American Physical Society
Thirty-six physicists gathered inside a room at Columbia University on the 20th of May 1899. They formed a new organization to advance and diffuse knowledge of physics. The group met four times each year during those early decades. Holding scientific meetings remained their only major activity for many years. No other programs existed in the first few decades of the society's life.
The American Physical Society took over operation of the Physical Review journal in 1913. This publication had been founded at Cornell University twenty years earlier. Journal publishing became the second major activity after the initial focus on meetings. Reviews of Modern Physics arrived in 1929 while Physical Review Letters began in 1958. Phys. Rev. eventually subdivided into five separate sections as submissions grew. Today the society publishes seventeen international research journals including open access titles like PRX Quantum.
Federal funding increased significantly in the period following the Second World War. Scientists became more involved with public affairs during the 1960s. The APS expanded its role in government affairs and international physics communities. Education programs and science outreach initiatives developed alongside these changes. The society now organizes more than twenty science meetings annually. A distributed computing project called Einstein@Home continues to engage the public today.
Forty-seven units organize the membership through divisions forums sections and topical groups. The Division of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics was created in 1943 as the oldest division. It manages awards such as the Davisson-Germer Prize for surface physics. Biological Physics stands as the second largest learned society globally with over two thousand members. Computational Physics also maintains a membership exceeding two thousand people. Geographical regions form nine sections ranging from New England to Texas.
The Bridge Program targets underrepresented minority students seeking doctoral degrees in physics. Institutions receive National Science Foundation funding to prepare post-baccalaureate students. A scholarship program established in 1980 supports undergraduate majors from minority backgrounds. Three-day regional conferences help women continue their studies in physics departments. Site visit programs by the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics examine university climates. These efforts aim to improve participation rates across all career stages.
APS Physics celebrated its centennial event in Atlanta during 1999. This gathering became the biggest-ever physics meeting held at that time. An electronic poll conducted in summer 2005 showed most members preferred American Physics Society. Legal reasons caused the Executive Board to abandon the planned name change proposal. The board adopted a new logo incorporating the phrase APS Physics instead. A replacement logo arrived on the 1st of November 2022 to update public recognition.
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Common questions
When and where did the American Physical Society form?
Thirty-six physicists gathered inside a room at Columbia University on the 20th of May 1899 to form the organization. They met four times each year during those early decades as their only major activity.
What journals does the American Physical Society publish today?
The society publishes seventeen international research journals including open access titles like PRX Quantum. Reviews of Modern Physics arrived in 1929 while Physical Review Letters began in 1958.
Which division of the American Physical Society was created first?
The Division of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics was created in 1943 as the oldest division. It manages awards such as the Davisson-Germer Prize for surface physics.
How does the American Physical Society support underrepresented minority students?
The Bridge Program targets underrepresented minority students seeking doctoral degrees with National Science Foundation funding. A scholarship program established in 1980 supports undergraduate majors from minority backgrounds.
Why did the American Physical Society change its name proposal in 2005?
Legal reasons caused the Executive Board to abandon the planned name change proposal after an electronic poll showed most members preferred American Physics Society. The board adopted a new logo incorporating the phrase APS Physics instead.