818 Richmond Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4912
harold.williams@montgomerycollege.edu
Montgomery College at Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus
7600 Takoma Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
Dear Committee,
I am applying for the full-time position in physics/Physical Science Faculty number
2115 at Montgomery College at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. I believe that I
would be able to serve the College better in this position, and I would find it personally
satisfying as well.
I am a physicist and a member of the American Physical Society and the American
Association of Physics Teachers; my Ph.D. was earned in Physics at Louisiana State
University. I have been the physics lab coordinator since September 1992. As physics
lab coordinator, I modernized the physics labs at Montgomery College Takoma
Park/Silver Spring campus, first with Calculator Based Laboratories (CBL) units and
with Vernier Data Loggers, which have probes that measure all of the basic dynamical
variables in physics. If I am chosen for this job I would rewrite many of the PH203 and
PH204 labs to use these probes and Vernier Data Loggers with computers. Several of the
PH203 and PH204 labs already use this equipment.
I have taught Introductory Astronomy, AS101, to non-science majors at
Montgomery College since September 1990. I have been the planetarium coordinator
since September 1990 and present monthly public planetarium programs, grade-specific
planetarium shows by appointment to school groups, and other planetarium shows by
appointment to other groups. I realize that as a physics faculty member I would be giving
up the planetarium coordinators position in order to teach more physics, astronomy, and
geology. I am a member of the American Astronomical Society and an astrophysicist. I
am also an accomplished amateur astronomer, and currently I am again president of the
National Capital Astronomers (NCA). I use three of the Contemporary Laboratory
Exercises in Astronomy (CLEA) activities as lab projects in AS101 and the rest of the
CLEA as lab projects in AS102. I use Janus astrolabes in my instruction in AS101; I
have my students buy them in the bookstore and use the astrolabes to solve problems. I
have taught AS101 (and the same course, PHSC111, at Bowie State University) online
using Blackboard. I have also taught AS101 and AS102 via distance learning using
WebCT, which is the current platform that Montgomery College uses. When I teach
AS101 the traditional way with lecture, recitation, and lab, as I did last semester and will
do again starting January 23 at Montgomery College, I use WebCT as supplemental
support for my students. This past Saturday and Sunday, January 7 and 8, I attended the
workshop at the 207th AAS meeting, “Learning-Centered Astronomy: A Teaching
Excellence Workshop,” and I plan to use additional lecture-tutorials in class starting
January 23; I plan to try out ranking tasks for some homework for the first time.
I am the mentor to the Montgomery College Science Club, and several years ago we
built a Very Low Frequency Inspire Radio with a notch filter that I had acquired, which
makes it less necessary to set up the antenna far away from power line noise. This
summer when I went to “StarQuest II,” in Greenbank, West Virginia, and had the
opportunity to use the small educational radio telescope that receives around 21
centimeters, the HI electron proton spin flip line. I have run teacher workshops in the
summer for teachers in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
I am in the process of applying for the “Maya Worlds in Chiapas, Guatemala,
Honduras, and Belize" study program, which runs June 18-July 29, 2006. I am working
on improving my planetarium program, “Ancient Sky Watchers of Guatemala, Mexico,
Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras, the Maya,” and want to learn more about Mayan
astronomy and culture. This program, besides being a planetarium program, can be used
in AS101 and AS102 and in other courses to internationalize our curriculum. Many of
our students are from one of these countries, and many have Mayan ancestors. The
Mayans were masters of many calendars, some of which we are just learning about now
that most of the Mayan glyphs can finally be read.
In addition to teaching physics and astronomy at Montgomery College, I can and
have taught physical geology, GL101 at Montgomery College. I have also taught
SOSC107, Earth Science, at Southeastern University in the District of Columbia many
times. A syllabus from this course is on the Web at
http://astrolabes.org/SOSC107/syllabus_sosc107_winter99.htm . I have taken
Montgomery College students, Science Club members, on field trips to Great Falls and
Sugar Loaf Mountain where we have studied the geology. I recently visited Sidling Hill
in Maryland with my wife, and it, too, would make a good destination for geology
student field trips. I am aware of rock outcroppings a few blocks from the campus on
East West Highway that make for interesting field trip possibilities. Upper and lower
Rock Creek, also easily within field trip distance for Montgomery College geology
students, also have many interesting rock strata that are easily examinable. Montgomery
County and its near environs have a lot of interesting geology. I have dug for fossils in
Prince Georges County with Science Club members near Murkirk Road and U.S. Route
1, near where the first dinosaur fossil was discovered in North America, the Astrodon
tooth, from Maryland’s state dinosaur. I took a graduate level geology course while I
was a graduate student in physics at LSU. Physics has invaded geology, just as it has
invaded biology more recently. I am a member of the Geological Society of Washington,
and a bit more than an amateur geologist. I have not published any geology papers in
referred journals; my publications have been in physics and astronomy.
While I am reasonably confident that there is more than sufficient ESH in the
physical science department that I can teach if I obtain this faculty position, I have also
successfully taught many mathematics courses here at Montgomery College in the past. I
am an applied mathematician as well as a physicist or astrophysicist. I am a very
versatile educator, and have even taught BI106, “Oceanus: the Marine Environment,”
while at Montgomery College several times.
Classes taught at Montgomery College as an adjunct
AS101, Introductory Astronomy, traditionally in the planetarium and via distance
learning both using Blackboard and now WebCT.
AS101, Introductory Astronomy, College of the Air, "Universe the Infinite Frontier" no
longer offered in this format at MC.
AS102, Introduction to Modern Astronomy, via distance learning using WebCT.
PH203, General Physics I, traditionally, lecture, recitation, and lab.
PH204, General Physics II, traditionally, lecture, recitation, and lab.
MA100, Intermediate Algebra, traditionally, but I used MyMathLab at
http://www.coursecompass.com, and all of my students that came fairly regularly to class
and did their online homework and online quizzes passed the course based upon three
exams and a final given in class.
BI06, Marine Environmental Science, College of the Air, "Oceanus: The Marine
Environment at MC." Students met with me three Saturdays to ask questions and took a
midterm and final with me additionally.
GL101, Physical Geology, lecture, recitation, and lab.
Prealgebra, when it had a different number than now.
Elementary Algebra, when it had a different number than now.
Survey of College Mathematics, when it had a different number than now.
Intermediate Algebra and Trigonometry, when it had a different number than now and
included trigonometry. I allowed some students to do a special extra credit project on
astrolabes; and this turned at least one English major around and she started doing well.
She respected Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote "The Treatise of the Astrolabe;" and she
could identify with him. I also started using Journals (now we call them Portfolios)
because of an article that I read in the Journal of College Mathematics, "What is this
Writing Doing in a Mathematics Course?" I think teaching this mathematics course was
pivotal into making me a better teacher.
Classes taught at Bowie State University as an adjunct
PHSC111, Introductory Astronomy, traditionally, lecture, recitation, lab several times in
the Connecticut Park Adult Education Center in Montgomery County, and once at the
Shady Gove Center, in Montgomery County, and once in the planetarium at Montgomery
College. I also taught this course via distance learning by using Blackboard on Bowie’s
Web sight when the students watched videos on television, "Universe the Infinite
Frontier," we did three Contemporary Laboratory Exercise in Astronomy lab projects.
Classes taught at Southeastern University in the District of Columbia as an adjunct
SOS107, Introduction to Science II, actually "Earth Science," or geology without a lab
component (unless you count showing rocks from my own collection to students).
Geology is the first science I ever practiced, as I began collecting rocks as a child.
Classes taught at Louisiana State University while a graduate student
Introductory Astronomy labs, a fellow graduate student and I repaired the Spitz
planetarium at LSU, which had not been working, and started using it in instruction.
After this the department put the planetarium on preventative maintenance, with Spitz,
and it is still being used in astronomy laboratory instruction at LSU.
General Physics I labs for engineers who were not physics or chemical engineering
majors.
General Physics II labs for engineers who were not physics or chemical engineering
majors.
General Physics I labs for physics and chemical engineering majors.
General Physics II labs for physics and chemical engineering majors.
Short course in astronomy for gifted high school students during the summer.
Short course in astronomy for gifted elementary students during the summer.
Classes taught at State University of New York at Stony Brook while a graduate
student
Self Paced Physics modules for Premedical students. This was an experimental course
supervised by Arnold Swartz, then the editor for the "Physics Teacher." It was a superior
method of instruction for students, but it used so much staff (graduate student) and
faculty time that it was eventually abandoned because it was uneconomical. With the use
of computers in instruction now the economics would be reversed (I think), but this was
in 1974 when personal computers did not exist. Pricilla Law and others use methods
somewhat like this now. It is very cooperative and involves no lecture, or virtually no
lecture
Traditional labs for General Physics I, premed clientele.
Traditional labs for General Physics II, premed clientele.
Enclosed with this letter are links to the following:
1. Eight page Curriculum Vitae; see the URL
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/hresume.htm.
2. a shorter two page Curriculum Vitae used with an NSF proposal; see the URL
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/Harold_short2.do
c
3. a four page academic autobiography; see the URL
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/Harold.htm
4. a copy of the main planetarium Web page; see the URL
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/
5. a copy of the Web page describing the planetarium program “Ancient Sky
Watchers of Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras, the Maya,” ;
see the URL
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/MayanAstronomy.html
6. a copy of the Web page describing the planetarium program “Polarization
Sundials,” ; see the URL
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/polarsun.html
7. a copy of the Web page describing the planetarium program “Space-Time
Invariance and Quantum Gravity,” ; see the URL
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/GASTIQG.html
8. a one page summary titled “Current College Wide Planetarium Activities,” which
I prepared at my dean’s request to go to the academic vice president; see the URL
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/collegewide/Plane
tariumCollegeWide.doc
9. a copy of the Web page describing the interdisciplinary community discussion
“Faith in Science”; see the URL
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/FaithInScience/home.html
10. a copy of the Web page describing the interdisciplinary community discussion
“Navigating Uncertainties”; see the URL
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/NavigatingUncertainties/
home.html
11. a copy of the Web page describing the Learning Communities linked course
Astrophilosophy, AS101 and PL201, scheduled to be offered in the Fall of 2006, ;
see the URL
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/AstroPhilosophy.html
12. a copy of the Web page describing the Learning Communities linked course
Astrobiology, AS101 and BI107, which could be offered in the Fall of 2007, if I
find a biology faculty member interested in partnering with me as Dr. D’Souza
did in Philosophy; see the URL
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/Astrobiology.html.
13. a copy of “Star Dust,” the newsletter of the National Capital Astronomers, NCA;
see the URL http://capitalastronomers.org/Stardust/January2006.pdf.
Possible Research Projects for Undergraduates
1. Beginning with a historical astrolabe, determine when the star map (rete) was
most likely current, considering the spherical trigonometry, conformal
projection, and astronomical precession. We would scan historical instruments at
the American History Museum of the Smithsonian, which has the third best
collection of astrolabes on the planet. I have scanned one astrolabe owned by a
private individual in Montgomery County, and so I know the technique will
work. Electronic scanned images of the astrolabes, which are nearly two
dimensional, provide a better image than even a very good digital camera. See
the images of the Wheeler astrolabe at http://astrolabes.org/Wheeler/.
2. Explore the physics and mechanics behind a Mayan atlatl.
3. Explore Mayan calendars, an example of this project with honors modules in
AS101HM with Thomas Schnieder, who has now transferred to the Astronomy
program at the University of Hawaii. This student made a PowerPoint
paper/presentation and gave an oral talk at the honors colloquium in front of all
Honors Module, HM, students at the college. His oral talk was better than his
PowerPoint presentation shows. Report see
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/M_AS101/honorsModoules/
mayan.ppt
4. Explore the Expanding and Accelerating Universe, an example of this project
with HM in AS101HM with Simere Sium, who is still a Montgomery College
Student for one more semester. This student made a PowerPoint
paper/presentation and gave an oral talk at the honors colloquium in front of all
HM students. See
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/M_AS101/honorsModoules/E
xpanding_Universe.ppt
5. Lesson plans in astronomy or physics for schoolteachers in grades K-12.
Students must make a PowerPoint paper/presentation and given an oral talk at
the honors colloquium in front of all HM students at the college. I have done
this in honors modules in AS101HM with pre-service student teacher Ariel
Nachtigal on “Teaching Kids about HESSI and Waves with Rocketry” (report at
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/M_AS101/honorsModoules/
HESSI_ROCKETRY.ppt) (he actually used this in last summer’s job, which
helps pay for his college classes; he works at a private school) and with Ben
Sellers, a 5th grade teacher who now teaches High School in Prince Georges
county, on “Astronomy in the Elementary Classroom: Two-day lesson on the
relationship between the Earth’s moon and eclipses.” See
http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/M_AS101/honorsModoules/B
enSellers.ppt).
References who know about my teaching:
1. Dr. Susan Thonton, former chairman, and chemistry professor
Montgomery College
7600 Takoma Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
301-650-1413 office
301-279-9085 home
susan.thornton@montgomerycolleg.edu
2. Dr. Anthony D’Souza, philosophy professor, who am working with on
Astrophilosophy, AS101 and PL201, in a “Learning Community.” This
course is due to be team taught in the Fall of 2006 at Montgomery
College; we have spent a year working on it. He has brought all of his
classes into the planetarium since 2003 for the “5W’s of the Universe,”
URL: http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/planet/planet/5Ws.html.
I have spent time in his classes last summer 2005 and in the fall of 2005.
We are also walking partners for mutual health and intellectual
stimulation.
Montgomery College
7600 Takoma Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
301-650-1395 office
301-587-4998 home
anthony.d’souza@montgomerycolleg.edu
3. Dr. Nancy Grace Roman; several summers we taught together,
“Astronomy Across the Science Curriculum: A Workshop for Science
Teachers.” She is a retired NASA bureaucrat and was the program
scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope.
4620 North Park Avenue, Apt. 306W
Bethesda, MD 20915
301-656-6092 home
Nancy.Roman@verizon.net
4. C.J. Ross, Executive Administrator, for AFSCME Council 67, I have
taught Member Educator classes for union Stewards multiple times with
C.J. She knows about my teaching ability.
1410 Bush Street Suite A
Baltimore, MD 21230
410-837-7278 extension 165
410-752-1848 FAX
410-917-7216 mobile
800-727-3332
cjross@afscme67.org
5. Dr. Sharon Hauge, chair person in the mathematics department, who has
observed me when I taught mathematics courses.
Montgomery College
7600 Takoma Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
301-650-1395 office
sharon.hauge@montgomerycollege.edu
Other Astrophysical References:
1. Dr. Joel Tohline, Professor, and my Ph.D. dissertation advisor.
Physics and Astronomy Department
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001
225-578-6851 office
225-578-5855 FAX office
225-766-6937 home
225-933-0927 mobile
tohline@lsu.edu
2. Dr. Alan Boss, staff member at the oldest nonprofit research organization in the
country; I worked for him as a post doc and helped make his hydrocode secondorder in space and time.
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Department of Terrestrial Magnetism
5241 Broad Branch Road
Washington, DC NW 20015-1305
(202) 478-8858 office
(202) 478-7972 FAX
boss@dtm.ciw.edu
Sincerely,
Dr. Harold Alden Williams