For the seventh time in nine years, Stony Brook University has been recognized by the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) as a member of the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) 5+ Club for its work in graduating nine physics teachers in the 2022-2023 academic year.
This achievement was accomplished through the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, part of the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Physics and Astronomy, administered by the Institute for STEM Education and the School of Professional Development.
“In this science and technology-driven modern society, early physics education is increasingly important. In recent years, the Department of Physics and Astronomy has been a national leader in producing well-qualified high school teachers through its MAT program, now directed by Professor Angela Kelly,” said Chang Kee Jung, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “We have received the 5+ Club recognition seven out of the past nine years, and in Academic Year 2022-23, we graduated nine new physics teachers, which is a historic record for our MAT program. As the chair of the department I challenge the program to become a member of the 10+ Club, which is yet to be established. We are very close to achieving this goal and I am very proud of our MAT program.”
“The SBU Department of Physics has a long history of excellence in physics teacher preparation, which grew under the stewardship of Dr. Robert McCarthy for many years,” said Angela Kelly, professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for STEM Education and director of the MAT Program. “We plan on redoubling our recruitment efforts to reach the Chair’s goal of 10 physics teachers per year to serve secondary students on Long Island and beyond.”
According to APS and AAPT, graduating more than five physics teachers in an academic year places SBU in the 99th percentile among U.S. colleges and universities. With a shortage of qualified physics teachers in the United States, SBU’s MAT program serves as a driver in addressing this shortage. The MAT program was previously identified as a thriving physics teacher education program in PhysTEC's 2018 study of eight exemplary programs nationwide.