Thursday, April 16, 2015
In what has become an annual tradition, the Society of Physics Students presented its highest honor, the Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award, during an awards session at the American Association of Physics Teachers 2015 Winter Meeting. Randy Booker of the University of North Carolina at Asheville was the distinguished 2014 recipient. The award celebrates an individual who has made exceptional contributions toward promoting student leadership, developing a broad spectrum of activities, and inspiring enthusiastic student participation.
Booker has been a tireless champion for SPS, both in his local chapter and at the national level. The UNC Asheville SPS chapter has won the society’s Outstanding Chapter Award for 12 consecutive years. The chapter’s service activities include helping K-12 students by teaching Super Saturday classes and volunteering at the annual Science Olympiad hosted on campus. The chapter also has arranged behind-the-scenes tours for physics students of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. And just for fun, the chapter socializes with liquid nitrogen ice cream parties and by carving jack-o’-lanterns with famous physics equations. Booker has also served for several years on the SPS National Council. By seamlessly picking up where the classroom efforts leave off to ensure the success of students, he has impacted countless lives. For these reasons and more, Randy Booker is truly an outstanding SPS chapter advisor.