Events

Upcoming SPS Events

Quarter: Spring 2024

Event	Description
Week 1: Grad School from the Undergraduate perspective	We will introduce the main goals and events of the quarter. In addition, we will announce the opportunity to get involved on next year’s SPS officer team. We will have perspectives from students who have completed the graduate school application process along with students who did not decide to apply to graduate school.
Week 3:  Admissions Committee Q/A Session	A few faculty members part of UCI Physics Grad School admissions are willing to come to our meeting! We will have the chance to ask questions about what they look for on grad applications.
Week 5: Midterm Review + De-stress	Review for Lower Division Physics and Physics 53, 61B/C, 112B, 113A.  We will have some de-stressing activities available.
Week 7 or 8: Faculty Advisor Workshop	All students in physics are assigned a faculty mentor, and you are encouraged to contact them regularly. However, this event is an annual workshop that gives you a chance to receive help from professors with course planning and best prepare to achieve their future goals.
Week 9: De-stress	We will have an end-of-quarter de-stress event. We are planning for some type of potluck or bonfire event.
Sometime in May	Jon Arenberg is Chief Mission Architect for Science and Robotic Exploration at Northrop Grumman and was the chief engineer of the James Webb Telescope. He is willing to give a talk to SPS members specifically. He majored in physics, so he can give you insight into what paths we can take after graduating and how you can pitch yourself as a physics major. After he held a talk last year, a few students were able to get his contact information and now they regularly contact each other. In addition, Mr. Arenberg read over and gave feedback on their resumes. This is a great opportunity to get advice and build meaningful connections.
Conversations with Colloquium Speakers (throughout the week)	On colloquium days, we may have 15-30 minutes of time where undergrads can talk to the colloquium speaker about their work and their physics journeys. We will announce times + location where the speaker can meet. Most of the time it will be held in the SPS room.
NOVA Graduate School Application Help	This is in partnership with the NOVA mentorship program in PACE club led by graduate students who help undergrads prepare for grad school. We are planning on holding 1 or 2 events, one for Grad apps and/or one for NSF GRFP. Also, NOVA may start a summer mentorship/workshop program to hopefully guide rising senior undergraduates through the process. More information is coming soon!

Quarter: Winter 2024

Quarter: Fall 2023

Event	Description
Week 1: Intro Meeting	All physics majors are welcome, the more the merrier! Want to meet potential classmates & other aspiring physicists? Come & mingle! FREE PIZZA!!!
Week 2: Counter Space	See the description above!
Week 2: Nuclear Reactor Tour	On Thursday 10/12 from 1:00-2:00. Limited to 30 students. More specific details to come in newsletter email!
Week 3: Board Game Night	We start with a talk from Ryan about the reality of being a physics major. Then we’ll play some board games!
Week 4: Counter Space	See the description above!
Week 5: Midterm Review + De-stress	Review for Lower Division Physics and Physics 111A, 115A. We will have some de-stressing activities available.
Week 6: Counter Space	See the description above!
Week 7: Grad School Panel	We will have a group of graduate students willing to  experiences about grad school applications and grad school life.
Week 8: Counter Space	See the description above!
Week 9: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Social	We will make liquid nitrogen ice cream. Come to eat some good ice cream and talk with others!
Week 10: Counter Space	See the description above!

SPS Calendar

Seminars & Colloquium

UCI’s Physics & Astronomy Department hosts weekly seminars & colloquium where guest speakers come and talk about their research. It’s a great way to stay updated on what’s going on in the physics research community. We usually announce the seminars in our weekly emails. If you would like to see which ones are coming up, click HERE.