Lillian C. McDermott
70
History
3/15/10
1973
LCM is an Assistant Professor (first woman on UW physics faculty), teaches
physics course for preservice high school teachers, initiates peer instructor
program, continues development of
PbI
, is Acting PI on ABA’s NSF grant,
becomes research supervisor of three physics graduate students, and begins
PER in UW Physics Dept.
1976
LCM is an Associate Professor with Tenure.
1977
LCM is PI on a series of NSF grants for research on student learning and
development of
PbI
for underprepared students and for K-12 teachers.
1978
LCM is PI on series of NSF grants for 6-week Summer Institutes for K-12
teachers and for research-based development of
PbI.
1979
UW awards first physics Ph.D. for PER to LCM’s graduate student.
First two
PER papers are in
AJP
(12/80, 3/81).
Academic-year Continuation Courses
begin for Summer Institute participants and preservice teachers.
1981
LCM is a Professor.
1984
LCM is at NSF as Director for Precollege Education in Science & Math.
1984 - 1994
MNM is Chair of Physics Department and oversees construction of new
Physics/Astronomy Building.
Department moves to PAB in 1994.
1985
Peter Shaffer joins the Physics Education Group as a physics graduate student.
Tutorials
&
PbI-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990
UW Entry Level Initiative (ELI) motivates beginning of tutorial project.
LCM receives AAPT 1990 Millikan Lecture Award.
1993
Peter becomes a post-doc in the Physics Education Group.
1994
LCM is PI on a series of NSF grants from DUE for research and development
of tutorials for introductory calculus-based physics course.
1995
Peter is a Research Assistant Professor.
Paula Heron joins the Physics Education Group as a post-doc.
1996
Publication of
Physics by Inquiry
by L.C. McDermott and the Physics
Education Group at UW (John Wiley & Sons, NY)
1997
Paula is a Research Assistant Professor.
1998
Publication of
Tutorials in Introductory Physics, Preliminary Edition,
by L.C.
McDermott, P.S. Shaffer and the Physics Education Group at UW (Prentice
Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ)
1999
Paula is an Assistant Professor.
LCM is PI on NSF grant to produce Physics by Inquiry: A Video Resource in
collaboration with WGBH Boston (2001 CINDY Award)
Donna Messina becomes full-time member of the Physics Education Group.
2001
Peter is a Research Associate Professor.
Lillian C. McDermott
71
History
3/15/10
MacKenzie Stetzer is appointed a post-doc in the Physics Education Group.
LCM receives AAPT 2001 Oersted Award.
2002
Publication of
Tutorials in Introductory Physics, First Edition
.
LCM receives the 2002 ICPE Medal (international physics education award).
2003
Paula is an Associate Professor with tenure.
2004
Peter is an Associate Professor with tenure.
2006
LCM is PI on DUE Phase 3 grant to improve student learning in physics at the
undergraduate level and beyond.
2007
Paula is a Professor.
MacKenzie is a Research Assistant Professor.
LCM is PI on DR-K12 for grant for research to improve teacher learning
2008
Peter is a Professor.
1979 – 2008
22 graduate students in Physics Education Group earn physics Ph.D. for PER.
2008
Physics Education Group receives APS Excellence in Physics Education
Award.
Appendix A:
Prehistory (before September 1962)
I think that my formal and informal education, from early childhood to the time that this
history begins, strongly influenced my choice of field for research.
The seeds of my future
professional life had probably been planted during my elementary, high school, college, and
graduate school years.
I was born in Manhattan and grew up in the northern part of the island, which was
relatively unsettled compared to most of New York City.
My formal education began with P.S.
187, the local public school.
What I recall most clearly about my K-8 elementary school was the
emphasis that my seventh-grade teacher placed on English grammar.
I also remember “skipping”
the first half of the third grade, when long division was taught.
This was a skill that I learned from
my father.
He taught me not only the logic of arithmetic but also the mythology and history of
ancient Greece.
I learned the language from my parents, both of whom were born there.
My
bilingual childhood was reinforced by weekly three-hour Greek lessons, in which my brother,
George, and I were joined by several other children who came to our apartment.
Our Greek
teacher was a stickler for grammar and the underlying logic of the language.
She constantly made
connections to the English equivalents.
(Perhaps that is why I remember my seventh grade
English lessons as well as I do.)
Besides reading, spelling, and grammar, we studied ancient and
modern Greek history.
Apart from its intellectual value, this heritage influenced my later life in
other ways.
The warm hospitality characteristic of the culture inspired the efforts that Mark and I
