Information for Attendees
Poster Information
Students are encouraged (but not required) to submit a poster presenting their undergraduate research. Students who would like to present a poster, will need to indicate that when completing the registration form and provide us with a preliminary title for your poster.
If you would like to present a poster, please submit the poster title to cuwip2017@colorado.edu by January 6th!
You only need to submit the title to this email if you did not already provide your poster title on the APS Registration form.
Poster boards will be provided and are 4 feet by 6.5 feet. Please print posters so they will fit within the poster board size. A typical poster size of 3'x4' or 4'x4' will fit nicely on these boards.
Please bring your posters will you to the UMC Ballroom on Saturday morning so you can set up your poster during breakfast!
Travel and Lodging
The conference will be held in the University Memorial Center (UMC) and the Duane Physics building on the University of Colorado Boulder main campus.
Department of Physics
Duane Physics
2000 Colorado Ave
Boulder, CO 80309-0390
Hotel information
Students and speakers will be staying at
1345 28th St
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 443-3850
Guaranteed check-in is 4 PM, check out is 11 AM.
All students will be randomly paired with one other attendee to room with and all
hotel rooms will have two double beds.
Transportation to the CU Boulder Campus from Denver International Airport
There are several options for students and speakers to get from DIA to either Duane Physics or the Millennium Harvest House.
*Recommended* - RTD bus Westbound Route AB
- Runs ~once per hour, Trip time ~1 hr
- Picks up from DIA Transit Center at Bus Gate 8. The closest campus drop off point is the Euclid and Broadway stop (see map above). This will drop off right in front of the University Memorial Center where attendee registration will occur on Friday afternoon from 1-9 PM. (We can store luggage at registration if you need to arrive early for a tour.) If you will be arriving on Thursday, or early on Friday, you might want to go to the hotel instead. See the instructions below.
- Fare is $9.00 one-way, you must have exact cash and pay as you board the bus.
- An airport shuttle that must be booked in advance
-Please see the details on their website.
- Shuttles operate roughly hourly from the airport from 4:30 AM until 12:30 AM.
- Picks up at DIA and you must arrange to have it drop you off at CU Boulder campus at the University Memorial Center.
- Fare is $38 for the first person and $20 for every additional person in the same group
Taxi
- Picks up at airport
- Fare ~$90 (NOTE: Taxi fare will not qualify for reimbursement except in extreme cases which are pre-approved by the Conference Organizers)
Transportation to the Millennium Hotel from Denver International Airport
*Recommended*
- An airport shuttle that must be booked in advance
- Picks up at DIA and you must arrange to have it drop you off at the Millennium Harvest House.
-Shuttles operate roughly hourly from the airport from 4:30 AM until 12:30 AM.
- Fare is $34 for the first person and $20 for every additional person in the same group
Public Transit: RTD bus Route AB Westbound and then a local bus (the JUMP route Eastbound)
- AB Runs ~once per hour, JUMP schedule varies, but only runs until 10:30 PM. Take the Green Ride Shuttle mentioned above if you arrive at the airport late at night.
- Picks up from DIA Transit Center at Bus Gate 8. Take it until the last stop, the Downtown Boulder Transit Center. From there take the JUMP which boards at Gate A to the Arapahoe Ave and 28th stop (should take about 6 minutes). Exit the bus and walk 2 blocks south along 28th street to the the Millennium hotel. It is behind the Safeway.
- Fare is $9.00 one-way, you must have exact cash and pay as you board the bus. Also save your ticket to use on the local bus as well.
Parking information
For attendees that are driving to the conference and staying at the hotel, please park at the Millennium hotel and shuttles will be provided to/from campus and conference events.
For local attendees and speakers who will drive to Boulder each day, you may park near the conference either in Lot 204 right outside the UMC or Lot 360 east of Duane Physics. You will need to validate as soon as you park, not when leaving. When at the validation machine, press the "code" button. Please use the code E5114360 when paying for parking. You will need to enter your license plate numbers to validate parking Also it is very important to hit the green button and print a receipt, if you don’t get the receipt the transaction did not go through and you will need to complete a new transaction to be validated. This code is valid for lot 204 all day for all 3 days and lot 360 after 5pm on Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. Here is a link to a map showing the campus parking lot locations.
Travel Reimbursement
We expect that all attendees first ask their home university department to fund travel to and from the conference. If your home institution is unable to provide travel funds, we will need an official letter from your department head/Chair stating that you have requested their support but that they are unable to provide travel funds to the conference. Please send this letter to cuwip2017@colorado.edu.
You must obtain approval from us for travel reimbursement by contacting cuwip2017@colorado.edu before the conference. Reimbursed travel expenses must be reasonable and the cheapest option. For example, we will NOT reimburse flight upgrades, extra baggage, Uber or Limo service from the airport, etc. All flights should be pre-approved for reimbursement by emailing the planned itinerary to cuwip2017@colorado.edu before booking. If flights are not pre-approved, full reimbursement is not guaranteed.
Carpooling is strongly encouraged as it is usually the most economical option. Students should estimate the costs of air and of car, taking into account the efficiencies of carpooling and choose the least expensive option. If the choice is questionable, students should contact the local organizing committee (at cuwip2017@colorado.edu) and provide paperwork showing how the transportation decision was made.
Keep all travel receipts to ensure you will be reimbursed. You will receive a reimbursement form included in your welcome packet at registration that you will fill out and return to us after the conference with attached receipts. A check will be mailed to you usually within one month of the conference.
Tips for Attending
What to wear
Most students choose to dress in business casual attire. You should be comfortable, but also remember that this is a professional environment and networking is highly encouraged!
Bring a warm jacket. The weather in CO during January is unpredictable; it could be relatively warm (around 50 degrees F), it could be cold (around 10 degrees F), or it could be snowing.
Wear comfortable shoes. The walk from the conference hotel to Duane physics is just under a mile and we will be moving around between buildings on campus throughout the day. Remember, snow is a possibility for Colorado in January.
General Tips for Conferences
Read the conference agenda thoroughly, and select the sessions that will benefit you the most.
Many of the conference events will be plenary (i.e., only one thing happening at that time); however, during the workshops and panels you may have multiple options. Pick the ones that seem most interesting and beneficial for you given where you are in your undergraduate career.
Ask a colleague to become your conference buddy, so you can share what you learn.
Many of you, the conference participants, are being funded by your school or by our sponsors. Unfortunately, money is not limitless, so it is up to you and your colleagues to share what you learn. Make sure you know the expectations of your department before you attend the conference— whether it be a presentation to the department or a report. Additionally, this will be good practice for future careers in academia or industry, where you will be sent to conferences and expected to report on recent research/developments.
Stay for the entire conference.
You never know what good information you might miss by arriving late or leaving sessions early.
Be an active participant, ask questions and make comments.
The conference has been designed to actively engage participants. Panel sessions will depend significantly on the questions you bring. While you’ve likely heard this before, there are no dumb or ridiculous questions. This conference is for you; make the most of it.
Reach out of your comfort zone and meet people. Don’t form cliques.
While it is rarely easy talking to strangers, one of the main goals of the conference is to create a network for undergraduate physicists. Talk to everyone you can about their schools, field of research, etc. You never know who you might meet again. View this as a time to practice your networking skills.
Realize that potential employers or research advisors might observe your behavior.
Be professional, courteous, and genuine.
If you have them, bring plenty of business cards.
The CUWiP presents an opportunity for students to network with graduate schools, national labs, industry representatives, and famous physicists. The best way to make a good, lasting impression is to be prepared and professional. Business cards present a way for you to be remembered. While you can find several deals online for cheap, flimsy cards, please spend the money on nice cardstock and well-designed cards. To impress people, include a QR code or website link to your research page or another professional site you may have made.
Tactfully collect business cards as you can.
This allows you to follow-up with post cards, e-mails, phone calls, and appointments, if desired and necessary. Take business cards if they are offered, but do not ask for a business card, unless you intend to follow-up.