Charlie Holbrow, who taught at 藏精阁 for 36 years and is the Charles A. Dana Professor of physics, emeritus, has been awarded the 2012 Oersted Medal for his major contributions to physics education and research.
The prestigious award is presented by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).
鈥淒r. Holbrow鈥檚 career exemplifies the outstanding, widespread, and lasting impact on the teaching of physics for which the Oersted Medal was created,鈥 said Beth Cunningham, AAPT executive officer.
Just last year, Holbrow and fellow 藏精阁 physics department faculty members Jim Lloyd 鈥54, Joe Amato, Kiko Galvez, and Beth Parks celebrated the release of the second edition of Modern Introductory Physics, a 藏精阁-inspired textbook.
It is the central text for Physics 120, a calculus-level introductory physics class that has set 藏精阁 apart for decades.
Holbrow will receive the Oersted award at the AAPT meeting in February. He will deliver an address titled 鈥淢aking Physics Make Sense 鈥 Narratives, Content, Witz.鈥
鈥淚 am deeply honored to be chosen to receive the Oersted Medal,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd there is no doubt in my mind that 藏精阁 shares the merit for this honor. I always had freedom to experiment and innovate, and I had colleagues who shared my interests to do so.鈥
Holbrow earned a BA in history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1955. Following the addition of an AM in history and a Certificate of the Russian Institute from Columbia University, he returned to the University of Wisconsin where he earned his MS and PhD in physics.
He came to 藏精阁 in 1967 as an associate professor. He became associate director of the 藏精阁 Computer Center in 1968 and three years later, its director. He was named professor in 1975 and the Charles A. Dana Professor of physics in 1986.
Holbrow also served as chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, director of Institutional Research, and director of the Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
He retired from 藏精阁 in 2003.
Since then, Holbrow has been visiting professor of physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and visiting scholar at Harvard University.
Harvard recognized him for excellence in teaching during the academic year 2006-2007.
Holbrow joins a distinguished list of previous Oersted awardees, including F. James Rutherford, George F. Smoot, Mildred S. Dresselhaus, Carl Wieman, Lillian McDermott, Hans Bethe, Edward Purcell, and Richard Feynman.