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GRCC Physics honored as "exemplary"
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| The American Association of Physics
Teachers has honored the GRCC physics department for
"demonstrated excellence" that makes it one of ten "exemplary
two-year college physics programs" in the United States. The
final project report of the American Association of Physics
Teachers (AAPT) was published in 2005. |
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In choosing Green River, AAPT General Secretary Mary Beth Monroe said
GRCC has “a truly outstanding program with demonstrated success.” The
AAPT report commended GRCC’s student-centered instruction saying,
“Students are actively involved in the instruction and excited about
what they are learning in physics.” The AAPT applauds all GRCC
physics and IDS classes for the use of innovative inquiry-based
teaching methods, two microcomputer-based laboratories, and technology
as a systematic method of instruction. |
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Tom OKuma,
Martin Mason, and Andy Wallace of AAPT visit with Ajay Narayanan
and Marv Nelson during their study of the GRCC Physics program. |
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Among GRCC’s successes, the AAPT lists:
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an unusually large number of physics,
technology, and math majors,
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extremely high success rates among GRCC grads in physics and
engineering,
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strong and successful enrollments of female and minority
students,
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an unusually strong emphasis on future K-12 teachers,
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high success rates among students taking standardized physics
exams,
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a college administration that is
aware of what goes on in the classroom.
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Tom OKuma
(left) of Lee College and Marv Nelson (right) of GRCC were the
first two-year college teachers in the nation to be honored by
AAPT as "Outstanding Undergraduate Physics Teacher" of the year. |
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The AAPT report on GRCC concludes: “The GRCC physics
program is a stellar program that can serve as a model for other
Two-year College physics programs… The GRCC physics program, SMT
faculty and Administration are to be commended for their dedication
to students and their clear focus on creating an innovative
program.” In 1999,GRCC physics faculty member and
current GRCC Foundation Board member Marv Nelson (near left) was
chosen by the AAPT as the outstanding undergraduate physics
instructor in the country . Among the visiting AAPT faculty was Tom
O'Kuma (left) of Lee College, only the second two-year college
instructor to receive this award. |
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Click here for the full AAPT report on GRCC |
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