ABSOLUTE ZERO Experts

Drawn from academia, businesses and the research community, these individuals provide invaluable insight regarding this unique area of scientific exploration and hopefully inspire the next generation of scientists.

Absolute Zero Experts may serve as mentors; participate in educational, after-school and community events; or make presentations before professional organizations. Absolute Zero Experts will also assist in answering online questions on the campaign Web site.  We very much appreciate their support  and we encourage teachers and others involved in science education to work with them.  Their background and contact information can be found here:

Dennis Clougherty, professor of physics at the University of Vermont, is currently a visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin.  Dr. Clougherty, who is a member of APS and Sigma Pi Sigma, is a theoretical condensed matter physicist who has worked in superconductivity and the quantum sticking and evaporation of ultracold atoms and molecules.  His department in Vermont organizes local physics demonstrations to entertain the public and local students and stimulate interest in physics. E-mail: dpc@physics.utexas.edu

David G. Haase, professor of physics and director of the Science House based at North Carolina State University. Dr. Haase, who conducts research in low-temperature physics, is a member of APS, AAPT and NSTA. The Science House increases student enthusiasm for science by partnering with K-12 teachers and promotes hands-on, inquiry-based science learning. It is a national model of university collaboration with K-12 schools. The Science House has an extensive outreach program that connects with more than 5,000 teachers and 20,000 students across the state.

E-mail: david_haase@ncsu.edu

 

Alina Gearba, assistant professor of physics, University of Southern Mississippi. A member of AAPT, SPS and the APS, Dr. Gearba also serves as the faculty advisor for the local chapter of SPS. She works with local high schools and invites students and teachers to visit her research lab …"the coldest spot in Mississippi."  E-mail: alina.gearba@usm.edu See all the activities that Dr. Gearba and her students have been conducting in their local community surrounding Absolute Zero.

 

Eric Palm, Millikelvin Facility Chief at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Dr. Palm, a member of APS, has been doing experiments in low temperature for two decades. He works closely with the Lab’s Center for Integrating Research & Learning and has given numerous classroom demonstrations from elementary through high school. E-mail: palm@magnet.fsu.edu

John Pfotenhauer, professor, department of engineering physics, University of Wisconsin. Dr. Pfotenhauer is a member of ASME, ASEE, APS and the Cryogenic Society of America and president of the Cryogenic Engineering Conference. He will disseminate Absolute Zero materials to high school teachers and incorporate Absolute Zero in his low-temperature demonstrations at the University.
E-mail: pfot@engr.wisc.edu

Roberto Ramos, assistant professor of physics, Drexel University. A member of APS and AAPT, Dr. Ramos also serves as a faculty advisor to physics students. He has already begun to incorporate Absolute Zero materials in his classes.

E-mail: rcr32@drexel.edu

Greg Swift, fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr. Swift is a member of APS, the Acoustical Society of America and the Cryogenic Society of America. He was a member of the original Los Alamos Low-Temperature Physics Group.

E-mail: swift@LANL.gov

Dwight Whitaker, assistant professor of physics, Williams College. A member of APS and AAPT, Dr. Whitaker plans to make Absolute Zero presentations to middle schools and high schools in Williamstown, Mass. E-mail: dwhitaker@williams.edu

 

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LOCAL RESOURCES

Here are some examples of these types of activities that are already happening and web sites where you can find information about upcoming presentations and speakers:

• NEW! - The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory's:
  "Cryogenics for English Majors"
  
  
• Univeristy of Colorado at Boulder - The CU Wizards are CU professors in the sciences who donate their knowledge, time, expertise and energy creating entertaining and engaging science shows for free to the public.

http://www.colorado.edu/physics/Web/wizards/cuwizards.html

• The Franklin Institute's Liquid Air Show  - visitors learn about the different states of matter and get to be a part of experiments with liquid nitrogen.
  
  
• Society of Physics Students
  • K-12 Outreach
  • Visits to Local High Schools
  • Planetarium Field Trips from Local Elementary Schools
    
    
• AAPT Physics Teachers Resource Agents (PTRA) and their Workshops
  • Provides professional development to teachers of physics and physical science
  • There are more than 100 accomplished high school teacher-leaders trained and updated yearly to conduct extensive series of workshops in their local regions throughout the U.S.
    
    
• NIST
  • Career Awareness and Resource Education Program (CARE) at NIST Boulder (Community outreach program that promotes math and science awareness for 4th through 12th grade)
  • NIST - Gaithersburg, MD - the institute's employees participate in many educational activities in conjunction with local schools both public and private as well as higher education institutions.
    
    
• Department of Energy Labs - some examples include:

Education Web sites at DOE Labs and Facilities

Jefferson Labs Physics Fest ( Newport News, VA) includes “Deep Freeze” - a Cryogenic presentation

Office of Science: Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists

Ask A Scientist - Argonne National Laboratory's- focuses on questions from K-12 students and teachers that are not commonly found in libraries, reference books or text books.

TOURS

• University of Florida's Microkelvin Laboratory - http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~mkelvin/2/EducationIndex.html