Summary comments from the meeting overall:
Attendance: Aaron Votroubek, Tom Boggess, Brian Strayer, George Ludwig, Don Gurnett, Wayne Polyzou, Ken Gayley, Dean Gorrell, Allan Tribble, Ted Bahns, Evan Sengbush
Tom Boggess updated the group on the state of the program and introduced new board members.
Dean Gorrell was appointed as the new Chair for the next three years.
All current board members have elected to continue serving.
There was discussion of the need for the department to become better represented in University and Alumni sponsored publications.
Tom solicited names for future board members. The goal is to come up with a list of 4 or 5 names as potential new members for next year's board meeting.
It was decided that this year we would work on all issues as a group and not split into subcommittees.
The formation of a committee to pursue a Van Allen scholarship was discussed.
Brian Strayer was elected to head this committee with Don Gurnett, George Ludwig and Allen Tribble serving as members.
Reports from Subcommittees
Recruitment, Retention and Placement
Placement
- Encourage faculty to schedule alumni who work in different types of positions (i.e., industry, academia, government labs, etc.) to give periodic talks during classes
- Explore externship opportunities with the state of Iowa
Recruitment
- Public Relations -- market physics as a major and the Department during community outreach activities. A suggestion was to have Don Gurnett set up a public lecture at Drake University
- Plan and coordinate a project competition. This will bring in groups of students, parents and teachers.
Action: Wayne and Aaron will begin work on this in the hopes of scheduling the competition for sometime in the Fall of 2005 that will award $1-1,500 to the winning project.
Retention
- Hold annual focus group meetings with incoming freshmen, juniors and seniors separately
Action: Craig and Aaron will schedule these sessions throughout the year.
- Place more importance on faculty interaction during recruiting visits
- Develop a "Fact" brochure that includes testimonial from alumni and comments from other (ie. Students, faculty, staff)
Action: Aaron will work with faculty and staff in drafting this brochure.
- Need for better faculty advising
Action: Evan and Wayne will meet to work on enhancing the advising experience
- Engage faculty in student career advisement and facilitate research opportunities for undergraduates
Action: Tom and Don will work with faculty
Outreach
Don Gurnett mentioned building a P&A museum and planetarium. It may also be helpful to enlist help from the area science center. Jim Larew should be contacted if this program is still operating.
- Target areas to local high school science professors
- Hawk-Eyes on Science, Family Adventures in Science, Open House
- Message -- encouraging your students to go into physics. Before this can happen, teachers need a better understanding of physics as a discipline.
George Ludwig plans to communicate with the curators of the satellite display at Dulles airport in Washington D.C.
Industrial Relations
Subcommittee - Ted Bahns, Bryant Hichwa, Tom Boggess, Diane Gallagher
- Connecting with Iowa companies and those from out of state. To be successful, we will need connections with both types of companies.
Action: Ted, Allen and Brian agreed to coordinate tours of their respective businesses for interested students. Possibly enlist the help from the SPS group?
- Make more contact with corridor groups and regional businesses
Action: Contact the State of Iowa A+ program for entrepreneurialship and also contact Oakdale businesses for the same purpose
James A. Van Allen Scholarship
Committee members (Brian Strayer, Alan Tribble, Don Gurnett and George Ludwig) charged with identifying potential donors with the goal of raising $150,000 for the purpose of establishing a Van Allen Scholarship.
Action: Brian will head the group and spearhead activities by contacting Michael Kingan at the UI Foundation.
