Individual Award for Excellence in Physics Mentoring

理查德卡德纳斯博士曾担任物理和地球科学系主任在圣玛丽？大学自2004年以来。他于2002年促成了物理学生协会的成立，目前担任该组织的首席顾问。此外，卡德纳斯博士于2003年发起了物理学计划的节日，自成立以来，该计划已向居住在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥的圣玛丽大学周围地区的15，000多个家庭提供了科学教育。该计划影响低收入的少数民族家庭，否则他们可能不会考虑从事科学事业或了解自然世界在他们日常生活中的作用。作为一个主要的辅导活动，圣玛丽的学生帮助开发编程和进行实验，他们采取的各种学校在周边地区。在过去的六年里，卡德纳斯博士亲自指导了60多个物理专业，和500多个圣玛丽？的学生，主要来自科学，但也从非科学专业，参加了物理程序的节日。为了准备和教授物理学节日的科学实验，学生必须对基本物理学和其他科学原理有很好的理解，并实现深度学习，超越通常作为知识的肤浅记忆。爱因斯坦曾经说过：“如果你能？“不要向一个六岁的孩子解释相对论，你不理解它。物理学生的节日已经把爱因斯坦的观察到心脏，因为他们准备解释各种科学原理，许多六到十奥尔兹和他们的家人，其中许多人表示，他们希望成为科学家在未来。此外，圣玛丽的学生对科学本身也产生了更大的好奇心和兴趣，超过80%的物理专业学生继续进入研究生院攻读博士学位。其他许多人继续在地区高中任教。这一节日物理方案覆盖了数千名儿童及其家庭，他们以前对科学不感兴趣，而且往往由缺乏科学领域教育和培训的教师授课。通常，科学教师认识到他们的局限性，并积极招募卡德纳斯博士把物理的节日到他们的学校。由于资源有限，物理嘉年华已限制其节目的埃奇伍德独立学区，在得克萨斯州最贫穷的学区之一。目前，有一个等待名单的学校以外的埃奇伍德区，希望把物理嘉年华给他们的学生。为了尝试和容纳更多的学校，每年两次的物理嘉年华通过校园内的盛会为所有希望参加的学校提供编程。科学示范帮助了学校的孩子们参加国家规定的成绩测试。2009年春季计划有300多名与会者，其中大部分是四年级或五年级学生。越来越多的非科学专业谁想要参加社区教育外展被吸引到该计划。

Dr. Richard Cardenas has served as the chair of the Physics and Earth Science department at St. Mary?s University since 2004. He facilitated the formation of the Society of Physics Students in 2002 and presently serves as the principal adviser to this group. In addition, Dr. Cardenas initiated the Fiesta of Physics Program in 2003, and since its inception the program has provided science education outreach to more than 15,000 families who live in the area surrounding St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. This program impacts low income, minority families who otherwise may not consider a science career or understand the role the natural world plays in their day-to-day lives. As a primary mentoring activity, St. Mary's students help develop the programming and conduct the experiments that they take to the various schools in the surrounding area. Over the past six years, Dr. Cardenas has personally mentored over 60 physics majors, and over 500 St. Mary?s students, primarily from the sciences but also from non-science majors, have participated in the Fiesta of Physics program. In order to prepare and teach the science experiments in Fiesta of Physics, students must have a good understanding of basic physics and other science principles and achieve deep learning that transcends the superficial memorization that often serves as knowledge. Einstein once stated that "if you can?t explain relativity to a six-year old, you don't understand it". Fiesta of Physics students have taken Einstein's observation to heart as they prepare to explain a variety of science principles to many six through ten-year olds and their families, many of whom indicated that they would like to become scientists in the future. In addition, the St. Mary's students develop greater curiosity and interest in science themselves, and over 80% of physics majors go on to attend graduate school to seek Ph.Ds. Many others go on to teach in area high schools. This Fiesta Physics Program reaches thousands of children and their families who have earlier not been interested in science and who are often taught by teachers who lack education and training in science fields. Frequently, science teachers recognize their limitations and actively recruit Dr. Cardenas to bring the Fiesta of Physics to their schools. Due to resource limitations, Fiesta of Physics has limited its programming to the Edgewood Independent School District, one of the poorest school districts in Texas. Currently, there is a waiting list of schools outside the Edgewood District that want to bring Fiesta of Physics to their students. To try and accommodate more schools, twice a year Fiesta of Physics provides programming through an on-campus extravaganza for all schools that wish to participate. Science demonstrations have helped the school children on the state-mandated achievement test. The Spring 2009 program had over 300 attendees most of whom were fourth or fifth graders. Increasingly, non-science majors who want to participate in community education outreach are being drawn to the program.