Paul G. Hewitt
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Paul G. Hewitt is an American physicist, former boxer, uranium prospector, author, and cartoonist born in Saugus, Massachusetts in 1930. Hewitt currently resides in both Hilo, Hawaii and St. Petersburg, Florida.
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[edit] Conceptual Physics
In 1964, Hewitt began his teaching career at the City College of San Francisco, and in 1980 began teaching evening courses for the general public at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Hewitt decided to abandon his teaching career at both the Berkeley and Santa Cruz campuses within the University of California, choosing instead to move to Hawaii and resume his teaching career at the University of Hawaii within the Hilo and Manoa campuses.
During Hewitt's teaching career at the University of Hawaii, his charisma and jubilant method of teaching physics inspired him to begin videotaping his lectures. These are now sold in a thirty-four-lecture set distributed by Addison-Wesley and Pearson PLC, titled Conceptual Physics Alive!.
In 1987, Hewitt began writing a high-school version of Conceptual Physics, which was also published by Addison-Wesley. Hewitt simultaneously taught classes upon his return to the City College of San Francisco that were also videotaped and distributed in a twelve-lecture set distributed worldwide. Conceptual Physics on the high-school level is now on its third edition and has transferred its publication to Prentice Hall. Conceptual Physics on the college-level is now on its ninth edition and is still published by the Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
Hewitt has also co-authored, Conceptual Physical Science with his daughter Leslie Hewitt, a geologist, and his nephew, John Suchocki, a former chemistry instructor who taught at the Leeward Community College in Oahu, Hawaii and Lee, a former favorite student. Throughout his career, Hewitt has only released one trade book entitled: Touch This-Conceptual Physics for Everyone (previously titled Conceptual Physics for Everyone).
[edit] Fans and Philosophy
Paul G. Hewitt has many fans, including both students and teachers, who incorporate his Conceptual Physics Alive! into their physics classes. Hewitt's books are notable for their use of cartoons and simple diagrams, often seem unrelated to the text, to explain complex theories and formulas or may be placed to fill pages. Hewitt's writing style, like his way of teaching, is also laid back, frequently comforting the reader about ideas difficult to understand, and providing stories of the author's personal experiences.
[edit] Quotes
"Son of a bitch, there it is!" (said while proving the validity of the prediction of Neptune's existence.)
"You see gang.." (common Hewitt address to the class).
"Scout's honor!" (common Hewitt address to the class).
[edit] Presently
Hewitt is currently a column editor for The Physics Teacher, the monthly magazine of the American Association of Physics Teachers.
[edit] Achievements
- First Prize for Science - American Education Film Festival (1977)
- American Association of Physics Teachers, Millikan Award (1982)
- Honoree of Paul G. Hewitt Scholarships for Future High School Physics Teachers (Founded in 2002)
