The AIP Education Division administers the Society of Physics Students (SPS), the professional society for physics students and their mentors; Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honor society; the AIP Corporate Associates programs, and other education programs in conjunction with AIP and it's ten Member Societies.

The Education Division is housed within the Physics Resource Center of AIP, which is led by Vice President James H. Stith.

Jack G. Hehn
Director, Education, AIP
Phone: 301-209-3010
Fax: 301-209-0839
E-mail: jhehn@aip.org

Jack G. Hehn has a wide range of experience in physics and science education, having taught students in elementary school through graduate school. He received a BS in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin (1971), an MS in Physics from Texas A&M University (1976), and a PhD (1990) from the University of North Texas, with a dissertation involving the professional development of teaching assistants within a multimedia freshman physics instructional laboratory. Hehn taught four years at Lamar High School in Arlington, TX, 13 years at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX, and nine years at Tarrant County Junior College in Ft. Worth, TX. He has served in administrative and faculty roles within physics departments for 17 years and has spent much time developing and teaching the freshman physical science course for pre-service teachers, developing mentoring and training programs for teaching assistants, and developing instructional laboratory programs using multimedia and interactive computer technologies. He has concentrated more on science and science education policy during the past eight years. In 1992, Hehn joined the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) as the Associate Executive Officer. His responsibilities included creating an information technology base for the core business of AAPT, developing an array of World Wide Web based electronic member and publishing services, and working with AAPT educational programs and liaison programs with other societies. Two of the projects involved the creation of a high school-level textbook, Active Physics; and a college-level physical science course for pre-service teachers, Powerful Ideas in Physical Science. He was also active in the effort to create national science standards and in the development of a large-scale networking project for two-year colleges, The Two-Year College in the Twenty First Century, TYC21.

While on leave from AAPT, Hehn served three years (1996-1999) as a program consultant and program officer with the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) for the National Science Foundation (NSF). At NSF he worked with the Advanced Technology Education (ATE) program, counseled NSF staff on efforts involving two-year colleges, contributed to teacher preparation and project evaluation efforts, and worked with discipline-based physics proposals. In August 1999, Hehn joined the American Institute of Physics (AIP) as the Manager of the Education Division. He has been, and continues to be, active in proposing and directing large scale educational programs, including science policy review and commentary, curriculum development, and technology and multimedia program development. Much of his current effort is directed toward encouraging and supporting collaborations between learned societies and among affinity groups within the Physics, Astronomy, Earth Systems, and Allied Science Community.

Gary White grew up in rural Sterlington, Louisiana, earning a BS in physics in 1982 at Northeast La. University (now University of La.---Monroe). He received his Ph.D. in nuclear theory at Texas A & M University (TAMU) in 1986, later worked in the theory division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and eventually became interested in ion beams and lithography during a postdoctoral appointment in 1991. Recently, his interests have broadened to include physics pedagogy, especially the use of research as a teaching tool, as well as some quirkier areas such as the physics of Spandex and rolling unfair dice. As engaging as these research topics might sound to some, teaching and mentorship are his primary interests. Over the past 20 years, in addition to short stints teaching mathematics at TAMU and modern physics for non-majors at The George Washington University, he earned most of his teaching stripes in physics and astronomy classrooms at Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU), being awarded Outstanding Teacher by the NSU Alumni Association in 1996. As Society of Physics Student (SPS) advisor at NSU, he guided the chapter to a significant increase in activity, including the development of many science outreach projects for school classrooms, and several SPS Undergraduate Research Awards. In 1998, he was elected SPS Zone 10 Councilor and eventually, President of the National SPS Council.

White has published articles in Physical Review, Annals of Physics, The American Journal of Physics, The Physics Teacher, and The College Mathematics Journal. He has served as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation, and in 1999 was appointed to the nine-member national Advisory Committee on Physics Education for the American Institute of Physics (AIP). In June 2001, White joined AIP as Director of SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society, and Assistant Director of Education.

Stephanie Campbell produces and handles the layout and design of all Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma publications, including the SPS Observer, The Physics Department Reveille, and Radiations magazine. She serves as the assistant editor for the publications as well. She coordinates all paperwork and outside vendors necessary in the production of the print publications.

Stephanie assists the SPS Supervisor on special projects as they arise. She also assists wherever there’s a need for an extra set of hands within the Education Division; whether it’s to help stuff envelopes or to write a letter to accompany a mailing, or even to put together numerous Sigma Pi Sigma induction boxes. She has worked at AIP for 12 years, and still enjoys her work. Stephanie is a member of the newly-formed Education Division Communications Team, along with Lydia Quijada and Tracy Schwab.

Liz Caron received her B.A. from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA. Her concentrations of study were international relations and politics. Her career in nonprofit organizations began with an 18-month volunteer assignment in rural Honduras with an international organization, Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sister). While there, she gained experience in teaching, curriculum development and grant writing. She spent 3 years working for The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a national community outreach organization, and then worked for the Red Cross, before coming to AIP.

Liz manages the AIP Corporate Associates program and orchestrates the annual Industrial Physics Forum. She also plans committee meetings and conferences for the Education Division, Society of Physics Students, and Sigma Pi Sigma. She administers special projects of the Education Division as needed

Doug Dalton
SPS Clerk
Phone: 301-209-3164
Fax: 301-209-0839
E-mail: ddalton@aip.org

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Sonja Lopez has worked for AIP as the SPS Supervisor since 1989. She understands the intricate workings of SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma, and is a valuable resource during national and inter-office meetings. In addition to supervising the SPS staff, she handles Sigma Pi Sigma inductions, sales, and other miscellaneous matters.

Sonja is the mother of four children, and in her spare time she operates Kidshots, a children's photography studio.

Dr. Dwight E. Neunschwander, Professor of Physics at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, OK, is former Director, Education at the American Institute of Physics, and former Director of SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma.

Dr. Neunschwander writes for and handles editing of the SPS Observer (formerly the SPS Newsletter), The Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics (JURP), Radiations, the official publication of Sigma Pi Sigma, and other publications. He is also the At-Large member of the SPS Executive Committee.

Sacha Purnell, the SPS Secretary, handles SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma customer service, and is responsible for sending out induction materials and other SPS/Sigma Pi Sigma-related products. She is also handles all other secretarial duties for the student societies and Education Division.

Lydia Quijada
Database Coordinator & Exhibitor
Phone: 301-209-3008
Fax: 301-209-0839
E-mail: lydia@aip.org

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A Midwesterner to the core, Kendra Rand received her BA in physics from Carthage College in Kenosha, WI and her MS in Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Before coming to SPS she worked in public outreach for the American Physical Society and freelanced for the Materials Research Society Bulletin. Kendra is the program coordinator of the Society of Physics Students.

Tracy M. Schwab, originally from Star Valley, WY, graduated from Utah State University in 1993 with a BA in Liberal Arts & Sciences. He completed three core areas of study within his major: Science and Society, Theories of Beauty, and Ethics in Science. He also received a certificate in International Relations and minored in both German and Political Science. Tracy was honored as the Outstanding Scholar from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences upon Graduation, and was a member of the Gold Key Honor Society; Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society; and the Mortar Board Honor Society. He worked in the AIP Education Division from 1993-1997 as an Editor, Desktop Publishing Specialist and Meeting Exhibitor.

After a 4-year stint as a web designer and account manager in the "dot.com" world, Tracy returned to the AIP Education Division in 2001 as Communications Coordinator. In this position he serves as webmaster for the Education Division, the Society of Physics Students, and Sigma Pi Sigma. He leads the Education Division Communications Team, supervises SPS interns as needed, and provides graphic design, photography and desktop publishing services for the Education Division and other AIP divisions.