, and there has been significant encouraging progress here. At the more granular level there was a call for transformation so that the field would be open to all citizens of the country. Physics in South Africa has grown significantly since then, largely because of the implementation of many of the recommendations from the Review. Also during this time Dr. Zingu authored the very influential article, Promoting Physics and Development in Africa, which appeared in Physics Today[3].

For one of us (Gates), the Shaping Report was preparation for service as a policy advisor for both the Governor of Maryland (via my role on the Maryland State Board of Education) and for President Barack Obama (via my role on the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology - PCAST). These accomplishments are due in part to Edmund’s confidence in me and his abilities as a mentor. I owe this great South African an enormous debt of gratitude for how he challenged me to grow professionally.

The second project was the Review of Undergraduate Physics Education. Once again he contributed to the design of the Review and chaired the Management and Policy Committee. He led the development of the South Africa Draft Benchmark Statement for Physics Training, and guided the Review process, including the partnership with the Council for Higher Education. The Review of Physics Training is well advanced but still in progress.

Professor Zingu began his physics career at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). He was a materials physicist, and with his collaborators at Cornell University invented a new method to study atomic diffusion by transmission electron microscopy[4]. Later he studied diffusion phase transitions in thin films due to induced thermal stress[5]. He had a period of employment at Turfloop, QwaQwa Campus, then as Head of the Physics Department and later Dean of Basic Sciences (1990-1993) at MEDUNSA. He later returned to UWC and served as Head of the Physics Department (1994-1998), and finally Vice Rector of Mangosuthu University of Technology in Umlazi, Durban until the time of his retirement.

Edmund was a pioneer for physics in post-apartheid South Africa, a visionary, a tireless campaigner for strengthening the discipline of physics* and, above all, a true gentleman. His leadership and contributions were characterized by sensitivity, perceptiveness, vision, ethics, wisdom, global standards and great industry. He will be sorely missed.

Simon Connell
President, South African Institute of Physics (2012-2014)

Nithaya Chetty
President, South African Institute of Physics (2007-2009)

S. James Gates, Jr.
President, National Society of Black Physicists (1996-1998)

More comments from Dr. Zingu’s friends and colleagues

Professor Zingu was a dear friend and professional colleague over the past ten years. He was extremely helpful during the deliberations of the 2004 Review of iThemba LABS that I chaired for the National Research Foundation. During that time, Professor Zingu was President of the South African Institute of Physics. In another effort, he was one of the main drivers in working with Professor Alfred Msezane of Clark Atlanta University and a number of us at the African Laser Centre to organize the 1st US-Africa Advanced Studies Institute on Photon Interactions with Atoms and Molecules. That institute convened in Durban during November 2005, just after the World Conference on Physics and Sustainable Development, which was part of the United Nation's International Year of Physics. Professor Zingu leaves a tremendous legacy for all African and other peoples to emulate. We will miss his kind demeanor and tremendous insights into the future.
Sekazi K. Mtingwa

I met Prof. Edmund Zingu nearly 20-years ago in November 1995 at the University of the Western Cape, in Cape Town, where he was Chair of the Physics Department. Edmund invited me on my first travel to South Africa for nearly two-weeks to lecture on Ultrafast Optical Phenomena at several institutions -- U. of Port Elizabeth, the National Accelerator Centre, U. of Cape Town, U. of Witwatersrand, U. of the Western Cape and the Foundation for Research Development (analog of the US National Science Foundation). This was the first and only time that I spent time away from my family during Thanksgiving, and Edmund provided a warm and inviting environment for my visit. I spent several days with Edmund's wonderful family and learned a great deal about South Africa and its people. Arriving not long after the release of Nelson Mandela and the official end of Apartheid, Edmund with his gentle, soft-spoken and brilliant nature alleviated my natural apprehension of visiting South Africa at that time. I had a truly wonderful visit and scientific exchange orchestrated by Prof. Edmund Zingu and I am truly saddened by the loss of this extraordinary individual -- my deepest condolences go out to his family.
Anthony M. Johnson

Two weeks ago, at a diaspora gathering for STEM in Africa, the challenge that African scientists face on the continent was discussed. The critical question was "How can academics in Africa get the attention of the leaders?" The idea of international advisory panels modeled after the 2004 Shaping panel was received with much enthusiasm. The composition of the panel, the charge to the panel, and the implementation was such a testimony of the high quality of the leadership of SAIP under Edmond Zingu. May he rest in peace.
Tessema G.X.

To this excellent tribute, I would like to add my personal sadness at the passing of a truly great South African, whose impact on my own life enabled me to transform to our new democracy.
Japie Engelbrecht

[1] Physics Today, Vol 54 (9) Sept 2001, p 27, http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1420507

[2] Physics World, October 2005, pp 12-13, http://physicsworld.com/cws/archive/print/18/10

[3] Physics Today, Vol 57 (1) Jan 2004, p 37, http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1650068

[4] Chen, S. H., L. R. Zheng, J. C. Barbour, E. C. Zingu, L. S. Hung, C. B. Carter, and J. W. Mayer. "Lateral-diffusion couples studied by transmission electron microscopy." Materials Letters 2, no. 6 (1984): 469-476. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0167-577X(84)90075-2

Zingu, E. C., J. W. Mayer, C. Comrie, and R. Pretorius. "Mobility of Pd and Si in Pd2Si." Physical Review B 30, no. 10 (1984): 5916. http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.30.5916

[5] Zingu, E. C., and B. T. Mofokeng. "Diffusional Phase Transformation under Induced Thermal Stress." In MRS Proceedings, vol. 230, no. 1. Cambridge University Press, 1991. http://dx.doi.org/10.1557/PROC-230-145

Zingu, E. C., and B. T. Mofokeng. "Stress Relaxation During Diffusional Phase Transformation Under Induced Thermal Stress." In Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, vol. 308, pp. 85-85. Materials Research Society, 1994. http://dx.doi.org/10.1557/PROC-308-85

Diale, M., C. Challens, and E. C. Zingu. "Cobalt self‐diffusion during cobalt silicide growth." Applied Physics Letters, vol. 62, no. 9 (1993): pp 943-945. http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.108527

27-Apr-13 12:15 PM

Gamma-ray outbursts shed new light on pulsars

Matthew Kerr - noemail@nsbp.org — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 07:00:00 GMT

A team of researchers has developed a new method of detecting pulsars by using the Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope with the sensitivity of a radio telescope. By combining a “wide area” approach of an all-sky telescope like the LAT with radio observations, the team has discovered five “millisecond” class pulsars. Their discoveries include one very unusual pulsar that is a new hybrid class of pulsar that features radio emissions that originate from low and high altitudes above the neutron star.

Matthew Kerr, the lead author on the current paper, told Waves and Packets, “The first pulsar detected in gamma rays was the Crab Nebula back in 1974 with the SAS-2 satellite. Before the launch of the Fermi-LAT, additional missions (primarily COS-B and CGRO on EGRET) brought this up to 6 pulsars known in high energy gamma rays. Fermi-LAT has let us find well over 100!”

The unusual pulsar that Kerr’s team found, officially named PSR J0101–6422, has an unusual light curve (a plot of brightness vs time) that features a “sandwich” of two gamma-ray peaks with an intense radio peak in the center. “The pulses are locked in the sense that they always maintain the same separation in a light curve,” says Kerr.

This work touches upon a complicated question for pulsars. That is, at what altitude above the neutron star’s surface are the sources of the radio and gamma emissions? This is an area of active research, and it is especially complicated for millisecond pulsars. Kerr explains that by studying many hundreds of pulsars in the radio, it has been generally concluded that, for young pulsars (not the millisecond variety reported in the current paper, which are older pulsars) radio emission originates at relatively low altitudes.

For young pulsars, one can infer that gamma rays originate at high altitudes, (1) because they lag behind the radio pulses by an appropriate amount, governed essentially by light travel time, and (2) because astronomers do not see attenuation of gamma rays due to the very strong magnetic field present at the neutron star’s surface.

It is not clear how well these arguments apply to millisecond pulsars, which – according to the leading theory - have accreted mass and thus have sped up. Where some millisecond pulsars seem to be very similar to young pulsars, others have quite different properties. For example, some pulsars are observed to have radio and gamma pulses arriving at the same time, indicating both come from high altitude.

Scott Ransom, an astronomer at NRAO and a co-author in the current paper, explains that the altitude of the emission sources are estimated based on the beam size observation and models based of the light cone geometry. Moreover the wavelengths of the emissions can be a proxy for the magnetic field strength, which is of course position dependent. “The magnetic fields around pulsars are like giant synchrotrons, and are powerful enough to create new particles that lead to other cascade events. The field can even strip particles from the surface of the star.”

Kerr adds, "The spinning magnetic field (typical surface values are 10⁸ Tesla for a young neutron star, 10⁴ T for a recycled millisecond pulsar) combined with the rapid spin (~10 Hertz for a young pulsar, 100s of Hz for an millisecond pulsar) induce a huge electric field. "Huge" meaning a total potential drop of order 10¹⁴ volts, sufficient to accelerate particles to ultra-relativistic energies, and it's these particles that power the radio and gamma pulses.

Because the induced electric field is so strong, it can rip particles off of the neutron star surface, or even create positron/electron pairs from vacuum. These charged particles will tend to arrange themselves in such a way to cancel out the electric field (analogously to what happens in a conductor). Thus, the cartoon picture of the exterior of a pulsar is of a big dipolar magnetic field with a tenuous collection of charged particles that shorts out the electric field and brings the system to equilibrium.

However, there are certain places in this magnetosphere where this shorting of the electric field might fail, called "gaps" in our jargon. In these gaps, the induced electric field can reach appreciable fractions of the "huge" value mentioned above, accelerate particles, and power radio and gamma pulses. Where these gaps occur, what causes them, how they relate to the global structure of the magnetosphere, and how the particles convert their energy to the radiation we see, these are all active topics of research."

Pulsars indeed are perhaps the most extraordinary physics laboratories in the Universe. Their behavior covers fundamental questions in nuclear and condensed matter physics, as well as astrophysics.

23-Jun-12 3:00 AM

National Alliance of Black School Educators Endorses 'Physics First'

NABSE Headquarters - noemail@nsbp.org — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:00:00 GMT

The National Alliance of Black School Educators has endorsed 'Physics First' as a curricular strategy to give every student the opportunity to formally learn physics, starting perhaps even as soon as the middle grades. Noting that only 25 percent of African-American high school students take physics, NABSE wants to help change that metric and have more students better positioned to be knowledge workers in the 21st-century economy. Implementing 'Physics First' will not only expose more students to physics coursework, it actually builds better science cognition in the students, supports the proper construction of scientific knowledge and leads to more higher-level science course taking later. In addition to endorsing 'Physics First,' NABSE and NSBP have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on projects involving out-of-classroom learning opportunities for K-12 students, recruiting new teachers, in-service teacher development and policy advocacy. More

16-Mar-12 5:00 AM

A Message From NSBP President, Paul Gueye

Lawrence Norris - noemail@nsbp.org — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:09:30 GMT

National Society of Black Physicists Newsletter

Dear NSBP family,

As of February 1, 2012, I have rotated in the position of President of NSBP. Please join me to thank Dr. Peter Delfyett, our past President, who has done an outstanding job during his term. I am now part of a relatively small group of leaders and hope that I will be able to fit in their shoes and continue the vision that some of them established back in 1972.

On December 31, 2011, I sent you a letter relating some important information to you: (1) 2012 is NSBP’s 40th anniversary and (2) I will be reaching out to all of you to contribute actively to our organization. I am asking all of you, members and non-member, who are part of the NSBP family to take the time to read the (relatively short) information below and act on it accordingly. There is a lot to do and I am hoping that everyone will be contributing to the growth of NSBP as our strength relies on our number and what we will accomplish.

NSBP Committees (http://nsbp.org/committees/) NSBP has 12 existing committees. I am confident that you will all have an interest in contributing in one of them. In the coming weeks, I would like to provide individual pages on our website within which members of the committees and their various activities could be listed (including regular reports). You can be part of more than one committee. If you are interested, please send an email to exec.comm@nsbp.org mentioning which committee, your interest and a short (1-page max) biosketch.

NSBP Sections (http://nsbp.org/sections/) Our annual meeting is the flagship of our organization. Yet, there is not a sufficient number of members actively working on these sections during the calendar year (i.e., beyond the annual meeting). I am hoping we can change this. Similar to the above, I would like to provide individual pages on our website within which members of the sections and their various activities could be listed. You can be part of more than one section. If you are interested, please send an email to exec.comm@nsbp.org mentioning which section, your interest and a short (1-page max) biosketch.

NSBP Membership (http://nsbp.org/membership/) A society cannot survive if its members do not pay their dues! This is even more important for NSBP. We are heavily relying on this and I am urging all of you who are not yet a member or did not renew their membership, to please take the time to become one or renew your membership. We will start implementing a system to remind some of you who did not pay their dues to do so. We are also working on new benefits that will be made available in the coming months to be competitive with some of our sister societies.

Thanks you for your interest and contribution to NSBP.

Sincerely,

Paul Gueye

NSBP President

4-Feb-12 10:09 AM

Texas' Decision to Close Physics Programs Jeopardizes Nation’s Future

NSBP Headquarters - noemail@nsbp.org — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:00:00 GMT

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has to varying degrees cut 60% of the undergraduate physics programs in State. This includes both programs at its two largest Historically Black Institutions, Texas Southern University (TSU) and Prairie View A & M University (PVAMU). Although all these institutions have the right to appeal the State’s decision, the dramatic nature of these and other actions strongly suggest that short-term politics, not good science education planning or sound economic policy, is motivating their actions.

In 2009 Texas state schools produced 162 B.A./B.S. degrees in physics (and another 38 by its private schools). But Texas produces 50% fewer B.S. physics degrees, per capita, than California. Closing physics programs would therefore seem to be a step in the wrong direction.

The State of Texas is leading the country down an abysmal path. If all the other states were to adopt Texas’ approach, which the State of Florida is already considering, 526 of the roughly 760 physics departments in the US would be shuttered. All but 2 of the 34 HBCU physics programs would be closed. A third of underrepresented minorities and women studying physics would have their programs eliminated. Physics training would be increasingly concentrated in larger elite universities with very adverse effects on the future scientific workforce.

College physics programs are the incubators of content-driven K-12 physics teachers that plant the seeds that blossom into future Texas innovators. Physics graduates are direct contributors to economic prosperity. Even at the BS level a physics degree leads to high-paying jobs that fire the engines of innovation.

Texas universities, including the flagship schools, have been unable to produce their fair share of African American B.S. physics graduates; producing at least 75% fewer African American baccalaureate degree recipients than they should (5 vs 20). This number will become even worse once the physics programs at TSU and PVAMU disappear.

In October 2000 the THECB adopted the “Closing the Gaps” plan with strong support from the state's educational, business and political communities. The plan is directed at closing educational gaps in Texas as well as between Texas and other states. It has four goals: to close the gaps in student participation, student success, excellence and research. This plan with respect to physics is being betrayed by the elimination of the two physics programs at the two leading state HBCUs, particularly when one of them, TSU, has started to make significant gains in all four directions.

The TSU physics program was created in 2004 through the separation of physics from the computer science department. In 2005 its new chair was hired. He revamped the program, replacing the old faculty with research driven faculty of national/international standing, representing some of the top universities in the world.

A new curriculum, with workforce relevant physics tracks (including in health physics), was approved by the THECB in 2008. Since 2007, approximately $1,000,000 dollars was leveraged through the Office of Naval Research and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in support of the current health physics program. Another $1,000,000 has been raised through federally-funded, and state-supported, research grants (NSF, NASA, DOD, Welch Foundation). On September 1, 2011, TSU won its first $5,000,000 NSF CREST Center grant.

TSU Physics has the only health physics program in the greater Houston area. Health physicists are particularly needed in a city known for its Texas Medical Center complex, one of the world’s largest collection of medical research, diagnostic, and treatment centers. By 2012, five of TSU’s seven graduates will have pursued the health physics track. According to salary data from the Health Physics Society, certified B.S. health physicists can expect salaries of $106,000.

TSU-Physics produced its first two students in May 2010, representing 40% the total African American physics B.S. degree recipients in TX. State records show that for each of the last six years, the overall production of B.S. degrees in Physics, awarded to Blacks, by State schools, has been no more than five (5). In May 2010, TSU produced 40% of these, with both graduates eventually going on to graduate studies at the University of Houston (UH). One is enrolled in the Ph.D. program in environmental engineering; the other is taking graduate physics courses.

By May 2012, TSU-Physics will have produced four new B.S. graduates, two of them African American. By May 2013 it will produce six more (five of them African American). The State of Texas considers any undergraduate program that can produce five graduates per year as programs performing at State expectations. Thus, clearly, TSU will be in compliance within the next two years.

The principal critique by the THECB for cutting TSU-Physics is that there are too many low enrollment (i.e. less than ten students) upper level classes. As part of its appeal to the THECB, TSU-Physics was prepared to join the Texas Electronic Coalition for Physics, primarily involving small physics programs within the Texas A & M University system. Programs such as that at Tarelton State University (i.e. Texas A & M – Central Texas), the lead institution within the Consortium, pool their students with the other consortium members and teach common upper level courses through videoconferencing resources.

Georgia’s Atlanta University Center, comprised of Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark Atlanta University, have historically contributed to the Georgia Institute of Technology performance as one of country’s top producers of Black engineers, by feeding them well prepared African American students. This is a model that can be realized in Texas via Texas Electronic Coalition for Physics.

However, the THECB also cut these programs. They will only allow this consortium to stay, supposedly, provided only one institution awards the B.S. Physics degree. Clearly the THECB has no appreciation of the importance of mentoring physics majors, and the importance of some sense of ownership in the physics program by students and faculty. Without formal B.S. degrees at each institution, it is difficult for departments to receive grants, etc., thus precipitating a systematic demise of any such physics effort.

Altogether the THECB decision is short-sighted and abandons tax-payer investments already made. In the case of TSU-Physics these investments have already paid off, and the program is the verge of meeting the key THECB enrollment metric. The THECB decision jeopardizes Texas’ overall economic prosperity and African American participation in it specifically. And if the Texas model spreads to other states, that nation's security will surely be put at risk.

14-Sep-11 4:00 PM

Morgan State University Student Spends Summer at CERN

Keith Jackson - noemail@nsbp.org — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Eric Michael Seabron, a junior physics major and Morgan honor student with a 3.66 grade point average was selected to join an exclusive 18-member U.S. physics team for a 10-week summer internship at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland.

“This internship is one of the most competitive internships an undergraduate student of physics can compete for in the United States. Mr. Seabron will benefit from this experience by expanding both his knowledge of physics and participating in the greatest scientific experiment ever proposed, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Participation in this internship increases his visibility as a up-and-coming young physicist, and his opportunities for getting into a Tier-1 physics graduate program with schools like Michigan, Harvard, Stanford and Princeton to name a few,” says Dr. Keith Jackson, chair of Morgan’s physics department.

Mr. Seabron is a member of the University of Michigan’s ATLAS team sponsored by a National Science Foundation research grant for undergraduates to work on a valuable piece of equipment (Large Hadron Collider) on the ATLAS experiment. ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS) is one of the six particle detector experiments constructed at the LHC. He and other student colleagues will assist in the commissioning of ATLAS EE detectors, analyze event data to create R-T curves and Muon Spectrometer graphs.

Since 2009, more than 2900 scientists and engineers from 172 institutions in 37 countries have worked on the ATLAS experiment.

The ATLAS experiment’s primary objective is to detect particles created after high-energy proton on proton collisions. ATLAS will allow us to learn about the basic forces that have shaped our Universe since the beginning of time (if time has a beginning) and that will determine its fate. Research at ATLAS will provide answers to some of the most basic questions in physics such as the origin of mass, proof of existence of multiple dimensions, unification of fundamental forces, and evidence for dark matter candidates in the Universe. ATLAS brings experimental physics into new territory. Most exciting is the completely unknown surprise - new processes and particles that would change our understanding of energy and matter.

“Students who are successful strive to do more than meet the minimum level of academic performance. If they take this attitude toward their undergraduate education they will find a plethora of new experiences, challenges and opportunities waiting for them, like Mr. Seabron,” says Dr. Jackson.

Eric is standing holding ladder with Michigan teammate Kareem Hegazy (on ladder) in front of 20 ft. battery cells.

23-Jul-11 3:00 AM

NSBP and sister societies respond to National Science Board regarding broader impacts criteria

NSBP Headquarters - noemail@nsbp.org — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Merit Review Task Force
National Science Board
Room: 1225N
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia 22230, USA

Dear Merit Review Task Force,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed revised text for the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts evaluation criteria.

Members of the National Technical Association and other minority professional organizations are very concerned about the potential negative impact of the proposed changes to the Merit Review Criteria. We are particularly, concerned about the reduced visibility to the importance of STEM diversification.

Firstly, the proposed changes to the broader impacts text can lead one to infer that diversity is an option and not required since one of the national goals addresses it explicitly. It appears to allow PIs to choose other goals and be evaluated without addressing diversity. Diversity appears to become an option rather than central to all programs and projects and activities, as stated in the existing criteria.

Secondly, utilizing the broad base national goals as the core principles makes it very difficult to develop a clear framework to benchmark or measure the creativity, educational impacts and potential benefits to society of the programs, projects, reviewed. Each national goal embodies a multiplicity of challenges that are interrelated and dependent on other goals. Several goals address education, while others address workforce which are essential to the development of global competitiveness, yet another goal. Measuring impact at the goal level can become problematic. It is easier to identify underlying issues/causes that should be addressed to advance national goal(s) rather than focus on the goals themselves.

We recommend that NSF make it clear that its commitment to diversity is unchanged and indicate how diversity will be factored into the evaluation of all programs, projects and activities regardless of which national goals are addressed.

To advance the frontier of knowledge and achieve global competitiveness, a well trained American born workforce is imperative. Given the projected population demographics, the eligible workforce will shift more to people of color who are underrepresented in STEM. It is more critical than ever that NSF support programs that address workforce development and STEM education improvements to ensure America realizes its STEM related national goals. Whereas, linking programs to national goals is important, it is crucial to first define the national problems that need to be resolved to realize national goals and support research/models that resolve these issues.

Based on these facts, we urge the Merit Review Task Force to focus on criteria changes that identify categories of problem/ issues it will support to advance national goals and at the same time support its commitment to diversity.

Sincerely,

National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers
National Society of Black Physicists
National Technical Association

20-Jul-11 10:00 AM

US SKA Consortium votes to dissolve itself in light of decadal survey and budget realities

NSBP Headquarters - noemail@nsbp.org — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:00:00 GMT

At its meeting in Arlington, VA on June 7, the US Square Kilometer Array (SKA) Consortium voted to dissolve itself as of December 31, 2011. The consortium consists of US universities and research institutes that are studying and prototyping technologies under development for the SKA.

The decision follows from the 2010 astronomy decadal survey, which did not give the SKA a positive funding recommendation. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has decided to follow that recommendation. As a result the United States will no longer be officially part of the international SKA project.

But this does not mean that the Americans are not participating in the overall project, in fact the US radioastronomers still remain supportive of it. There are Americans on the engineering advisory committee. Also the deputy director of the astronomy division at NSF, Vernon Pankonin, chairs a committee that will be making a site selection recommendation, though officials are quick to point out that his participation is not in his official capacity, and in no way implies the participation of the agency. Pankonin's committee is set to recommend a site for the SKA, either Australia/New Zeland or Africa, in February 2012.

The National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) has been supportive of the African bid, including participation in the recent workshop on the SKA and human capacity development. Later this year, NSBP plans to launch the US-Africa Astronomy and Space Sciences Institute.

NSBP member, Eric Wilcots, also a member of the US SKA Consortium, feels that the dissolution decision will have little immediate impact on the international project. "The large part of the US financial involvement was only to materialize in the next decade. India, China and Canada have joined the effort since the time of the original planning. Whether or not these countries will participate financially in this decade to the extent that was envisioned for the US is unknown at this point."

Charles McGruder, also an NSBP and US SKA Consortium member, agrees. "The SKA is conceived to come together in phases. Phase 1 will likely proceed in this decade even if the US is not an official participant. Phase 1 includes epoch of reionization and NANOGRAF (pulsar timing) experiments, which did get postive funding recommendations in the decadal survey."

"Individual American astronomers will undoubtedly stay involved with the SKA through these research projects," adds NRAO's Ken Kellermann, a past chair of the International SKA Science and Engineering Committee.

This bodes well for the South African effort, Wilcots points out. The South Africa MeerKAT is much better suited for pulsar timing studies than the Australian ASKAP. The PAPER experiment was recently deployed in South Africa eventhough it was originally planned to be located in Australia. Also a US team intending to work with the Murchison Widefield Array, which is under construction in Australia, was recently informed by NSF of the agency's declination of their funding proposal.

There are efforts to find other sources of funding, public and private, to support the US involvement in the SKA project. There are intersections between US policy towards the SKA, broader American foreign policy interests, and interest in the diversity of the global scientific workforce. Some Members of Congress have become interested in the SKA as a mechanism for increased trade with Africa. Whether or not this leads to an administrative policy directive or congressionally mandated spending remains to be seen.

15-Jun-11 12:00 PM

Southern Africa’s SKA Bid: A Worthwhile Investment

Bobby Rush - noemail@nsbp.org — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:00:00 GMT

By Congressman Bobby Rush

Southern Africa is quickly establishing itself as a hub for astronomy, scientific expertise and in doing so, is creating an unrivalled opportunity for the development of skills and expertise that will allow Africa and its people to be significant contributors to the global knowledge economy.

In 2012, a consortium of major international science funding agencies will select a location to house the world’s most powerful radio telescope, The Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The SKA promises to revolutionize science by answering some of the most fundamental questions that remain about the origin, nature and evolution of the universe. With about 3 000 receptors linked together and a total collecting area of one square kilometre, the SKA will have 50 times the sensitivity and 10,000 times the survey speed of the best current-day radio telescopes. The SKA will enable scientists to gain insight into the origins of the universe and provide answers to fundamental questions in astronomy and physics.

Currently, two locations are under consideration: Africa, under the leadership of South Africa, and Australia/New Zealand, under the leadership of Australia. South Africa’s SKA bid proposes that the core of the telescope be located in the Northern Cape Province, with additional antenna stations in Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Ghana and Zambia.

South Africa has already demonstrated its excellent science and engineering skills by designing and starting to build the MeerKAT telescope, an SKA precursor telescope. Five years before MeerKAT becomes operational, more than 43,000 hours of observing time have already been allocated to radio astronomers from Africa and around the world, who have applied for time to do research with this unique and world-leading instrument. US astronomers are leading some of these research teams.

There is already active collaboration between the South Africans and UC Berkeley, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Caltech on the PAPER and CBASS telescopes respectively, which are currently hosted on the South African radio astronomy reserve. Collaboration is also taking place between these US research institutions and the MeerKAT team on the development of technologies for the MeerKAT and US telescopes.

The SKA in Southern Africa represents an unrivalled opportunity to transform Africa through science and technology by driving the world’s best and brightest to the region, and providing the continent’s youth with a world-class incentive to study science and provide the world answers to the planet’s oldest questions.

The SKA in Southern Africa will create a critical mass of young people in Africa with world-class expertise in technologies that will be paramount in the global economy in the coming years. New technologies, scientific discoveries and infrastructure development taking place in Africa will contribute to the creation of entirely new industries and spur development in many fields of human endeavor, while transforming Africa as a major hub for science in the world and creating a new continent of opportunity for American business to cultivate and develop partnerships throughout Africa.

The construction of major science infrastructure in Southern Africa, such as the $2 billion SKA project, will also represents an important opportunity for U.S. business to cultivate and develop partnerships in the region that can lead to new technologies, new industries and economic development both here in the USA and throughout Africa.

The SKA represents a unique opportunity to accelerate the development of skills and expertise that will allow Africa and its people to be significant contributors to the global knowledge economy. We should support southern Africa in its quest to become contributors to global science and equal partners in the knowledge economy.

Bobby Rush is the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 1st congressional district, serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party. A long-time advocate of increased trade with Africa, he has introduced H.R. 656, the African Investment and Diaspora Act, to advance the mutual interests of the United States and Africa with respect to the promotion of trade and investment and the advancement of socioeconomic development and opportunity.

15-Jun-11 9:00 AM

NSBP President Delfyett Shares Recent Advances in Optical Signal Processing

Michelle Campbell - noemail@nsbp.org — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:00:00 GMT

Courtesy of Michelle Campbell, Technical Communication Office

Naval Air Warfare Center - Weapons Division

National Society of Black Physicists President Dr. Peter Delfyett was the Distinguished Colloquium Speaker at the Naval Air Warfare Center - Weapons Division at China Lake on Aug. 12 and explained recent advancements in optical signal processing.

Today’s warfighter relies on current developments in high-speed optical communication and signal processing fields. Recently, traditional optical communication methods have undergone a transformation as a result of optical frequency and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), in which multiple optical carrier signals can be combined into one signal on one optical fiber through the use of infrared (IR) wavelengths.

However, designing optical systems using hundreds of wavelengths is challenging. Delfyett, a University Trustee Chair Professor of Optics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Physics at the University of Central Florida, has been developing a compact, efficient optical source that can produce many optical frequencies and wavelength channels from a single device. With great enthusiasm, Delfyett explained the benefits of a mode-locked semiconductor laser that can generate coherent, phase stabilized optical frequency combs.

Selecting a source laser is an important component of developing an effective communication system. According to Delfyett, the advantages of using semiconductor lasers instead of solid-state lasers are numerous. “A conventional, solid-state laser is large and electrically inefficient,” he explained. “It operates at a relatively low speed of 100 megahertz (MHz). A semiconductor provides the right wavelength for the Depart of Defense (DoD), [from] 300 nanometers (nm) to greater than 10 microns (µm), via bandgap engineering. [A semiconductor laser] can be powered by watch batteries and is small (hundreds of microns) and lightweight.” Semiconductor lasers are also electrically efficient.

Delfyett also shared the benefits of using harmonic mode-locked lasers, which contain equidistant multiple pulses circulating within the resonator, rather than fundamental mode-locked lasers, which contain a single pulse circulating within the resonator. One benefit is that harmonic mode-locked lasers produce higher pulse repetition rates. However, harmonic mode-locked lasers can contain instabilities such as supermode noise. Delfyett and his team counter this with supermode suppression.

Audience member Philip Land, a member of NSBP, believes Delfyett’s research will greatly benefit the DoD, particularly those serving in the field. Fs mode-locked semiconductor laser-based optical frequency combs increase the speed of communication and simplify the operation and management of high capacity optical interconnects and links.

“Linkups, [such as] Link 16, are not as efficient,” said Land. “New technologies make communication more efficient, which decreases the time lag. New technologies could make communication instantaneous.”

The Colloquium Series offers NAWCWD personnel an opportunity to stay abreast of trends in defense‑applicable fields as well as to collaborate with top level researchers.

Semiconductor laser diode produces stabilized optical frequency combs for telecommunications, metrology, signal processing and spectroscopy

23-Nov-10 4:00 AM

National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) sponsors the Carl Albert Rouse Undergraduate Research Fellowship for research with LIGO Laboratory.

noemail@nsbp.org — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:30:00 GMT

About Carl A. Rouse In 1956 Carl A. Rouse became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Rouse's thesis research was in the field of particle physics. He then went on to become the first African American to successfully enter into a career as a professional astrophysics researcher. After graduate school he took a position as a scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he studied screened Coulomb interactions utilizing quantum mechanics. Through this work he studied ionization states of atoms at very high densities, and he advanced the fronteirs of knowledge in atomic physics, plasma physics and very much in computational physics. One particular application of his work was on the internal structure of the Sun. Dr. Rouse created detailed models of the solar interior and was the first person to solve the Saha Equation for the solar interior. He was especially prolific in solar physics, proposing...

Joint AfAS/NSBP Statement on Cheick Mobido Diarra

noemail@nsbp.org — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:00:00 GMT

The African Astronomical Society and the National Society of Black Physicists express their concern for the health and safety of our colleague Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra. We hope that adequate medical attention will be afforded to him, and that his basic human rights will be respected to the fullest measure.

NSBP member, Stephon Alexander, wins 2013 Edward Bouchet Award

noemail@nsbp.org — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:00:00 GMT

For his contributions to theoretical cosmology, in particular the interface between fundamental physics and early universe cosmology, that includes work in leptogenesis, and parity violating effects in quantum gravity, as well as for communicating many ideas of this field to the scientific community and the public, Dr. Stephon Alexander, has received the 2013 Edward A. Bouchet Award. Dr. Alexander is the Ernest Everett Just 1907 Professor at Dartmouth College. Besides being an accomplished physicist, he is a prodigious jazz saxophonist.

The Gunter Media Group and the National Society of Black Physicists Announce Strategic Partnership

noemail@nsbp.org — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:00:00 GMT

The programs designed by The Gunter Media Group (GMG) for the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) will promote its members' research and its outreach programs for students interested in the physical sciences. Since 1977 the National Society of Black Physicists has been promoting the well-being of Black physicists and Black students in the physical sciences. Over 100 members, plus domestic and African affiliates, look to the NSBP for marketing support and as a conduit by which to access the critical information they require for their research. The NSBP chose GMG for its expertise in the academic publishing arena and its strong relationships with the publishers of many of the most influential scientific journals. GMG will be developing marketing, sales and publisher affiliated programs for the NSBP, and assist in the redesign of its website. We are developing virtual journal concepts that highlight the scholarly work of our members and at the same time...

NSBP Member, Hakeem Oluseyi, selected to be a TEDGlobal 2012 Fellow

noemail@nsbp.org — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Florida Institute of Technology professor, Hakeem Oluseyi, has been selected to be 2012 TED Global Fellow. He will participate in the TED conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 25-29. Dr. Oluseyi is an astrophysicist, inventor and science educator whose research focuses on measuring the structure and evolution of the Milky Way galaxy and characterizing new planetary systems. Oluseyi has lectured widely in the US and Africa. He was one of the founding members of the African Astronomical Society and is currently an officer of the National Society of Black Physicists. TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Past TED Fellows include CERN's Bilge Demirkoz, Harvard's Michelle Borkin, and NASA's Lucianne Walkowicz. Dr. Hakeem M. Oluseyi is an astrophysicist with research interests in the fields of solar and stellar variability, Galactic...

South African S&T Minister to visit US, Speak at NSBP conference

noemail@nsbp.org — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:00:00 GMT

The South African Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Naledi Pandor, will be visiting the United States next week, and will be the opening keynote speaker at the annual conference of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) on Thursday, September 22 in Austin, TX. Receiving Minister Pandor is a special honor for NSBP, says Charles McGruder, chair of NSBP's international affairs committee and a past-president of the organization. It is a culmination of many years of NSBP's international collaborations; from the Edward Bouchet Abdus Salam Insitute, to our involvement with physics and astronomy programs throughout the African continent, and especially our role in helping establish the African Astronomical Society and the African Physical Society. Mrs. Pandor was appointed Minister of Science and Technology in May 2009. During her tenure South Africa has invested heavily in science and technology, including the SKA/MeerKAT telescope projects, as...

Hampton University Physics Graduate Excels in Career in the Navy

noemail@nsbp.org — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:00:00 GMT

Hampton University Physics Graduate Excels in Career in the Navy.
Captain Samuel Norton has been able to apply his knowledge of physics at almost every step of his naval career. He was with one of the first ships to deploy to Haiti offering humanitarian assistance.

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NSBP Member Amongst First Females Chosen for Submarine Duty

noemail@nsbp.org — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:00:00 GMT

NSBP Member Amongst First Females Chosen for Submarine Duty
Lisa Brodsky graduated magna cum laude from Hampton University's physics program and earns a selection to the Navy's nuclear power program for service on submarines.

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President and Mrs. Obama to Host White House Star Party

noemail@nsbp.org — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday October 7th, the President will award the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in a ceremony at the White House.

In the evening, the President and First Lady will host an event at the White House for middle-school students to highlight the President's commitment to science, engineering and math education as the foundation of this nation's global technological and economic leadership and to express his support for astronomy in particular - for its capacity to promote a greater awareness of our place in the universe, expand human knowledge, and inspire the next generation by showing them the beauty and mysteries of the night sky.

President Obama will kick-off the event with a brief address that will be streamed live on the whitehouse.gov website (estimated beginning at 8 pm EDT).

The program at the White House includes more than 20 telescopes set up on the White House lawn focused on Jupiter, the Moon and select stars; interactive dome presentations, and hands on activities including scale models of the Solar System, impact cratering, and investigating meteorites and Moon rocks.

Professor Jim Gates Sworn In as a Member of the Maryland State Board of Education

noemail@nsbp.org — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley administered the oath of office to Dr. Sylvester (Jiim) Gates for a seat on the Maryland State Board of Education.

Governor O'Malley had nominated Professor Gates to the board back in March 2009 when he remaked, “I am especially proud to make a number of appointments to fill key leadership positions on our State Board of Education, the University System Board of Regents and the Community Colleges Boards of Trustees to continue the progress we have made in building the No. 1 ranked school system in America, and making college more affordable for our families.”

Professor Gates was also recently appointed by President Obama to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). PCAST is council of leading scientists and engineers that advise and help formulate policy for the President and Vice President in the many areas where understanding of science, technology, and innovation is important.

The Maryland State Board of Education is a 12-member body appointed by the Governor. Members bring to their task a wide range of professional and civic experiences. Members serve staggered four-year terms and may serve two full terms.

Dr. Gates is a noted theoretical physicist. He has been featured on NOVA PBS programs on physics, most notably “The Elegant Universe” in 2003. He is currently the John S. Toll Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Gates received both his Bachelor of Science and PhD degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His doctoral thesis was the first thesis at MIT to deal with supersymmetry, and is known for his work on supersymmetry, supergravity, and superstring theory. He was President of the National Society of Black Physicists from 1993-1995.

Laboratory Manager I (Instructional Laboratory Manager)

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Title: Laboratory Manager I (Instructional Laboratory Manager) Description: The Department of Physics at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee seeks a full-time, 12-month Laboratory Manager for its instructional labs. The primary duties of the Laboratory Manager will be to: collaborate with faculty, lecturers and teaching assistants in the design and implementation of lab exercises; manage the operations and facilities of instructional laboratories; supervise support staff consisting mostly of graduate student teaching assistants, determine and secure lab exercise equipment and materials, ensure that instructional laboratories are fully operational and prepared for each laboratory class, and teach and supervise instructional labs. For more information about the Physics Department, please visit http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/physics/. Required Experience: Minimum Qualifications A Master's of Science degree in an area of experimental Physics or related discipline is required. A minimum...

Deputy Division Director, Division of Physics (PHY)

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Title: Deputy Division Director, Division of Physics (PHY) Description: Dear Colleague Letter - Deputy Division Director, Division of Physics (PHY) Employment Opportunity DATE: May 1, 2013 The Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) announces a nationwide search to fill the position of Deputy Director, Division of Physics (PHY). Formal consideration of interested applicants will begin May 1, 2013 and continue until a selection is made. Appointment to this Senior Executive Service position may be on a career basis, or on a one- to three-year limited-term basis, with a salary range of $155,500 to $172,373. Alternatively, the incumbent may be assigned under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) provisions[1]. The mission of the Division of Physics is to enable fundamental research and education across the intellectual frontiers of the field. Programs in six subareas support research that covers a broad spectrum of energy, time, and distance scales. Physics...

NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Title: NASA Postdoctoral Fellowships Description: The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers scientists and engineers unique opportunities to engage in NASA research in space science, earth science, aeronautics, exploration systems, lunar science, astrobiology, and astrophysics. Details: Annual stipends start at $53,500, with supplements for certain degree fields and high cost-of-living areas Annual travel budget of $8,000 Relocation allowance Financial supplement for health insurance purchased through the program Appointments renewable for up to three years Approximately 90 Fellowships awarded annually Apply at http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc Application Deadlines: Three each year - March 1, July 1, and November 1 Eligibility: U. S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar Recent and senior-level Ph.D. recipients Locations of Fellowship Positions: Ames Research Center,...

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE POSITIONS

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Title: POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE POSITIONS Description: The Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) careers page offers employment for postdoctoral researchers in many different areas of science. DESCRIPTION: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) offers unique research opportunities to engage in ongoing research in various fields of science. AWARDS: · One or two year appointments, renewable up to three years · Financial assistance for relocation may be available · Visa assistance available · Temporary, on-site housing available · Apply at http://www.bnl.gov and click on Careers at Brookhaven LOCATION: · Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York (Long Island) To obtain more information and to apply for any currently available positions, please visit the BNL Web site at http://www.bnl.gov. Brookhaven National Laboratory is an equal opportunity...

NSBP Scholarships

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:05:32 GMT

Willie Hobbs Moore Scholarship Harry L. Morrison Scholarship Arthur BC Walker Scholarship The National Society of Black Physicists is pleased to offer scholarships commemorating Drs. Willie Hobbs Moore, Harry L. Morrison and Arthur BC Walker. Dr. Moore was the first African American female to earn the Ph.D. degree in physics. After completing her degree at the University of Michigan and working there for several years as a research scientist, she spent a long and successful career at Ford Motor Company. Dr. Morrison was a legendary figure in the field of mathematical statistical physics, and an inspirational mentor to generations of African American physicists. He was on the physics faculty at UC Berkeley for nearly 30 years, and was an assistant dean until his death in 2002. He was strong student advocate, especially science and engineering students. In the early 70's he was amongst the early UC Berkeley faculty supporters of a degree-granting Black Studies Programs. ...

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:41:31 GMT

Promoting the professional well-being of African American physicists and physics students within the international scientific community and within society at large. Latest Updates NSBP and LIGO create Carl A. Rouse Fellowship NSBP and LIGO have jointly created the Carl A. Rouse Fellowship for summer undergraduate researchers. LIGO is managed by Caltech and MIT. Rouse was Caltech's first African American Ph.D. graduate and spent some of his career at MIT's Lincoln Lab. He is best known for his computational work on dense plasmas, nuclear fusion reactions, and solar neutrino flux. Learn More ...

NSBP Officers

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:21:25 GMT

President Paul Gueye Hampton University
Past-President Peter Delfyett University of Central Florida


Treasurer Byron Freelon Argonne National Lab	Administrative Executive Officer Hakeem Oluseyi Florida Institute of Technology	Technical Executive Officer Hakeem Oluseyi (acting) Florida Institute of Technology

Science Policy

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:32:10 GMT

Policy analysis and advocacy are central to NSBP's mission of promoting the professional well-being of African American physicists and physics students -- PJ Delfyett, NSBP President Policies and Issues 8 Policy Issues that Every Physicist Should Follow Federal spending on S&T, state spending on education, the process of government, accessibility to rare materials, politicization of science, open access are just a few issues that every physicist should follow. Learn More ...

NSBP is participating in the 2012 Quadrennial Physics Congress

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 07:00:48 GMT

November 8-12: Quadriennal Physics Congress, Orlando, FL
	The 2012 Quadrennial Physics Congress will be hosted by Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society, in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 8-12. It will center on the theme Connecting Worlds Through Science & Service. Undergraduates, practicing physicists and physics alumni from a broad spectrum of career paths will gather together to address the interconnectivity of the modern world and what it means to science. More NSBP Student Members NSBP is pleased to announce the availability of financial support for its student members to attend . To receive financial support students must register for the meeting by October 15. For more information contact NSBP at conference.info@nsbp.org. Exhibitors/Recruiters PhysCon will bring together nearly 800 physics undergraduate students, graduate students, alumni, and faculty to address common concerns for the discipline and for society. Many attendees are student leaders on their campuses that have been active in physics research and community outreach. The Exhibit Hall will be Thursday, November 8th, 3-7pm as one of the first formal events of PhysCon. At 7:00PM there will be a dessert reception in the exhibit hall for all participants. Important dates Oct. 15 — Registration Deadline, Artwork Submission Deadline, Abstract Submission Deadline

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:17:37 GMT

Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering Designed as a unique and much-needed resource for educators, managers and policymakers, the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering publishes original, peer-reviewed papers that report innovative ideas and programs for classroom teachers, scientific studies and formulation of concepts related to the education, recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in science and engineering. The journal is published by Begell House. Plasma Medicine Plasma Medicine publishes reports of medical applications of plasma science and technology. Over the most recent decade plasmas have...

NSBP Jobs Board Users Guide

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:59:36 GMT

Thank you for your interest in posting a position on the NSBP jobs board. We hope you find posting on this jobs board quick and easy. There are two options for posting positions, you can either create an NSBP.org account first then post, or you can post without creating an account. In the former case you will able to edit the posting yourself, in the latter you will have to contact us to make any edits for you. In either case once you get to the point of adding a posting on the NSBP jobs board, we offer these step by step instructions Complete the job posting form. The International Association of Employment Web Site offers these recommendations for an attention getting posting. This jobs board is search engine optimized. That means it is programed to make sure your posting gets maximum visibility on all the various search engines. You can help increase your posting's visibility by doing the following: ...

Is Your Resume Effective?

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:22:01 GMT

An effective resume quickly sells your your knowledge, skills and abilities to the reader. After reading your resume an employer should feel like they would be missing out if they did not hire you. It is a mistake to think of your resume as a history of your past, as a personal statement or as some sort of self expression. Focus on your employers needs, not yours. A resume is a sales publication, and the product is you. Your prospective employer is the customer. Your resume must convey the message, If you buy this product, you will get these specific, direct benefits. There is no one perfect resume. Each company is different, and some business sectors are used to different formats. If you are a physics graduate different parts of your education will be relevant for any given job. To be most effective, you must tailor your resume the business sector, the company and the exact job you want. But there are some general rules you...

Membership Information

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:50:15 GMT

NSBP is a global professional society uniting African American, Afro-Caribbean and African physicists and astronomers in their pursuit of understanding matter and energy, and using that to benefit mankind. ...membership is open to All who affirm the goals of the Organization. Eligibility Membership in NSBP is open to all individuals and institutions that affirm the goals of the organization. The qualifying criterion for regular membership is possession of an earned college degree (BS, MS, Ph.D.) in physics, or a closely related science or engineering. Associate membership is open to students who have not yet earned a degree in physics, a closely related science, or engineering; or to professionals who otherwise are employed in an area of physics. Annual Dues Professional Members- Faculty, Staff, Industry (Regular and Associate) $95 Postdocs $45 Graduate Students $35 ...

Mon, 21 May 2012 18:52:05 GMT

BY-LAWS OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK PHYSICISTS (Last Amended on March 24, 2002) ARTICLE I: Board of Directors Section 1. Powers and Responsibilities of the Board of Directors The Board of Directors composed as set forth in the Constitution shall have the control and management of the Society, shall be responsible for its budget, shall administer its affairs, and shall supervise the activities of each Standing Committee and Chapter. The Board of Directors shall set the agenda of the annual business meeting. The Board of Directors shall have the sole authority to interpret the Constitution and By-Laws of the National Society of Black Physicists. Such interpretations may only be overturned by Amendments thereto. The Board of Directors may invite other Society members to attend its meetings in a non-voting advisory role. The Board of Directors shall perform such other functions as may be provided in the Constitution and By-laws. The Board of Directors may, by...

nsbp-nshp 2008--1392

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:38:22 GMT