Crystal Bailey, Careers Program Manager, American Physical Society

In November, APS announced the publication of the Joint Task Force on Undergraduate Physics Programs (J-TUPP) report which addresses ways to enhance the career readiness of undergraduate physics students. APS is also proud to announce a new program, called PIPELINE, which is focused on developing and disseminating approaches to integrating innovation and entrepreneurship-focused experiences into the physics curriculum. These experiences are designed to explicitly prepare students for careers beyond academia - a goal which is strongly aligned with the J-TUPP report recommendations. You can learn more about the PIPELINE program on the APS website.

PIPELINE brings together the efforts of six institutions (Loyola University Maryland, Rochester Institute of Technology, William and Mary, The George Washington University, the University of Colorado Denver, and Wright State University) to develop activities which convey professional skills (e.g. leadership, communication skills), develop a deep technological expertise that can be applied to innovative solutions (e.g. maker spaces, laboratory prototyping), and create a greater familiarity with private sector concepts (e.g. intellectual property, business structures). The project will also advance our understanding of how the adoption of these practices affect student and faculty attitudes towards innovation and entrepreneurship in physics.

Developed materials will be disseminated through sessions at APS and AAPT meetings, as well as through the PIPELINE website. A special mailing list has also been established to provide monthly updates on new developments in physics innovation and entrepreneurship (PIE) education. Visit the PIE webpage to join this list, and to access information and resources to help you teach PIE at your institution.

In explicitly supporting the career development of physics graduates, the PIE movement can make the physics discipline more robust, more diverse, and more able to capitalize on its natural habits of innovation in order to solve important global problems. We hope that you’ll take a look at the important work that’s being done and consider joining a growing community of PIE practitioners.

Disclaimer – The articles and opinion pieces found in this issue of the APS Forum on Education Newsletter are not peer refereed and represent solely the views of the authors and not necessarily the views of the APS.