UATP Program

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UATP — Sponsored by CATS, the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars
UATP PROGRAM   (
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27 JULY WED 
4:00 p – Informal tour of antique physics instruments
6:00 p – 7:15 p Dinner — City Campus Student Union; Welcome –The UATP challenge
7:30 p – 8:45 p

Public Lecture — Union Auditorium: The New Astronomy of LIGODuncan Brown, Syracuse U

28 JULY THU: AREAS OF DISCOVERY — all plenary sessions are in Jorgensen 110
  8:30 –   8:45 a Welcome from UNL
  8:45 –   9:35 a X-ray Views on the Physics of the Universe — David Helfand, Quest University Canada & Columbia University
  9:35 – 10:25 a Keynote speech:  New Horizons in Physics Education  Roger Blandford, KIPAC, Stanford University 
10:25 – 10:55 a break & posters
10:55 – 11:45 a Interpreting Hubble’s Law  Barbara Ryden, Ohio State University
11:45 – 12:35 p Research on Students’ Learning of Astronomy: Clues for Ways to Get Students to Learn Physics  Edward Prather, University of Arizona
12:35 –  1:30 p lunch
  1:30 –  2:20 p Using Astronomy to Motivate and Teach Introductory Mechanics – Joseph Amato, Colgate University
  2:20 –  2:50 p Set up working groups to define & prioritize strategies
  2:50 –  4:45 p Working groups consider & recommend actions: subjects to cover; ideas for articles to write, etc. (each group decides the time of its mid-afternoon break)
 5:00 –  5:45 p Plenary discussion: progress reports; reorganize if necessary; tasks for tomorrow
Evening Morrill Hall dinosaurs until 8:00 pm, then tour UNL physics facilities with Chair Dan Claes
29 JULY FRI: TECHNOLOGIES OF DISCOVERY — Jorgensen 110
  8:30 –   9:20 a The Kepler Mission: Searching for Planets using 17th Century Physics (with a few modern twists) Doug Caldwell, NASA-SETI
  9:20 – 10:00 a High Energy Astrophysics: Auger Observatory Greg Snow, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
10:00 – 10:30 a break & posters
10:30 – 10:50 a LIGO: Teaching its physics Duncan Brown, Syracuse University
10:50 – 11:40 a IceCubeKara Hoffman, University of Maryland
12:00 –   1:15 p lunch
  1:15 –   1:35 p Image Analysis Software: Alternatives to IRAF — Richard Gelderman, Western Kentucky University
  1:45 –   3:30 p Working groups
  3:30 –   5:00 p Plenary: progress reports from groups; possible actions: books, articles, web materials, syllabi, etc.
Evening – 7:00 pm Tour UNL Diocles Laser; explore Lincoln; prepare reports
30 JULY SAT: ACTION AGENDA
8:30 – 10:00 a

Working groups complete reports; identify articles to write, websites to set up, problems to compile, texts and semi-popular monographs to write; syllabi to prepare.

Identify possible authors. Identify important topics for 2012 Gordon Research Conference; identify possible speakers & session organizers. 

10:00 – 10:30 a break & evaluations
10:30 – 12:00 m Plenary session to hear reports and recommendations of working groups.
12:00 m Adjourn