Andrew Zwicker Explained

Andrew Zwicker
State Senate1:New Jersey
District1:16th
Term Start1:January 11, 2022
Predecessor1:Kip Bateman
State Assembly2:New Jersey
District2:16th
Term Start2:January 12, 2016
Term End2:January 11, 2022
Alongside2:Jack Ciattarelli (2016–2018)
Roy Freiman (2018–2022)
Predecessor2:Donna Simon
Successor2:Sadaf Jaffer
Birth Date:17 May 1964
Birth Place:New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma Mater:Bard College (BA)
Johns Hopkins University (MA, PhD)
Occupation:Head of science education department, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Residence:Princeton, New Jersey
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Barbara Golden
Website:Legislative Website

Andrew P. Zwicker (born May 17, 1964) is an American physicist and politician who has served in the New Jersey Senate from the 16th Legislative District since 2022. He previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 16th District from 2016 to 2022. Zwicker was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in New Jersey's 12th congressional district in 2014.

He is a member of the Democratic Party as well as the head of the Science Education Department of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. He has been described as a protégé of former Representative Rush Holt Jr.[1]

Early life

Zwicker was born in New York City. Raised in Englewood, New Jersey, where he graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in 1982, he went on to achieve his B.A. in physics from Bard College in 1986, and his M.A. and Ph.D., both also in physics, from Johns Hopkins University in 1992. His dissertation was entitled "Soft X-Ray Spectroscopy of Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasmas Using Flat Multilayer Mirrors as Dispersive Elements".[2] Zwicker's post-doctoral work focused on fusion energy research at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and internationally.

Personal life

Zwicker resides in Princeton, New Jersey with his wife, Barbara Golden, a New Jersey public school educator, along with their family and their rescue pitbull-boxer mix, Rocky.[3] He is an atheist.[4]

Academic career

Academic achievements

He has been the head of the Science Education Department of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory[5] since 2003, where his work is focused on creating innovative opportunities for students of all backgrounds to engage in scientific inquiry and his research is centered on plasmas as an educational tool and new methods of science communication. At Princeton University, Zwicker was previously a part-time lecturer in the Writing Program[6] and a faculty advisor for freshmen and sophomores in Rockefeller College.[7] Zwicker has served on several national committees on education, is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and The American Association of Physics Teachers has named him to its list of 75 leading contributors to physics education. He was the Editor of the APS Forum on Physics and Society's newsletter and a past chair of that Forum.[8] Additionally, he is a past member of the APS Committee on Education.[9] In 2006, Zwicker and a collaborator won the university's Art of Science competition for a photograph entitled "Plasma Table"[10] and was for several years afterwards a co-organizer of the event.

Publications and appearances

Zwicker has published in both science and education journals, and has also appeared at numerous lectures and on television.

His publications include:

Campaign for United States House of Representatives

Zwicker ran for the Democratic nomination for the United States House of Representatives in the 12th Congressional District. He was seeking election to the seat then held by Rush D. Holt Jr., who announced on February 18 that he would not seek re-election in the 2014 cycle.[15] He finished fourth of the four candidates in the Democratic primary election held on June 3 (Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman won the primary and general elections), but impressed and gained support from party leaders to lead Zwicker to run for Assembly.[16]

New Jersey Assembly

He and his running mate Maureen Vella ran as Democrats in the historically-Republican dominated 16th Legislative District. Three days after the election, the race for the second seat elected between Zwicker and incumbent Republican Assemblywoman Donna Simon was considered "too close to call." The other incumbent Republican Assemblyman, Jack Ciattarelli, had finished far enough ahead in first place to be ensured a victory. Zwicker had a 29-vote lead over Simon with some provisional ballots remaining to be counted.[17] [18] On November 9, 2015, the final provisional ballots were counted, with Zwicker finishing with a 78-vote lead over Simon.[19] On November 16, Simon conceded the race to Zwicker and Republican officials stated that no recount will be requested.[20] He became the first Democrat ever elected to the district in its 42-year history, albeit in a more Democratic form than it had prior to redistricting thanks to the addition of the liberal university town of Princeton.[21] In the November 2017 general election, with Republican incumbent Jack Ciattarelli leaving the Assembly in his unsuccessful run for the republican gubernatorial nomination, Zwicker (with 34,233 votes; 27.2% of all ballots cast) and his running mate, newcomer Roy Freiman (32,714; 26.0%), defeated Republican challengers Mark Caliguire (29,041; 23.1%) and Donna Simon (29,674; 23.6%) to win both Assembly seats from the district for the Democrats for the first time in district history.[22] [23]

Committees

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[24]

District 16

Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly.[25] The representatives from the 16th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[26]

(D) (D) (D)

Electoral history

Assembly

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: In Democratic underperformance, Zwicker shines bright . 2022-08-01 . The Princetonian.
  2. Post Zwicker . Andrew Paul . Soft X-Ray Spectroscopy of Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasmas Using Flat Multi . PhD thesis . 1993 . Johns Hopkins University . 1993PhDT........50P.
  3. Web site: Bradford Seminar - "The Green Amendment Movement: Should We Have a Constitutional Right to a Clean Environment?". Princeton University. en-US. 2024-05-29.
  4. Web site: r/IAmA - Comment by u/AndrewZwicker: "I'm an atheist, but I don't believe that science and religion are by definition incompatible.". reddit. May 13, 2014 . en-US. 2020-04-26.
  5. Web site: About Science Education | Princeton Plasma Physics Lab . Pppl.gov . 2011-12-04 . 2014-03-06.
  6. Web site: Faculty Bios - Princeton Writing Program . Princeton.edu . 2013-12-07 . 2014-03-06.
  7. Web site: Andrew Zwicker - Rockefeller College . Princeton.edu . 2011-06-07 . 2014-03-06.
  8. Web site: APS Physics | FPS | Editor's Comments . Aps.org . 2013-04-16 . 2014-03-06.
  9. Web site: Andrew P. Zwicker : CV . Pppl.gov . 2014-03-06.
  10. Web site: Art of Science Competition / Gallery - Plasma Table . Princeton.edu . 2014-03-06.
  11. The suitability of 3D printed plastic parts for laboratory use . American Journal of Physics . 83 . 3 . 281–285 . 10.1119/1.4900746 . 2015 . Zwicker . Andrew P. . Bloom . Josh . Albertson . Robert . Gershman . Sophia . 65689692 . 2015AmJPh..83..281Z .
  12. Web site: The Use of DC Glow Discharges as Undergraduate Educational Tools . Bp.pppl.gov . 2014-03-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140307002156/http://bp.pppl.gov/pub_report/2013/PPPL-4825.pdf . 2014-03-07 . dead .
  13. Web site: Fusion in the Era of Burning Plasmas Workforce Plaaning for 2004 to 2014 . Science.energy.gov . 2014-03-06.
  14. Web site: Impurity Behavior During Ion Bernstein Wave Heating in the PBX-M Tokamak . 2014-03-06.
  15. News: Representative Rush Holt, of New Jersey, Will Not Seek Re-election . New York Times . February 18, 2014 .
  16. Web site: New Jersey Politics | NJ Politics.
  17. Web site: New Jersey Politics | NJ Politics.
  18. Web site: Elections 2015: Assembly race in 16th Dist. Not called. 4 November 2015.
  19. http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/2015/11/09/donna-simon-andrew-zwicker-election-results/75450134/
  20. News: CENTRAL JERSEY: Assemblywoman Donna Simon officially concedes 16th Legislative District race . November 16, 2015 . Curran, Philip Sean . . January 16, 2016.
  21. News: Zwicker elected as first Democrat in NJ 16th district . Qian, Kristin . November 11, 2015 . . January 16, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151217234252/http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2015/11/zwicker-elected-as-first-democrat-in-nj-16th-district/ . December 17, 2015 . dead .
  22. Deak, Mike. "NJ Elections: Bateman survives difficult night for Republicans", Courier News, November 8, 2017. Accessed February 1, 2018. "And though Bateman was pleased by his victory, Election Night was 'bittersweet' because his running mates, Mark Caliguire and Donna Simon, lost in their bid for Assembly seats to Democrats Andrew Zwicker, the incumbent, and newcomer Roy Freiman."
  23. http://nj.gov/state/elections/2017-results/2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf#page=19 Official List Candidates for General Assembly For General Election 11/07/2017 Election
  24. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/436/senator-zwicker Senator Andrew Zwicker
  25. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/constitution New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II
  26. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster?district=16 Legislative Roster for District 16