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Physics Prof Wins National Award
By Molly Exner
UW-RF News Bureau
FEB. 18, 2005--UW-River Falls physics Professor Earl Blodgett received
the 2003-04 Outstanding Chapter Adviser Award of the Society of Physics
Students for his impressive contributions to the physics community and
his nurturing support of physics activities at the University.
The award was presented at the winter meeting of the American Association
of Physics Teachers on Jan. 8-12 in Albuquerque, N.M. During the ceremonial
session, SPS President Karen Williams presented the award. Blodgett's
award consisted of a plaque and $5,000, divided among the adviser, the
chapter and the department.
Blodgett, UW-RF SPS chapter adviser since 1997 and on his sixth year as
SPS Zone 9 Councilor, says he was surprised to "beat out the tough
competition." Actually having been nominated the year prior to receiving
his award, Blodgett was re-nominated by UW-RF students and faculty who
wrote new letters of recommendation.
Nearly 400 SPS chapters exist across the country, and each chapter has
a faculty adviser. Each year students and faculty can nominate their adviser
to be recognized as the national outstanding chapter adviser. A dozen
people were nominated along with Blodgett this past year.
Blodgett said, "I knew a had chance, but I also know a lot of outstanding
chapter advisers, so I wasn't counting on it."
UW-RF College of Arts and Sciences Dean Gorden Hedahl says it's nice to
see that Blodgett's work is so respected on a national level. "We
are very proud that he's been recognized with an Outstanding Adviser Award.
Earl is a wonderfully involved and committed adviser, both for his individual
advisees and with the local chapter of the SPS. The University's local
chapter has been recognized for its excellence by the SPS for the last
few years. This is a testament both to the quality of our physics program
and our students, and to the quality of Earl's advising. Our undergraduate
physics program is one of the best in the nation and this award helps
to verify that."
From introductory courses through advanced labs, Blodgett says he greatly
enjoys teaching the experimental side of physics. By constantly re-examining
and improving how the University's introductory courses are taught, Blodgett
dedicates a lot of his time to learning more about how students learn
physics.
Since he was in the third grade, Blodgett says he knew he was going to
be a physics instructor. Blodgett said he would pester his sister, who
was a physics major at UW-RF, to explain what it was she was studying;
for example, how if a person drops something from an airplane they could
come up with a simple equation to describe where it would land. He said
he knew then he never wanted to do anything else.
Blodgett has been teaching at UW-RF since 1986 when he was "fresh
out of graduate school." He still lives on the family farm in Boyceville,
Wis. "Even though I drive 47 miles everyday, I've always loved River
Falls and have never wanted to work elsewhere."
Blodgett says the biggest challenge as chapter adviser is getting freshmen
involved. "They're always reluctant to get pulled into organizations
they're not sure of or even if their schedules will allow it. You've got
to encourage them and keep them up to date on what the organization is
doing."
Blodgett says the fun starts once a group is established and students
feel comfortable taking charge of what's ultimately theirs. "We've
had great students who've been active in the chapter for a year or two
and then start taking the lead and coming up with ideas or opportunities,
which ultimately helps other students get involved."
Blodgett says he's basically there to support students when they come
up with ideas for projects, giving them guidance before they get too carried
away.
"It takes an outstanding chapter and outstanding students to make
an outstanding adviser," Blodgett says. "I couldn't have done
it without them."
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Monday, 21-Feb-2005 12:30:21 CST
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