Australian Institute of Physics

Tasmanian Branch

(ABN: 81 004 566 509)

AIP Annual Report 2003

It is customary to feel a sense of anticipation and a certain amount of trepidation at the start of a new year --- plans and programmes are at an embryonic stage and there is all to prepare and do.  2003 was no different from any other year, but I am pleased to report that all our initiatives and activities fell into shape as time progressed and we ended up with a full and varied set of events, some forecast, some not.  It is great help to chairs of committees when all members, possessing their own particular skills, assist with the day-to-day tasks as it greatly alleviates the burden of the principal office bearers. Thus I would like to take the opportunity to thank the members of the Tasmanian Branch for their generous participation and assistance in the committee work.   I have summarized below all the noteworthy activities under self-explanatory headings; any elaboration is to be found at the end of each section, but purely financial matters are of course left to the Treasurer’s report.

 

Council Matters

Three issues were raised by our Branch at the Council meeting in February, namely that

  1. The AIP Executive investigate the possibility of providing one year’s free graduate membership to all honours students in physics enrolled at tertiary institutions;
  2. AIP promotional material be updated;
  3. $2000 be provided over two years for a project on a “History of Physics in Tasmania”.

I am pleased to say that all have been taken on Board: (1) the Executive will review the matter of automatic AIP student membership, in line with the new grades to be proposed --- itself tied to a revised constitution; (2) AIP promotional leaflets have been newly produced and distributed to all branches; (3) the historical project was approved and Dr A G Fenton has kindly agreed to undertake the necessary research.  In the latest issue of the Physicist members will have received further notification about benefits of belonging to the AIP and will have been advised that the constitution is in the process of being updated. In addition, a revised Science Policy document is being finalized. Last but not least we have been informed about the change of the secretariat offices.

Lecture Programme

Summaries of these talks have been reported at some length in the Physicist, so I would like to thank mainly Dr Marc Duldig, as Tasmanian Associate Editor, for his contributions in this regard.

 

Prizes and Sponsorship

As in previous years we offered the AIP prize to the best third year Physics student; this was won in 2003 by Mr Stas Shabala. (We also regularly supplement the University second year Physics prize to an acceptable level.)  Support for the Tasmanian Science Talent Search has been increased from $100 to $150 and our prize was awarded this year to Amy Bendzula and Alexandra Dowsin of Fahan School for the best Physics project.

The Annual Physics Quiz was held at Launceston College on 30th August with all prizes being impressively scooped by Friends School.  It is appropriate that I record my gratitude to the sponsors here: the Australian Antarctic Division, the Bureau of Meteorology, the QVMAG, COMALCO (Bell Bay), Moonraker Technology and the School of Mathematics and Physics.  We are currently soliciting teachers for ideas to alter possibly the format of the quiz, with the aim of boosting the school participation rate and to make the event somehow more exciting and varied.

I particularly enjoyed attending The Solar Boat/Car Racing Carnival at Woodbridge High School in April, as the AIP representative. This was clearly a fun event and I was most impressed by the speed and streamlined contours of the winning model boat.

Branch members also actively participated in promoting Physics during National Science Week and on University Open Days.

 

Other matters

Our branch membership number currently stands at 49, a relatively static figure.  It does concern me that fully nine amongst these represent “retired” members.  However the profile is not all bad, since seven are “graduate” and eleven are “student”. This is a good sign for the future, provided we can involve them more actively in AIP activities.  My New Year’s Resolution is to bring in new blood as so many of the current branch committee have been willing horses for many years; it is surely time for a changing of the guard!

A Teacher Professional Development Seminar was held on the 9th and 10th December 2002.  Apart from the usual discussions about teaching/learning, syllabus development, curricula, etc. there were interesting physics talks about the upper atmosphere, plants living with salinity, neutrinos and X-rays.  Dr Newman deserves special thanks once again for organizing the seminar.

I would also like to mention my attendance at a Forum, arranged by the newly formed Tasmanian Science and Technology Council (TSTC), on 17th May 2003.  This was organized in order to redraft an industry plan formulated by the TSTC members, with further input from interested parties.  Although there was general consensus that the tasks, activities and strategies were quite well thought out, many of us suggested that they needed to be stated in a shorter and less equivocal manner. We have since been advised by the Chairman of TSTC that any changes to that document will be minimal, which is rather disappointing.

Finally it gives me pleasure to record that Dr AG Fenton FAIP was awarded an AM at the Queen’s Birthday for “his outstanding services in the field of cosmic radiation research”. Congratulations Geoff!

 

Acknowledgements

I have already expressed my gratitude to the committee members for their general support, but I wish to single out Dr Chelkowska who has undertaken the exacting secretarial job with energy and enthusiasm, Dr Duldig for his help in publicity matters and Dr Haynes & Dr Ellingsen for taking a lot of trouble with organizing speakers for the MacAulay Winter Lecture Series.

 

 

R Delbourgo,  18/11/03.