James H. Stith is a former president of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and Vice President Emeritus of the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Throughout his career, he has been an advocate for programs that ensure ethnic and gender diversity in the sciences. As Vice President, he had oversight of a broad portfolio of units which included the Magazine Division, the Media and Government Relations Division, the Education Division, the Center for the History of Physics, the Statistical Research Division, and the Careers Division, all of which provided day to day support of AIP Member Societies. His doctorate in physics was earned from The Pennsylvania State University, and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in physics were received from Virginia State University. A physics education researcher, his primary interests were in Program Evaluation, and Teacher Preparation and Enhancement. Dr. Stith, whose academic career started as an instructor at his alma Mata, VSU, is a retired Army Colonel and was formerly a Professor of Physics at the United States Military Academy (West Point), and The Ohio State University.