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Sigma Pi Sigma
Honor Society to Convene for 2004 Quadrennial Congress
College Park, MD, July 15, 2004 – Sigma Pi Sigma, the
physics honor society, invites all members to convene for
the 2004 Quadrennial Congress, October 15-16, 2004, at the
University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. Espousing the
theme “Heritage and Promise,” the congress will
be a working conference during which voting delegates from
chapters nationwide discuss and make recommendations on issues
such as ethics in physics and other topics related to the
society. It will also be a celebration bringing members together
to hear distinguished speakers, bestow society awards and
induct honorary members.
This year’s Sigma Pi Sigma Congress is unique in two
ways. First, it will serve as a kick-off event for the 2005
World Year of Physics, celebrating the centennial of Albert
Einstein’s seminal work. Congress speakers, panel members
and attendees will explore how Einstein’s 1905 contributions
to physics still impact science today. Second, society membership
encompasses a wide range of “hidden physicists,”
physics-trained individuals who have followed a variety of
career paths outside traditional physics, and are therefore
not part of the mainstream physics community. The Congress
will include a special poster session for society members
to share experiences and insights related to their diverse
career paths, and will provide a forum for their feedback
and recommendations to the physics community.
A slate of distinguished speakers has been assembled for
the 2004 Congress, including Jocelyn
Bell Burnell, co-discoverer of pulsars; Carl
Wieman, Nobel Laureate; John Rigden,
author; and John Marburger, Science
Advisor to the President of the United States. In addition,
prominent physicists within the ranks of Sigma Pi Sigma will
address attendees on historical topics such as the Manhattan
Project and will lead panel discussions on ethics in physics.
Sigma Pi Sigma members will also present poster sessions on
physics research, career paths, and plans for celebrating
the 2005 World Year of Physics.
Before the congress convenes Sigma Pi Sigma members are invited
to participate in a private day trip to the Trinity
Site, where the first atomic bomb was detonated in August
1945. The Trinity Site is normally open to the public only
two days a year, but through a special agreement with the
White Sands Missile Range, the site will be open exclusively
for congress participants who arrive a day early to tour,
Thursday, October 14, 2004.
The 2004 Congress will be held in conjunction with the American
Physical Society (APS) Four-Corners
Section Meeting, and regional groups of the Society
of Physics Students (SPS) and the American
Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). For additional information
or to register for the meeting, visit the Sigma Pi Sigma website
at www.SigmaPiSigma.org,
or contact Liz Caron at 301-209-3034 or by e-mail at Lcaron@aip.org.
About Sigma Pi Sigma
Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society, was chartered in
1921 at Davidson College, NC. The society exists to honor
scholarship, encourage interest in physics, promote service,
and provide fellowship. Sigma Pi Sigma has 447 active chapters
nationwide, with more than 80,000 historical members. Members
serve the physics community in many ways, such as supporting
local and national scholarships, grants, and research awards;
representing physics to the public; providing alumni networks;
offering science outreach opportunities; and working for sound
national science policies. Sigma Pi Sigma is an organization
of the American
Institute of Physics (AIP), and is headquartered in College
Park, MD.c
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Liz Caron
American Institute of Physics
301-209-3034 (tel)
301-209-0839 (fax)
Lcaron@aip.org
http://www.SigmaPiSigma.org
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