American Physical Society
APS Physics
Abbreviation	APS
Formation	May 20, 1899
Type	Scientific
Purpose/focus	To advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics
Location	USA
Membership	47,000
Website	http://www.aps.org/

The American Physical Society was founded in 1899 and is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen science journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than twenty science meetings each year. The American Physical Society (APS Physics) has over 47,000 members.

Contents 1 Brief history 2 Why Not American Physics Society? 3 Climate Change 4 Career center 5 Lilienfeld Prize 6 J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Brief history

The American Physical Society was founded on May 20, 1899, when thirty-six physicists gathered at Columbia University for that purpose. They proclaimed the mission of the new Society to be "to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics", and in one way or another the APS has been at that task ever since. In the early years, virtually the sole activity of the APS was to hold scientific meetings, initially four per year. In 1913, the APS took over the operation of the Physical Review, which had been founded in 1893 at Cornell University, and journal publication became its second major activity. The Physical Review was followed by Reviews of Modern Physics in 1929 and by Physical Review Letters in 1958. Over the years, Phys. Rev. has subdivided into five separate sections as the fields of physics proliferated and the number of submissions grew.

In more recent years, the activities of the Society have broadened considerably. Stimulated by the increase in Federal funding in the period after the Second World War, and even more by the increased public involvement of scientists in the 1960s, the APS is active in public and governmental affairs, and in the international physics community. In addition, the Society conducts extensive programs in education, science outreach, and media relations. APS has 14 divisions and 11 topical groups covering all areas of physics research. There are 6 forums that reflect the interest of its 47,000 members in broader issues, and 9 sections organized by geographical region.

In 1999, APS Physics celebrated its Centennial with the biggest-ever physics meeting in Atlanta. In 2005, APS took the lead role in United States participation in the World Year of Physics, initiating several programs to broadly publicize physics during the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein's annus mirabilis. Einstein@Home, one of the projects APS initiated during World Year of Physics, is an ongoing and popular distributed computing project.

[edit] Why Not American Physics Society?

Changing the name of the American Physical Society to American Physics Society was proposed in the 2005 election year. According to an electronic poll conducted by APS in summer 2005, the majority of APS members preferred the name American Physics Society. However, because of legal issues, the planned name change was eventually abandoned by the APS Executive Board. APS News - November 2005

To promote public recognition of APS as a physics society while retaining the name American Physical Society, the APS Executive Board adopted a new logo encorporating the phrase "APS Physics." General use of "APS Physics" to refer to APS or the American Physical Society is encouraged. The new "APS Physics" logo was designed by Kerry G. Johnson.

Marvin Cohen, LBNL Faculty Senior Scientist, University Professor of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, who was APS President in November 2005, when the logo was approved by the Executive Board, said, "I like the logo. At least now when you are in an elevator at an APS meeting and someone looks at your badge, they won't ask you about sports." APS News - January 2006

[edit] Climate Change

In 2007, APS adopted an official statement on climate change:

Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth's climate. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide as well as methane, nitrous oxide and other gases. They are emitted from fossil fuel combustion and a range of industrial and agricultural processes.

The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring. If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earth’s physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases beginning now."^[1]

[edit] Career center

The APS Careers in Physics website is a gateway for physicists, students, and physics enthusiasts to information about physics jobs and careers. APS Careers in Physics has an award winning job board, offers professional development advice through its website and blog, and provides links to workshops, grants, and career resources.

[edit] Lilienfeld Prize

APS has awarded the Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize annually since 1989, excepting 2002. The purpose of the Prize is to recognize outstanding contributions to physics. Among the recipients are Michael Berry, Alan Guth, Stephen Hawking, Frank Wilczek and others.^[2]

[edit] J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics

APS awards the J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics at its annual meeting to honor outstanding achievement in particle physics theory. It is a memorial to particle physicist J. J. Sakurai, endowed by his family and friends.^[3]

[edit] See also

• American Institute of Physics
• Physical Review
• Fluid Dynamics Prize
• Otto Laporte Award (1972–2003)
• Aneesur Rahman Prize
• Max Delbruck Prize, formally the biological physics prize
• David Adler Lectureship Award in the Field of Materials Physics

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• American Physical Society web page
• APS Physics Jobs Opportunities
• APS Physics Careers & Jobs Blog
• APS sponsored Einstein@Home page
• APS news on proposed name change
• Bulletin of the American Physical Society (BAPS) — freely available technical programs of APS general meetings and various unit meetings of APS Physics.