Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2016

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Mr Alan Allison with 2014 IYPT competitors Claire Ulrich (2014) and Sivagowri Somasundaram (2014). Photo courtesy of The Australian .

PHYSICS FOR LIFE

A FORTUITOUS ACCIDENT LED TO HEAD OF PHYSICS MR ALAN ALLINSON ESTABLISHING THE AUSTRALIAN ARM OF AN INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS COMPETITION AND A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR DOZENS OF GRAMMAR GIRLS.

Science with First Class Honours the day after graduating Year 12. Mr A was my physics teacher when I joined Girls Grammar. I’d already been studying ahead in physics at my previous school. Many teachers would have been content to let me follow along with the class and endure a little boredom. Mr A immediately realised I had more potential than that, and helped me design my own curriculum based around independent learning and investigations. I loved it, and with his help went on to compete several times at the International Young Physicists’ Tournament, which is based around researching open-ended investigative problems. It is impossible to overstate how much time and energy Mr A devoted to helping me and others who were interested in physics. He would supervise us in the laboratories early in the morning and late into the evening. He didn’t believe in giving straight answers to physics questions, but would guide us to uncover the answer ourselves. He came to the international competitions and didn’t complain when I wanted to share an exciting breakthrough late at night or early in the morning. He didn’t just inspire my love of physics (which is so strong that I still help coach at the international tournaments, despite not working in physics anymore), but also my love of learning. Mr Allinson himself has said that ‘it is the moments when I realise students are explaining something to me I didn’t realise I didn’t understand’ that are the highlights of his teaching career.

Now Honorary President of the International Youth Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT), Mr Allinson discovered the annual event in 1997 when International Studies teacher Ms Deb Barker was translating for the organisers of the German event and wanted to check physics terms. With the encouragement of Director of Science Dr Sally Stephens, Mr Allinson investigated further and found an opening for an Australian coordinator for the competition. ‘Dr Stephens and I had shared many discussions about the need to cater for our top students and were looking for an approach that would work. We were also very concerned about the state of physics education in Australia, and the world,’ Mr Allinson said. ‘IYPT mirrors the process of physics and that is why IYPT has become a passion of mine. Creating the IYPT Australia Challenge as a qualifying tournament for Australia and creating the Junior Young Physicists’ Tournament (JYPT), were both attempts of mine to spread the experience across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.’ From the first trip to Germany in 1998 (‘We were totally unprepared. Nothing but experience makes you understand the requirements of this tournament. Thankfully, Mexico also attended for the first time, so we didn’t finish last!’) to organising the 2004 tournament at Girls Grammar and then emerging as World Champions in Korea in 2007— Mr Allinson’s passion for physics has invigorated students from around the world. Kathryn Zealand (2008) led the team that won the 2007 tournament. She went on to complete a Bachelor of

GRAMMAR GAZETTE