The American Association of Physics Teachers presents a 16-month New Faculty Development Series designed specifically for Two-Year College Physics Faculty in their first six years of teaching at a Two-Year College.
NFDS Applications for Cohort 2 closed January 31, 2025.
If you are interested in a future cohort (contingent on future funding) or have questions,
please contact us.
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The New Faculty Development Series will equip participants with techniques that are:
- Engaging
- Proven at Two-Year Colleges
- Based on Physics Education Research
- Designed for Promoting Active Learning
NFDS Cohort 2 (March 2025-July 2026)
Conference Locations
NFDS Cohort 1 (April 2023 - July 2024)
Conference Locations
Why should you join in this New Faculty Development Series?
This New Faculty Development Series is designed to equip new faculty members with knowledge of active learning techniques that are both 
based on Physics Education Research (PER) and that have been successfully implemented at two-year colleges across the country. Led by experienced two-year college physics instructors, this conference will empower a new faculty member as they embark on the important mission of developing critical thinking skills in their students and developing the future technological workforce for this country.
This New Faculty Development Series will focus on Physics Education Research and the data that show traditional lecture-based physics classes result in relatively small gains in student conceptual understanding of the fundamental concepts of physics. Much of this will take place through an online discussion of related journal articles during April and May. Consequently, conference participants will be ready for the Immersion Conference as they will understand why there is a need to engage students at a higher cognitive level.
This New Faculty Development Series exposes participants to three major pedagogical initiatives in introductory physics that have improved student comprehension: Instructional Strategies in Introductory Physics (discourse management/TIPERS), Inquiry-based Introductory Lab for Developing Scientific Reasoning Skills (flipped class, collaborative groups), and Curricular Approaches with Technology (Computation, Studio Physics, MBL). Participants will implement strategies learned during the Immersion Conference with online mentoring for support through the following year.
NFDS Application closed on January 31, 2025.
For more information, contact us.
OPTYCs is the national Organization for Physics at Two-Year Colleges with a mission to provide a single venue to improve opportunities for networking, mentoring, professional development, educational research, and educational transformation at TYCs.
New Faculty Development Series - Cohort 2
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December 1, 2024
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Cohort 2 Applications Open
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January 31, 2025
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Cohort 2 Application Deadline
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February 16, 2025
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Cohort 2 Acceptance Notices sent
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| March 10, 2025 |
Introduction to online system |
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March 24 - May 2, 2025
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Online discussions of foundational papers in Physics Education Research (PER) |
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May 15-17, 2025
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New Faculty Immersion Conference, UC Blue Ash College, Cincinnati, OH |
| June 2025 - June 2026 |
Implementation and Online Mentoring with participants |
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July 18-19, 2026
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New Faculty Commencement Conference, Pasadena, CA in tandem with National AAPT Summer Meeting
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Cohort 2 Leaders
NFDS Coordinators
- Krista Wood - University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College, Blue Ash, OH
- Dwain Desbien - Estrella Mountain Community College, Avondale, AZ
- Brooke Haag - PathStream, CA
- Tom O'Kuma - Lee College (retired), Baytown, TX
- Angela McClure - Estrella Mountain Community College, Avondale, AZ
Participant Leaders
- Tiffany Kwong - Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA
- Jon Pugmire - Snow College, Ephraim, UT
- Scott Sawyer - Whatcom Community College, Bellingham, WA
- Elizabeth Schoene - South Seattle College, Seattle, WA
- Brittney VornDick - Durham Technical Community College, Durham, NC
Site Hosts
- Immersion Conference: UC Blue Ash College, Cincinnati, OH
- Bogdan Leu, Joseph Gallagher, and Dean Stocker
- Commencement Conference: Pasadena, CA (TBD)
What OPTYCs Provides:
Updated due to the termination of our NSF grant on May 9, 2025.
However...
We were awarded a small grant from the American Institute of Physics Rapid Response Bridge Funds in September 2025. We are pleased to be able to run the Commencement Conference for Cohort 2!
- Travel economy class and ground transportation up to $600.
- Lodging up to $300 at the official AAPT Summer Meeting hotel.
- Meals and incidentals up to $100.
- Air travel economy-class and ground transportation or mileage will be provided (up to $900) for each in-person conference - the Immersion Conference and the Commencement Conference.
- Room, you will be provided a single room during the New Faculty Conferences.
- Per diem allowances will be provided for all meals during the New Faculty Conferences on conference days. Snacks will be provided at the host colleges. You will need to pay for meals on travel days.
- National Science Foundation Grants do not allow funds to be spent on alcoholic beverages.
- All workshop materials will be provided free of charge. We encourage participants to bring their own laptop computers.
- The online discussions access will be provided free of charge.
* There will be no registration fee for this experience.
What Home Institution or Participant Should Contribute:
- Home institutions or participants are expected to cover meals on travel days and any costs for transportation, lodging, and meals beyond the totals provided above. travel costs exceeding $900. Scholarships will be available for participants whose home institution cannot use funds for out-of-state travel, or is otherwise unable to support the participant's excess travel costs. Please contact the OPTYCs Director, Kris Lui (klui@aapt.org) to discuss or ask questions about funding.
- The second conference will take place as a tandem meeting to the AAPT National Summer Meeting in 2026. As you are already there, we would highly encourage participants to stay an extra three days to participate in the national meeting. If you elect to stay, you or your home institution would need to cover the associated cost of staying which would include registration fee for the national meeting and the room and board for the extra days.
